OUR PARIS LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2483, 9 June 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR PARIS LETTER.

! (from our own coukespondknt). , Pakis, April 21. J Outsiders would commit a great errot 1 by running away with the idea that ; Boulangism is an endemic like, say, the . measles or chicken pock. Still greatei i would be the error if they accepted the glib explanations of its origin and ends. It is not by calling Boulanger bad names, ; accusing him of C:c3arine ambitions and - hurling political commonplaces at his course of procedure, that what he represents will be suppressed, or that with his 5 disappearance all would be well. Hif name is only the peg on which a series oi I evils are hung. And these, evils are not of a yesterday's growth ; they have been ' accumulating for years, and theii maxima has been reached and marked by Wilsouism. Since M. Dromel in 186*2 published his mystical volume on the Law of Revolutions, concluding that political changes had their parallel iu sidereal astronomy, and naming eighteen years as the period of incubation for the operation of such a law ill France, that guess has become with many an article of faith. Sociology has no laws like those of Nature. Providence does not create special laws for the French nor for the Russians. M. Dromel, a Bonapartist lawyer, did not in 1862 predict the downfall of the Second Empire in 1870. Perhaps he was like the court preacher and Louis XIV. : " Wc are all mortal," said the padre: but, observing the king getting red and the courtiers flurried, he added with an unctious salaam, "or nearly all, Sire.' M. Dromel does not explain by what law no ruler's son in France since Louis XIV. has ever succeeded to the French throne, yet it is as curious a coincidence, as France exhibiting an upheaving between every ten and twenty years, for the law of revolutions is not as exact as that of tides and storms. It is as uncertain say, as meteorology, or a woman's will, or the fad of totting up dates, and counting letters in names, to turn out our old friend " G66." ■ Abuses seen to arrive at their majority, just as naturally as chickens and boys and girls. There are no saviours of society, but as a set off, there are plenty of destroyers. Napoleon I jockeyed the Directory as a saviour, and he left Europe a wreck and a cockpit. France has by incapable ministers, devoid of foresight, toleration, and breadth of political view, drifted into a blind alley, and created an opportunity for Cromwell work. The nation has thrown its eyes on Boulanger to rouse up all the administrations to do their duty, or to be recast. And mark well, in the mountains of abuse heaped upon him, ho has never been accused of incapacity. Why then do the heathen rage against him ? Thousands see in his advent. Othello's occupation gone ; thousands ex-commnni-eate him from jealousy at seeing him at the summit, while they are for ever glued to the base. Then he has the aureola of being a persecuted man, and in truth he has been badly treated. It is said that France is running headlong into a dictatorship, and other speculative solutions. Now supposing the popular, the national will, be so inclined, who and where, are the politicians to resist it? It was that will demolished the second Empire and ran up the Third Republic on its ruins. The democratic current, that is the law of numbers, must be obeyed. Boulaufcr is not an incapable ; he has worked and bled for his country, and his hands are clean. It was ever the conclusive fact with nation doctors, that the backbone of France was composed of her conservation peasantry and her educated citizens, the alike arch-euemies of war, augmented taxation, and class government. Now they are the peasants and workmen who plump and cheer for Boulanger, demanding that he will rid the Republic of its dis-olving; elements and stiffen its weak constitution. Hence why they are with his platform—new elections and revision of a bastard Republic. But caie must be taken when the moment comes to elect Solons, who have some knowledge of constitutional government. Up to the present that seems not to have been considered of any importance in the qualification for a a legislator. The Republic rest l ? on a monarchal, not a Republican, basis. This explains why since 1875 the Governments have governed not for, not against, but without the masses. The deputies, iu putting Boulanger into Parliainentry Coventry, endeavouring to make him an Ishmael, will secure him what they have lost—the confidence of the nation. To this coali; tion of deputies the country will reply by a coalition of votes at the urns. Boulangism represents grievances, not a personality, and the only way to suppress it is to take the wiud out of the sails. It remains for the Floquet Cabinet to do that by acts, not words. Will he be supported by all the Republicans P It would bo a miracle if that spectaclo were seen. They have honoured the Minister with a honeymoon majority, but that is the prelude to a sudden death. Lamonrette kieses have but the life of the rose. The struggle remains now one between the Parliament and the electors. The French arc not niggardly in their sympathy for the departing Frederick 111. His sufferings and situation have made them forget that the imperial moribund is a German. His successor ia simply accepted as synonymous with war. A few years ago that prospective would have frightened the French, but not now. This time truly no button will be wanting on the gaiter. A new France has sprung into existence since 1870, and Boulanger has taught his countrymen to hold up their heads. The situation of Germany is not now what it was a few years ago. The elements of her disunity have become more prominent. She is honeycombed by the Socialists, and her emigration to escape military service lias taken the proportions of a stampede. This week alone 3000 persons sailed from Hamburg. Neither Europe nor all his own countrymen are in harmony with the Chancellor's middle age ideas. Of late his diplomacy has been of the earth, earthy, so that it no longer inspires the reverential awe, as of old. At best he can only rely upon force, and he is now encountered by his own weapons. His craving for Russia's sympathy does not partake of the attributes of Jupiter. His alliance with Austria and Italy inspires neither love nor confidence with these nations, who are more occupied arranging to rely on themselves than on German aid—a timely prudence, Then the Chancellor

has failed to separate Russia from France. Again, his old trick of setting peoples by the ears has been seen through, as well as that other, of baiting a trap to catch an antagonist before converting him into a victim. The moiety of Germany's power has ever lain in diplomatically netting an adversary to commence hitting hc-r. In this respect France and Russia are on their guard. It is for German unity this time to open the ball of aggression. Partners are cool and ready. In 188G the number of conscripts drawn, was 319,000 : of this total 4,835 were graduates of the universities, and 3,288 certificated students. There were 31,856 conscripts wholly illiterate, or one-tenth of tliß total. In ISG6, under Napoleon the third, the proportion of illiterate conscripts was, one in three. All these figures relate to young men between 21 and 52 years of age. It is thus evident, that obligatory and gratuitous education is commencing to producegood fruit. The fact still is to bo witnessed, that the republican, are more highly educated than the monarchal, departments : Thus in the Vosges, there were 60 illiterate, in a total of 3,551 conscripts ; in the Jura, 19 upon 2,542 ; in the monarchal Cotes-duNord, there were 1,526 illiterate, on 6,202 ; and in the Morbihan, 1,720 on 4,783. The best instructed men are the ablest in holding a rifFe straight, iu pointing a cannon, in skirmishing in the open, and in running up those Aladdin ant-hills known as entrenchments.

The Superior Council of Education is elected for a period of four years, and.the elections will come off in a few days. From the universities down to tho primary schools, delegates are elioscn by professors mid teachers. The Government lias the right to nominate some delegates directly, selected chiefly among the most eminent men in the country, recognised for their having a speciality bearing upon some branch of education. This central Board decides upon what books are most suitable for instruction, and regulates the programmes of studies. The question chiefly dividing (he Couucil is the evergreen one of classics. There is a party maintains that it is useless stuffing heads with Homer and Virj»il, itc., whoso walk in life will never require their aid, and for whom living languages are a necessity. But no B. A., can be conferred, unless the candidate be up in tho classics. There is also another stumbling block; under the Second Empire a minister of public instruction boasted, that at a certaiu hour of the day, every pupil, in every school in Frauee, was studying the same book, and learning the same lesson. It is this procrnstean system that M. Gr<£-ard desires to break up: the classical, for professors, tho living languages, for actual necessities; lyceutns in a word, whose programmes would suit the tastes and the wants of a varied alumni. Professor Ernest Dupny objects to casting the youth of the nation in a common mould. Not only the programme of studies, but even the dietary tables, are the same in all the colleges, irrespective of climatic differences, manners, and customs, for France though perfectly homogeneous, has a variely of wellmarked off social customs. He would leave greater latitude, more independence, in the hands of the professor for their work, and would largely reduce the fifteen hours per day of school labour, in favour of those manly sports which constitute such an important element in English education. Paris is now deeply interested in the Exhibition of Caricatures, which is held in the School of Fine Art. It is a collection of all the political skits, squibs, cart' ous, and cliurya, since the commencement of tho century. As it will remain open all tho summer, visitors ought not to neglect looking at tho exhibits, which havo been arranged witti taste, and what was more difficult, with method. Amateurs have loaned their collections. Of course it is difficult to take in all the political and social hits of the time, but sufficient remains to amuse and provoke laughter. There is 110 monotony ; for lithographs, sketches in black, coloured sheets, and paintings, are happily intermixed. The long tables are covered with albums, full of rich collections. The halls are decorated in keeping—very gaily. On entering, the busts of those masters of caricature—Daumier and Gavarni, preside like gods. In an upper room the productions of these artists are separately exhibited. All subjects of an insignificant, incomprehensible or indelicate character, have been excluded. The best productions of Mounter, Carle, Vernet, and Brilly, are there, alongside the fantasies of Hadol and the poignaut lithographs of Deveria. There are the bold pencillings of Chain, and the portraits of Girand, which show off admirably the powerful designs of Duwier anil the elegant inter colours of Gavarni, to which may be happily added, tiie epic colouring of the soldiers of Kulfet and (Jharlet. A student aged 21 belonging to the Henri IV college, has just committed suicide. He left the dormitory half an hour before his comrades, went to the refectory and hanged himself from one of the pillars, the same pillar where another student named Leotrioine, nephew of the editor of the Debats, also hanged himself in 1873 after having read Bossnet's scr

rnon on Death. The student in question left a note stating lie was weary of life. For several days lie wore the cord with which he hanged himself, as a belt, and postponed his self-destruction, till his twenty first birthday. A few provincial bankers have recently committed suicide from the same motive, tedium vitiaß, the cause of their departure was, stagnation of business, their coffers were filled with money, but they could get no borrowers. However, till some of the Rothschilds commit suicide, a malady unknown to Israelites, people had better not get disgusted at a plethora of wealth. The latter, like poverty, does not secure happiness, so extremes meet. A Mechanician in the Rao la Mure, lived very happily with his son and his wife. The latter, afllicted with consumption, had been given over by her doctor. This so preyed on the husband that his fellowworkmen urged him to drown his grief in drink. Pie did so, and for the lirst time in his life came home blind drunk. That spectacle so horrified the son that after upbraidiug his father he told him he could never love him again, and as his mother was going away lie would precede her. The son went to the bed-side of his dying mother, embraced her, and then pluuged a butcher's knife into his heart. His blood flowed in the bed, and the shock killed his mother. The police, on arriving, had only to record two deaths. The unfortunate father is now in a lunatic asylum. When General Boulanger set out in an open carriage from the Hotel du Louvre to take his seat in the Chamber of Depu ties, 100,000 persons cheered him. Those who did not were ducked in the fountain basins. Apparently by a mot d'ordre, ladies showered pinks on the general as he passed along. He took up one and placed it in the button hole of his coat, and his friends did the same. The pink has thus become the flower symbol of the Boulangists, as the violet is of the Bonapartists, and the primrose of the iieauonsfieida. The anarchists have the peonysymbol of blood.

What species of love is Unit which is novel- reciprocated?—A neuralgic affection. On the marriage of Miss Wheat, it was hoped that her path would be flowery and that sho might never ba thrashed,