LAKANAL JOSEPH: (1762-1845) French Politician. Member of the National Convention 1792-95. He voted for the ...

LAKANAL JOSEPH: (1762-1845) French Politician. Member of the National Convention 1792-95. He voted for the execution of King Louis XVI. Lakanal is well remembered when, as President of the Education Committee, he introduced many important changes in the French educational system. Rare A.L.S., `Lakanal - from the Institut of France - Doctor in Sciences and Literature´, three pages, 4to, Magny, n.d., [1808], to Monsieur Le Rat de Magnetot, prefect of Andelys, Eure, in French. A lengthy and interesting letter full of complaints and reproaches to his correspondent´s behaviour, stating in part `..I am seated on the last step.. comfortably.. I have been assured that during your one before last trip to Paris, you have been intriguing talking to a half-god of the Jour, in order to leave me standing and uncomfortable…´ further saying that such comments do not match with his correspondent´s kind messages, making a parallelism with Cyrano-Bergerac, and stating `..It is easy to raise up your soul, high enough so such abject slanders cannot reach you.. Isn´t it useful that larvae exist? Nightingales eat them and sing even better: I do not sing, and have never crawled..´ With address leaf in Lakanal´s hand to the fourth page with a small area of paper loss due to the opening of the letter, also bearing an ink post stamp and remnants of a former red seal. Very small overall, minor age wear and creasing, otherwise G £600-900 In 1815, after the battle of Waterloo, Lakanal went into exile to the United States. He became a planter in Alabama, owning slaves, and was appointed president of the University of Luisiana which he reorganized, today know as Tulane University.