PARIS.

Southland Times, Issue 1658, 5 November 1872, Page 3

PARIS.

(fbom oub owe cobbespondent). August 22. "Wanting a ease, abuse opponent's counsel is being acted upon by the Imperialist and Koyalist press. The Republic, and its supporters from conviction or necessity, continuing to keep the even tenor of their way, counsellor Thiers is coining in for all the hard knocks. He is the Turk's head on which the partizaDS of the pretenders bestow nearly all their blows — save those they deliver to one another. M. Thiers is considered to be devoid of all shame for sending a Marquess to represent France at Washington — an incongruity that shocks neither President. One newspaper insinuates that as France is a republic, the nation ought to be prepared for a repetition of the scene which has just occurred in Peru. If republicans assassinate their presidents, royalists like 1 Jacques Clement and Eavaillac have not I spared their kings. Indeed the attempts at Boulogne and Strasbourg by Louis Napoleon against Louis Philippe, indicate that Imperialists and Boyalists do not ever stable their horses together. Soldiers, you have saved the Republic !" placarded Napoleon on the walls of Paris after the coup cPetat. Then it was no laughing matter. The Marquis de Eranclieu, an irreconcilable Legitimist, has just written to bis electors an account of his stewardship ; as a matter of course he considers Thiers and Gambetta to be arcades ambo ; he is more than severe on the due d'Auinale, whose sad bereavement he ignores, and classes the Duke, politically, amongst the vilest of the vile ; the Comte de Chambord — Henry the V. — is his saint, and by right divine the saviour of France. He forgets, however, that the French at all events hold — " That kings have neither rights nor noses A whit diviner than their own." Jn presence of divided royalists and united imperialists, M. Thiers, the plainest of men and the simplest of bourgeois, laughs at the idea of wanting four quarters on his escutcheon, of playing the king by daring to make himself at home in the Elysee, and surrounding himself at Trouville with guards, police, new cannon, &c. He labors assiduously to establish the republic —the best response to those who desire to destroy his work. It has been observed that never, was there such a rush to the seaside on the part of the French as the current season presents ; much is the result of a determination to no more patronise German watering places, and not a little is due to fashion. Indeed, the siege and the Commune, in forcing Parisians to try change of air, have contributed to make a similar change annually a necessity. The pretty cottage in the vicinity of the capital, with its pund full of carp, its little park of some square perches tastefully laid out, with alleys sanded and raked, and the grass plat " combed," cannot vie with the ugly rush to be in the throng at the seaside. There the feeble gain strength, the strong redouble their vigor, and the beauty becomes more beautiful. TrourilJe is the centre of this new movement,- ifc would seem to be the rendezvous for the destinies of the world. Tour true republican protests against the manner the journals photograph the habits of the President as approaching too much the chronicling of the small beer, as at Biarritz a few years ago. All this, however, is to the manner born. The French dethrone their sovereigns, but have ever the desire to know at what hour and how the ruler who succeeds takes his dip. Charivari represents M. Thiers smiling, as he floats with the tide, the other bathers having plunged so as to salute him, only their feet can be seen. The Chief of the State is quite satisfied to walk about, and not bathe. He would lose his hold on the country, could never sway the Assembly, or effect any new loan of 43 milliards, the moment the nation imagined him encased in a bathing dress as in a coal bag, a head with white hair and a pair of arms peeping out. His prestige would be laughed away. We pardon his white umbrella, and will also his white bat, should he patronise one as usual, but beyond these concession cannot Those young men who so strangely forgot history as to cry Vive V Emperettr at Trouville are severely blamed — even by the Orleanists. Only the Imperialists discover humor in the exclamation. The a bas Thiers was grateful of course to those who would wish to see him in the deep bosom of the ocean buried, regardless of the chaos that would ensue. The Eußsian yachtsmen who were the unconscious cause of this insult to France and her chief, apologised ; the two Mexicans have left the country — have been " kidnapped," perhaps ; while M. De Vallon, the only Frenchman implicated, is to be tried for uttering seditious cries, but for which he would be decorated under the Empire. The republican journals are astounded to think such a criminal was once private secretary to Pouyer-Quertier,late Minister of Finance, and believed now to have been a Bonapartist of the deepest dye. M. Tbiers has not interfered in the handing orer o£ M. de Vallon to th© tormentors. M. Thiers is likely to become spoiled by success; he has triumphed in the loan, in his protection views, and now wins in the artillery experiments ; at a distance of two miles the Swiss gun sunk the target-boat, and of course Trouville was in fete. Is Herr Krupp geing to be dethroned ? The Councils- General nave commenced their autumn session all over France, and th© Ministers hare been elected Presidents of these bodies in their respective departments — which is a vote of confidence in M. Thiers. These Grand Juries promise to steer clear of | politics, and so far aid the nations living in peace, working and saving, as well as affording an example of respect for the law — their duties being local and not

political. The probability of internal peace continuing is strengthened by the fact that Gambetta and his radical friends have relinquished the agitation for a dissolution of the Assembly ; the object they have in view is to consolidate the republic ; their ends will be better attained by allowing the Republic to progress aa it is doing, establishing itself and rallying the conservative elements of the country to its support, as a reward for its orderly and sagacious conduct. France is ceasing to believe the forthcoming meeting of the three Einporors at Berlin is intended as a menace against her. She is more sensitive in this respect, feeling her misfortunes isolato her, and that Germany suspects — and wisely — that France bas suffered too much to expect she can pardon her conqueror. France must bide her tune fur the resumption of her rank and influence, and the Imperial conference will so far benefit this country by preventing the people from thinking of any immediate struggle, and compelling them to devote all their efforts to the reorganization of the national resources. The Berlin coalition means the assurance for some years of peace, by the adjourn ment of Oriental complications. To live tranquilly for a long time is not only the duty bufc the interest of France, and what above all the republic desires. When Sunday is fine, Paris is certain, to be deserted for the country ; the railways seize the occasion to increase fares, and are very niggardly in accommodating the public with excursion trains. There is no such thing as a few hours by the seaside for a few franca. The vicinity of the city during the summer is certain to have half a dozen patronal fetes ; how kind of the Saints to have arranged for the celebration of their anniversaries during the long days and warm nights; it was a foresight that a sceptic ought to respect. The most important of these suburban fetes opened on Sunday last, at St. Maude, or Yincennes. An old song says that it is in this locality where the gaiety is born which sustains the world. Certainly I never saw an assembly of thousands of people, packed like sardines, more bent on pleasure, more thoroughly amused and in good humor. And these were the same people who unflinchingly supported the siege till tbe last crust of their saw-dust, charcoal, bread was reached ! The fete in question is the most favored by nurses and servants ; it is close to the camp, and they like to hear the soldiers relate their moving accidents by flood and field. Every cook at this period is certain to have an aunt at St. Maude, lying at death's door — to visit whom is a religious duly. There are no less than twenty theatres erected in the park, to say nothing of humbler booths, devoted to all kinds of prodigies. Among novelties very much in request were the " biscuits Tbiers." These were cakes wrapped up in paper, containing the President's portrait — a sign of the times not to be overlooked. The favorite drama is, " Vengeance, or tbe Wooden •Leg." A Marquis ' returns from the wars, less a leg, and finds an unknown at the feet of his lady-love ; the unknown insults the Marquis, and draws ; the Marquis regrets he has left his sword in the body of an Austrian at Solferino, but unscrews his wooden leg, kills his adversary, and cries Vive la France — the orchestra striking up that now rare air — the Marseillaise ; tbe lady, touched with such heroism, renews her vows of love, and the wooden leg being broken, she serves as a crutch f)r the troubadour to her castle — the band executing the Sire de Fiche-toncamp. A man Bhouted Vive Bismarck ! and was nearly torn to pieces ; he asserted he was a patriot above suspicion, desirous of experiencing the sensations of a real Pommeranian under such circumstances. While on matters theatrical, I may remark that '* Claude's Wife," the newest adultery-drama by Dumas Jils, is being rehearsed at the Gymnase theatre. The "killing" cure will likely be here developed. The other theatres are creating much amusement by their humorous parodies of tbe many pamphlets published on adultery. Dumas has recently a Cattillian dinner to his intimate friends, in honor of the 27th edition — about two new editions weekly — of his famous brochure. Some musical critics have had a dinner to inaugurate a new soup — " Potage Auber." This step is intended as a protest against the Minister of Public Instruction's severe remarks on that composer's style. Hitherto it was difficult to obtain the requisite permission to start a new journal — the military authorities refusing, the city being still under martial law. At present speculators have only to ask, and the request is granted. But the journal never appears, as another condition, that oi depositing the necessary money security, fails to be fulfilled. It is asserted that the Minister of Justice receives five applications daily from persons to change their names, on the ground that they are confused with the leading members of the Commune, and suffer thereby in their business. Also, that a statistician has divided Paris into " order" regions, based upon the number of laundresses residing therein. Tbus, in loyal quarters there is one laundress for every hundred inhabitants, whilst at Belleville and Montmartre there is but one per 1200. In these latter districts there are unhappily too many people with but little linen to wash. Paris is not in want of architects, as 422 have sent in plans and specifications for rebuilding the Hotel de Ville. The new cigars that sell for 7% centimes ©ach — which necessitates purchasing two weeds for three sous, there being no current coin representing the twentieth of a permy — are as vile as anything ever | fabricated by the State, and will compel I working men to join the Anti-Tobacco Society out of feelings of disgust. All is to be traced to M. Tbiers not being himself a smoker.