Collection of the Popular Journal des Débats French Newspapers

On offer is a collection of f issues of one of 19th century France’s most widely-read newspapers, The Journal des Débats (Journal of Debates). All four issues are from 1824. The Journal des Débats (Journal of Debates) was published between 1789 and 1944. During the German occupation of France in World War Two (WWII), the Journal continued to be published, which caused it to be suppressed after the Liberation of Paris in 1944.

The following are some selections from the issues on hand to provide as sense of this fine collection:

Under the Section titled FRANCE:

Un article du journal anglais le Sun, sous la date du 28, annonce que le discours du Roi d'Angleterre declerera la reconnaissance formelle de l'independence des colonies espagnoles; il ajoute que la France et la Russie suivront immediatement l'example de Grande Bretagne.... [Jan 31, 1824, p1]. 

[Translation: An article in the English newspaper the Sun, dated 28th, announces that the speech of the King of England will announce the formal recognition of the independence of the Spanish colonies; it adds that France and Russia will immediately follow the example of Great Britain...]. 

COUR DE CASSATION:

pourvoi de M. le conte de Forbin-Janson On se rapelle que M. le conte de Forbin-Janson a obtenu gain de cause devant la Cour royale de Paris (1re chambre) contre M Perdonnet, agent de change, qui reclamoit contre lui une somme considerable, pour differences sur des marches a terme d'effets publies... [Jan 31, 1824, p3]

[Translation: COURT OF APPEAL

appeal by the Count of Forbin-Janson…One remembers that the Count of Forbin-Janson won his case before the Royal Court of Paris (1st chamber) against Mr. Perdonnet, stockbroker, who claimed against him a considerable sum, for differences on futures markets of published bills…]

Articles include news from Germany, such as the excerpt below: 

En consequence d'une disposition supreme qui a ete rendue anterieurement, les obligations du royaume de Westphalie, les bordereaux, les anciennes obligationes du pays, les quittances de caisse, et les billets sans interet, qui proviennent de l'ancienne dette de provences autrefois prussiennes, et reunies ensuite de nouveau a la monarchie apres la dissolution du royaume de Westphalie ont ete sounnis a une verification... [Feb 6, 1824, p1]

[Translation: As a consequence of a supreme provision which was made earlier, the bonds of the Kingdom of Westphalia, the docket bills, the old bonds of the country, the cash receipts, and the interest-free bills, which originate from the old debt of formerly Prussian origins, and which were subsequently reunited again with the monarchy after the dissolution of the Kingdom of Westphalia, were subjected to a verification…]

The Journal des Débats (Journal of Debates) underwent several name changes from the time of its inception to dissolution. It was founded by the Bertin family, immediately following the first meeting of the Estates-General of 1789, at the outset of the French Revolution. It became the exact record of the debates of the National Assembly, under the title Journal des Débats et des Décrets (Journal of Debates and Decrees). Shortly after it was established, journalist Louis-François Bertin took over as publisher. Over the 40 years that he ran the paper, he built his reputation as one of the great French newspaper publishers. He attracted some of France’s great writers who contributed to the Journal’s pages – men such as François-René de Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Leon Foucault, Charles Nodier and many more. It was published on a weekly rather than daily schedule. During the early days of the Revolution, the First Empire, the Journal was opposed to Napoleon and eventually Bertin was imprisoned and then exiled by the government. The Journal was subjected to heavy censorship and, on Napoleon’s order, renamed the Journal de l'Empire. Bertin was finally allowed to return to France whereupon he resumed leadership of the Journal, albeit under a very watchful government eye. Eventually, in 1811, the government simply confiscated it.

During the first Bourbon Restoration (1813–1814), following the defeat of Napoleon,, the Journal took the title Journal des Débats Politiques et Littéraires. Under the second Bourbon Restoration, it took a much more conservative stance. 

The Journal des Débats was the most widely read newspaper of the Restoration and the July Monarchy, before being surpassed by Émile de Girardin's La Presse and later by Le Petit Journal. The many contributions established the Journal's reputation as a major influence on French culture, and especially French literature for the first half of the 19th century. Bertin is credited with the invention of the feuilleton, a supplement to the political section of a newspaper, usually in smaller type, which carried gossip, fashion, criticism and literature.