OUR PARIS LETTER.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3716, 22 November 1880, Page 2

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(FEOM OUB OWN COBBEBPONDINT.)

Not the slightest political importance is attached to the "studiously accidental meeting *' in Switzerland of the Countes de Chembord and de Paris, or the exking, and the ex-dauphin, without realm and without subjects. A few royalist journals assert this event has sent an electric thrill through France. .However, not a soul appears to have experienced the shock. Even-the farce of " playing at kings," is over for France: the Republic has settled down as the sole constitution, possible only an unhappy foreign war conld imperil its existence, hence why the Government avo'ds every overture to be coaxed or dragged into Europeans complications. Supposing even the Republic were destined to disappear, the chances are that the most successful soldier of the moment, or the most influential public man would be named dictator. Dynasties would have co chance, save the expected miracle was worked in their favor.

In England the time seems to be gone by when a patriot could exclaim. " Thank God we have a House of Lords." The Radical journals here are in ecstacy at the attack made on the Peers by Mr Forster, and are only jealous lest the institution should disappear before their own Senate. The latter is coming in for many extra hard knocks based on

the " approaching revolution in England." For a true blue Republican, no legislative body is worthy ot respect, that is not elected by universal suffrage vote. The late Pope firmly believed England was marching in seven league boots to Catholicism. French Bepublicans as firmly believe she is in the high road to democracy, and will give notice to quit accordingly to all Kaisers, Kings and Princes. Be these changes near or remote, possible or improbable, there is no donbj the present institutions of France are creeping like leaven amongst the masses of neighboring realms. The principle of equality, that Jack ii as good as his master, is making way, and Jack is quite prepared to maintain that he is in addition " better " than his master.

The anniversary of the 4th September, 1870, may be sitid to hare passed without any marked expressions of joy, sare in some provincial towns, where banners were hung on outer walls, and the evening wound up by modett banquets at fixed prices. The fact is the disappearance of the Empire is too close to Sedan,,to permit of unmixed joy. The Tarpeian rock is too near the capital. Beside*, - after " the glorious fourt "-eenth of July, Rushing patriots ought to be satisfied. M. Gambetta received on Saturday last a magnificent crown of flowers from the ladies of Switzerland, and us if suspioieus that this was a skirmishing strategem against his celibacy, the ladies pf his own electoral district—Belleville—presented him with a congratulatory address. The latter must hare proved gall and wormwood to Bochefort and his frintdi. These enfant*— without being terrible*— •■- ---unable to make the slightest impresrfdn '' on the pachydermatous skin of Gambetta, now adopt the tactics of denouncing those functionaries who are known to be big warmest admirers, the Prefeot-de*Poiie*t for example— not with much success. The most difficult duty to invite M. Grevy to perform, is to sign a death warrant. The consequence is, there are a score of culprits under sentence of death, awaiting to learn their fate, as embodied in theirhst chance—a demand farparfoa. They may count upon having their sen* , tehee commuted, if they have not cut up their victims after killing them.: The young brute Menesolou, made the mistake to disjoint the infant four yean of age, after violating and strangling,her.' Tito donsequence is, he has first been executed and so he had his wish realised—to be disposed of as soon as possible. When 'tis done then 'twere well it were done quickly. He died as he lived, a dangerous idiot.

Crimes of a capital nature ue Unpleasantly frequent, and the police am equal to the occasion when the.latter voluntarily confess. Perhaps the eon* tinned hot weather has not a little to dp in provoking inflammation of brains, or, the increase of hereditary insanity may be a cause. According to the latest statistics, there are 22 in every 10,009 of the population suffering, from neutral disease, either as violent lunatics, idiots, or paralysed imbeciles. And these numbers are below the mark, for idiots being relatively harmless, are retained in their families, or sent to private homes. Of the 82,523 officially classed ldnatiw, the number of men exceads the women by 2C30, and that greater excitement in mcdes of living may explain. However, I have noticed within the last few yean an increase, perceptible to the naked eye, of paralysed young men, between the agea of 23 and. 30. I cannot explain the ang. mentation, save by an abandon to debauchery, and an addiction to absinthe drinking. , . ' . Let the ordinary passerby note, seated before cafes, in the mornings as well as in the afternoons, the number of persons —and of both sexes, having glasses filled with the terrible green decoction. Not long ago such a spectacle would have been included in the commination service; at present it has become an institution. The poison, for it is really such, ig replacing beer, curacoa, Madeira, and other sweet wines. It cracks up the nerves, but the reaction is awful. M. Zola has fallen out with the republican press, and has gone over to the opposition. He complains of >, illtreatment; because the leading journal with which he was connected declined to allow-'him to bombard M. Gambetta, ministers and celebrities conneoted with the present regime; he decided to break a • lance in the defence of those periodicals, notoriously founded to disseminate filth. Zola calls this " naturalism," but others < view it as very unnatural.' „ i Blaise Pascal was: born in > 1623, at Clermont, in Auvergae, and died in 1662 —a short-lived genius. Yet it is only in this year of grace, that a, statue has beep inaugurated to his memory. From Paris to Clermont is a run of nine h^urs by rail* but in Pascal's time it was a matter of nine days, over roads and no roads; gentlemen preferred accomplishing the journey on horseback, armed to the teeth, and followed by their faithful dog, to keep them company. Clermont is a volcanio (extinct) district, and is of severe and melancholy aspect. Other celebrities of the place were Gregory of Tours, Massillon, and General Desaix; and, the populace believe Pascal was also a general, not a natural philosopher or a theologian.: But he passed most, of his time in Paris, where his body, in a statei of agony, v much as his soul was in a state of doubt, found rest in death. It was fore ha wrote his " Provincial Letters;" and it was on his death bed he committed to

every scrap of paper within his reach those " Thoughts" that will live as lone as humanity itself. When Pascal was born, it was believed he had bean bewitched by a sorceress: the latter arrested, confessed she had done so, bat, if provided with two cats, she would kill the latter, and so exarcise fie spell worked on the child. And it was Paseal'sb/atber, an eminent judge, who provided the oati and saw them dashed dead. It was the

same gentleman who lent a debtor 10,000

crowns to save his official position, although having previously abused—as is natural—the creditor. One of Pascal's

relatives, a brother*in law, as an ascetic, as on his death bed he was discovered to

have worn a belt with nails, and ban planks formed his mattress. It was climb-

ing the Puy-de-D6me mountain, at the foot of which is Clermont, that Paschal demonstrated his beautiful experiment that air becomes lighter as we aseead.

He was not insensible to lote: in the vicinity of Clermont resided a lady with a Sappho reputation, to whom he paid more than his homages. His sister waY a genius also, and being "touched by God," gare herself up to piety. Pawbal.wu gloomy from religious meditation, and it was in connection with the accident at the bridge cf Neuilly outside Paris, that he in turn felt also " touched'by God," and forsook natural philosophy for religion! oontroTersies.