Alexandre de Laborde

Biography

Fourth wire of the famous financier Jean-Joseph de Laborde (1724 - 1794), which perishes on the scaffold, and of Rosalie de Nettine (1737 - 1820), Alexandre de Laborde made studies at the Oratoriens with the Collège of Juilly. At the time of the French revolution, it was sent by his/her father to Vienna, near the emperor Joseph II, which, solicited to find a state to him, and although very patient at that time, gave precise instructions so that it was allowed in the Austrian army . The December 10th 1789, at seventeen years, the young man was named officer with the 3rd regiment of infantry stationed with Olmuz (Moravie). Named captain with the 6th regiment of the light horsemen in October 1791, it fought the following year against the French revolutionary armies, on the borders Flemish and Luxembourg, being announced by its generosity with regard to its wounded or captive compatriots. In 1795, it took a long leave to find his/her mother and her sister in Suisse, then his/her brother in England. It returned then in the Austrian army in the rows of the hussards of Kinski, where it bound closely with Neipperg, before leaving the service with the rank of major.

After having travelled in Germany, Holland and Italy, it obtained to be erased list of the emigrants thanks to certificates of kindness after the peace of Campo-Formio, in 1797, and could return to France, where it entered to the ministry for the Foreign relations near Talleyrand, which took it under its protection. At the same time, it shared with Berthier the favors of the marchioness Visconti di Borgoratto. It was then a “pleasant, amusing and original” man, endowed with a charm to which testifies Madam de Genlis.

Under the Consulate and the First Empire

Taken of a very sharp taste for arts, Laborde travelled in England, Holland, Italy and Spain. Protected from Lucien Bonaparte, it was attached in 1800 to its embassy to Madrid. This one finished with the conclusion of the treaty of Aranjuez in March 1801. Lucien and Laborde returned then to France. It was via Laborde, of which it was the mistress of the moment, that Lucien met, with the Château of Méréville, very beautiful Alexandrine Jacob of Bleschamp, widow of a stockbroker, with which it fell passionately in love and which it married in June 1803, causing a durable estrangement with Napoleon.

Compromised during some time by its indirect participation in this marriage, Laborde was devoted to the edition of large books on Spain. Having had, at the time of its diplomatic mission, the revelation of the beauty and the interest of this country, to which moreover the origins of its paternal family attached, it engaged a team of artists to the head of which it remained lengthily in the Iberian peninsula. Helped by a team of authors among whom his friend Chateaubriant, it published the descriptive Itinéraire of Spain (1809, 5 vol. and 1 atlas) and the picturesque Voyage and history in Spain (1807 - 1818, 4 folio vol.). He devoted most of his fortune to the second of these publications, realized with much care, scholarship and exactitude, which contains more than 900 engravings and a precis of political and civil history. The war of 1808, by blocking the sale of this book, compromised the fortune of the author who, pressed by the need for providing for the needs for his family, which it spoke to about a large foot, decided to enter the administration.

It was named, in 1808, listener with the Council of State and knight of the Légion of honor in 1809. The function was then not very prestigious, the auditors corresponding to a kind of school of administration or the Empire trained its senior officials. Laborde took its situation with humor. It is told that, crossing it one day with the Tuileries, would have launched to him: “Here the elder one of my listeners! ”, it what Laborde would have answered: “Yes, Lord, and the junior by your concern! ”

In this same year 1808, the Emperor took it along with him to Madrid, as a good expert of Spain, while his wife was named lady-in-waiting of the empress Joséphine. Laborde gave satisfaction in this mission and was created count of the Empire the January 9th 1810.

A little later it was sent as secretary of the extraordinary delegation, led by the Berthier marshal, charged with asking officially the hand of the archduchess Marie-Louise. Thanks to its many relations in Vienna and its perfect knowledge of the German language, Laborde made wonder in this delicate mission. He managed to draw aside the doubts emitted by the clergy Viennese on the regularity of the divorce between Napoleon and Joséphine and to alleviate concerns on the risks which to France the small-niece of Marie-Antoinette could run. He accepted as a reward two snuffboxes furnished with diamonds and the cross of commander about Saint-Etienne. He benefitted moreover from his mission to accomplish a long voyage in the Austrian states and to gather materials for a picturesque Voyage in Austria , which he published only in 1821.

On its return in France, Laborde was charged to chair the commission of liquidation of the accounts of the Large army, then placed at the head of the service of the Ponts and Chaussées of the department of the Seine (1812). In these functions, he proposed several projects of embellishments of the capital (establishment of public laundrettes, creation of pavements, installation of pumps at fire) of which several were carried out later on.

Laborde had conceived the project to draw up a complete inventory of the richnesses archaeological of France and obtained count de Montalivet, Minister of Interior Department, which he with this intention addressed a circular to the Préfet S requiring their collaboration. The initiative did not have a continuation, the administration having put unwillingness to carry out an instruction of which it did not include/understand the stake. Laborde will try to start again its idea under the Restauration, but it was really implemented only under the Second Empire.

Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1813, it was called, the same year (January 29th), with the Institut of France (Class of history and old literature) to replace Mr. de Toulongeon. He launched out in very luxurious archaeological and historical publications, illustrated by artists of reputation, which he did not manage to make profitable and which completed, with its many prodigalities, to put at evil its fortune: he was continued until the end of his days by his creditors and even missed being imprisoned for debts.

Appear of the imperial company, close friend of the queen Hortense, it passes to be the true author of the lovesongs allotted to this one, like the Good Knight , While sighing I saw being born the dawn , or celebrates it Leaving for Syria , kind of official anthem of the Second Empire.

He was mayor of Méréville of 1805 with 1814.

Under the Restoration

Executive officer of the national guard in 1814, it exerted some time the command of the Palais of Tileries and accepted the mission of going to the Russian camp under Paris, in the night of the March 31st, to negotiate the capitulation of the national guard there. Louis XVIII named then it Colonel staff and knight of the royal and military Ordre of Saint-Louis. It was at that time that it raised the title of marquis de Laborde which was then carried by the groins of its descendants.

Without employment during the Hundred Days, it did not join in Napoleon but went to England to study there the method of popular mutual teaching known as “Lancaster”, of which it was done on its return, under the Second Restoration, the propagating credit in France, in particular in the capacity as secretary of the central Société of mutual teaching . At the same time, it supported the efforts of colonel Amoroso to promote the practice of the Gymnastique in the schools. Precursor of the Trade unionism, it also supported “the spirit of association in the community”. It militated finally for the nationalist causes in Greece and Poland.

It was named with the Académie of the inscriptions and the humanities by the royal decree of the March 21st 1816, with the favor of the reorganization of the Institute of France.

It could finish in 1818 its Voyage in Spain and entered to the Council of State like Maître of the requests. Elected official appointed of the college of department of the Seine the May 17th 1822, it sat at the center left and fought the financial systems of the ministry, the restrictive laws of freedom, and opposed the war of Spain highly, especially by the reason which it would be impossible to supply the cavalry. A newspaper of the time summarized its opinion in this formula: “Hay of the war of Spain! ” This independent attitude made it erase Council of State before being worth to him, with the elections of the February 25th 1824, thanks to the efforts of the administration, a failure in the 6th district of Paris. It benefitted from its leisure to carry out, in company of his son, a long voyage of almost four years in Italy, in Greece, Turkey, Palestine and Egypt, of which there wrote a relation remained new.

He learned with Alexandria, in February 1828, which he had been re-elected appointed the November 24th 1827 by the large college of the Seine. He let his son continue only the voyage and returned at once to Paris. Its mandate to him was renewed the July 19th 1830. The ministry Martignac had returned its seat to him to the Council of State. Alexandre de Laborde, who joined together in his living room the liberal fraction of the Room, entered the opposition to the ministry Polignac, was opposed to the Expédition of Algiers and signed the Adresse of the 221. In the evening of the July 26th, it joins together at his place about fifteen liberal deputies, then, the following day, was put at the head of the popular movement, went up on the barricades with enthusiasm, covered of a uniform of imagination, follow-up of its manservant Lucien, and was made acclaim in the offices of the National , as Chateaubriand tells it.

Under the monarchy of July

Named prefect of the Seine the July 29th 1830 by the municipal Commission of Paris, it remained only little of time at this station which it left the August 20th and was named to advise State, commander of the Legion of honor, Brigadier general of the national guard and Assistance-of-camp of Louis-Philippe. It briefly lost its functions in 1831 to have adhered to a patriotic company republican inspiration, but was not long in recovering them thanks to the benevolence of the king.

Because of its nomination to the Council of State, it had to be represented in front of its voters, not without to have refused the peerage because it wished to continue to sit at the Palate-Bourbon, where it was re-elected the October 28th 1830. The voters of the 7th district of Paris successively returned it to the Room the July 5th 1831, then the June 21st 1834. The same day, he was also elected by the 4th college of Seine-et-Oise (Étampes). He chose Étampes where he was re-elected the November 4th 1837 and the March 2nd 1839. He gave his resignation in 1841 and was replaced, the May 7th, by his son, Leon de Laborde.

During the years that it sat at the Room, where it was one of the figures of the center left, evolving besides more clearly to the left on the end of its life, it was in favor of liberal measurements, asked in particular the addition of the capacities the general advices. It fills, starting from 1831, the functions of Questeur what enabled him to have an apartment of functions with the Palate-Bourbon.

He was regularly consulted by Louis-Philippe, who appreciated his spirit, in particular on several important projects such as the erection of the Obélisque of Louxor on the Place of the Harmony or the transformation of the Château of Versailles into museum of the French history. Besides familiar of the sovereign, it missed being killed at the time of the attack of Fieschi in July 1835. One of the personalities more for the Monarchy of July, friend of the painters Ary Scheffer and Horace Vernet, of the violonist Paganini, the countess of Boigne, of Girardin, Greffulhe, Broglie, of old prince de Ligne, it was famous for its spirit, answering for example at the time of a dinner somebody who warned it against the remarks that it held in front of his servants because those could repeat them with the police force: “Ah! the poor people! if I were sure, I would say some well more to save to them a little money. ”

Large assistant Master of the the Great East of France of 1835 with 1842, it was also elected member of the Academy of Science morals and political (section of political Economy) at the time of his re-creation the October 27th 1832.

At the end of its life, badgered by its creditors, it accepted, in October 1840, the invitation with Florence of the large-duke of Tuscany, Léopold II, then travelled to Athens and Rome and returned at the summer 1842 to Paris, where it died the October 20th, in a modest hotel furnished with the Rue Saint-Lazare. It was buried in the cemetery of the church Saint-Pierre-to-Montmartre, at the sides of his mother. Funeral praises were pronounced on its tomb by the Count Beugnot for the Academy of the inscriptions and the humanities and by Hippolyte Passy for the Academy of Science morals and policies.

Marriage and descent

Alexandre de Laborde had married the May 12th 1805 with Méréville Therese Sabatier de Cabre (1780 - 1854), girl of Honore Sabatier de Cabre, former ambassador of Louis XVI and young widow of the marquis Ferdinand de Saint-Gillier. They had five children, of which four reached the adulthood:

Charlotte Marie '' Valentine '' Joséphine de Laborde (1806 - 1894), which married Gabriel Delessert (1786 - 1858);
Leon de Laborde (1807 - 1869), appointed under the Monarchy of July and senator of the Second Empire;
Laetizia de Laborde (1809 - 1810);
Aline de Laborde (1811 - 1885), which married Edouard Bocher (1811 - 1900);
Mathilde de Laborde (1815 - 1904), which married Edouard Odier (1800 - 1887).

Works

Description of a paving stone in mosaic discovered in the old town of Italica , 1802, folio
Letters on the harmonic sounds of the toothing-stone , 1806, in-12
picturesque Voyage and history in Spain , Paris, 1807 - 1818, 4 folio vol.
Description of the new gardens of France and its old castles , Paris, 1808 - 1815, folio
Speech on the life of the countryside and the composition of the gardens
descriptive Route of Spain , Paris, 1809, 5 vol. in-8 and 1 atlas
Of the representative aristocracies , 1814
Of the true representation of the community , 1815
Report/ratio on the method of Lancaster , 1816
Projects of embellishment of Paris , 1816, folio
Forty-eight hours of guard to Tileries, during the days of the March 19th and 20th 1815. By a pomegranate of the National guard , 1816, in-4°
monuments of France, classified chronologically and considered under the report/ratio of the historical facts and the study of arts , Paris, 1816 - 1826, folio
Of the spirit of association in all the interests of the community , 1818
Plane of education for the children poor , 1819
picturesque Voyage in Austria, with a historical precis of the war enters France and Austria in 1809 , Paris, 1821 - 1823, 3 folio vol.
Outline of the financial position of Spain , 1823
Précis history of the war enters France and Austria in 1809 , 1823
Collection of Greek vases explained , 1824 - 1828, 2 folio vol.
With the king and the rooms, on the question of Algiers , 1830
Paris municipe or tables of the administration of the town of Paris , Paris, 1833, in-8
old and modern Versailles , 1839 - 1840, in-8

Alexandre de Laborde also collaborated in the picturesque Universe (Spain and Portugal), in the Livre of Cent-Un , the Revue of the Two Worlds , in the Revue of Paris , the Journal of useful knowledge , in the encyclopedic Revue , etc

Homages

Alexandre de Laborde gave his name to the street of Laborde , in the 8 {{E}} district of Paris.

Iconography

Portrait by Ary Scheffer.

References

Sources

François d' Ormesson and Jean-Pierre Thomas, Jean-Joseph de Laborde, banker of Louis XV, patron of the Lights , Paris, Perrin, 2002 - ISBN 2-262-01820-0

External bonds

Card of the Academy of Science morals and political

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