OUR PARIS LETTER.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3646, 2 September 1880, Page 2

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(FBOM OtTB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PABIB, July 15. It is worthy of remark, that in all the fetes truly national of France, their character has been uniformly pacific: the military there figured, but only in a secondary position—the dominating idea was, to celebrate peace, its benefits, and the arts; to glorify all that embellishes human life, leaving in the shade all that desolates and dishonours. It wav thus in 1789; 1804, and 1848, with the fetes of Peace, of Agriculture, of Friendship and of Old Age—manifestations eminently French, but also very social and very human.

The strangers are very numerous, and several Princes are within our walls, incognito; but what characterise! the influx of the extra addition of a million souls to the population of the city, is the number of French peasants, come to fraternize with the citizens, and both with the army. The creme de la crime make a show, about holding aloof from the national fete : the truth is, they will will enjoy it, but in disguise, just as quietly as ordinary people;. they will not illuminate their mansions or burn Bengal lights in their gardens; but they never did so under Louis Phillipe or Napoleon lll—expense forbid. When the troops entered Paris after their victorious campaign in Italy, the Empress did not hesitate to display tricolor plumes in her hat, just as she ordered the " Marseillaise" to be played, to crack the nation up for "her war" in 1870. Further, there is a wager of IO.OOOtr. laid, that ladies of tug aristocracy will not hesitate to join in a quadrille round the Bastille, with the hoi polloi; the proceeds of the bet will go to a charity. The opposition of the Salons have ever existed under every regime; it is offensive, and it is malice of the rose water type. During the Restoration, the Bona- £ artists displayed the violet; daring the Impire the Royalists patronised the white carnation—the flower dear to the Court de Chambord. It is not common for adversaries to help each other's rejoicings. The death of Dr and Senator Paul Broca is a great loss for science; he was among the most eminent of anthropologists; in France he was the father of that branch of biology. He was also an authority on aneurisms, and he died from the rupture of one; he was a selfmade man, and his first struggles in life were severe. He was also distinguished for his intimate knowledge .of the brain, and proved that the right part of it was from one to two degrees lower in temperature than the left. On one occasion a lady came to him to undergo an operation; she insisted on his describing what he would have to do, and what instruments - he intended to employ. He explained all. " You are only a pork butcher," said the lady contemptuously, as she ordered her* self to be carried away. "And what name am I to give the flesh, Madame, on which I was intending to operate ? " Isaac Periere the great 'Ebrew Jew financier is dead, and the event has caused an excitement in stocks and scrip, because he held a great deal of both, and Alexander has left no lieutenants. He was 74 years of age, native of Bordeaux. He came to Paris to seek his fortune; commenced life as a canvasser for a publisher, and then was a bank runner. He was a clerk in Rothschild's, b^|}b late Baron never permitted the desk and stool he vacated to be disturbed, swearing by Father Abraham, he would return, but did not. Then Periere became editor, and finally joined his brother, , Emile, to construct the railway " to St. Germain —the first in France: they constructed all the grand trunks later, founded companies for everything: omnibusses, cabs, and gas for Paris; steamboats to cross the Atlantic, and contracted for' new streets in the city. - The deceased always looked young, was ,;„ as yellow as a Portuguese Jew, and com* r menced early to identify himself with the;':_ doctrines of St. Simonien, and was oocu- jc pied with philanthropy—the extinction of/£:■" pauperism, at the time of his death. Ail/.V his financial speculations were not hi(L<f«f r;! there were a few bubbles, the Cr&MJfci 1 Mobilior for example, which havijiftt attained 2,000 per share fell to 140 frafflj^| on exposure. To get his liability oat «?1 this society, he paid 80,000;p00francs. ":t?? The proposed monthly French mail service to Australia is hi|s^ifpjproved otf by public opinion; toth.tfyttiPfemier aod^ ; S the Postmaster-General are ;|Ke warmest^ supporters of the scheme, destined to open's up new markets for FranoeV ; ..'^r^s