The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-17 00:00:00

THE IMPERIAL FETE.

The following is a description, abridged front
Ga/ignani, of the imperial fats which took place at
Paris on Thursday last :
The Bmperor's fête took place on Thursday, and, though
the absent* of his Majesty and the Empreu from Paris
deprived it of one of its main elements of attraction, went
off with great crf.ll. A fête in France would be considered
incomplete unle,s ushered in with a great expenditure of
gunpowder, and accordingly at 6 o'clock in the morning
the boom of the guns of the Invalidee, ringing out
through the clear, still atmosphere of the yet
slumbering city, intimated to the Parisians that the anni-
versary of the national holiday had come round once more,
and that the fête had officially commenced. The publics
rejoiciop did not of course begin until a much later hour,
but as the morning wore on, excursion trains from every
part of the country poured their living freight into the
capital, crowding the streets and the Champs Blyabes with
picturesque specimens of provincial and foreign costume,
among which the tall caps of Normaudy, and great va-
rieties of that popular but hiclious headgear, the "pork-
pie" hat, far outnumbered the nat. Whilst the foreign
and provincial visitors wandered about, seeing the lions,
and breakfasted a/ fresco in front of cafs and wineshops,
the first, sad though the least brilliant far from the Wei
interesting, portion of the programme was being gone
through by the authorities—the distribution of food and
alms to the aged and indigent at the 'talons Msiries and
Bureaux de Bienfaisance.

At about 10 o'clock, the old soldiers of the First Empire
assembled in the Place VendOme. They marched round the
pillar, each laying a crown of immortals at the foot of
their hero's statue. This muster of the survivors of the
Glands Armee formed a melancholy and touching episode
among the sights of the day. According to annual custom,
they all dined together in the evening.
At 1 o'clock a Fe DCUPA was celebrated at Notre Dams.
at which all the great bodies of the state were present,
Services of a similar character took place in all the other
churches.

At the same hour the principal theatre* gratuitously
threw open their doors to the lovers of the drama—the
population of the manufacturing quarters showing, as usual,
a marked predilection fur the performances of the Thisitre
Frencais, where classic tragedies are performed on them
occasions, which few Frenchmen, however humble their
station, are not acquainted with. The attention they paid
to the performance might be imitated with advantage by
better dressed audiences. In addition to the theatres, the
Hippodrome and the Circus in the Champs Elystes were
filled to overflowing, and the instrumental concert in the
Exhibition building was attended by a crowd that evidently
both enjoyed and appreciated what they heard.
Theme amusements, however, absorbed only a small por-
tion of the sight-seers. For the great mass the fête would
be a disappointment were the favourite " grand Ape,ta
inatr de eorayne," &c., to be omitted. The mi-
litary spectacles consist of two huge booths, on whose boards
the skill of the scene-pointer represents some inten•ely on-
pregnable looking fortress ; a good deal of gunpowder is ex-
pimled, and after some desperately Amp skirmishing, the
French army gees in and aim Yesterday the lucking
Cochin-Chinese receive a further lesson at the hands of the
Troupier Franruise. Near the Military Theatre, four
Mate de Coragnes exhibited their well-soaped propor-
tions, surmounted by the usual army of prizes. On the
river there were rowing matches, of the merit of which
there is but little to be said. The best sport in the water
was afforded by a tilting match. Each champion stands on
a platform in the bows of a yawl, armed with a long pole,
with a kind of mop at the end. At a given signal, the
boat, row against each other, and each champion trim
to push his oppouent into the water. In many instances
both were successful, to the great merrimeut of the multi-
tude. Considering the temperature on the quay, the duck-
ing must have been rather pleasant than otherwise.
Nine o'clock was the time fixed on for the fireworks, sod
as that hour approached crowds might be seen wending
their way towards the Trocailero to see what marvels the
prince of pyroteehnists, Euegieri, bad prepared for their
amusement. Precisely at the appointed hour the first signal
rocket was seen rising in the air, mud in a moment after a
brilliant flight of those projectiles followed, which, on
bursting displayed the national colours --blue, white, and
red. bunting,
these had disappeared a dazzling column of
light bunt into view, surmounted by a large eagle and
the initial of the Emperor. On its subsiding, the
smoke had hardly been swept away by the breeze
wheu the whale of the Pont d'lCna started into a
blaze of light from a gigantic cascade of fire, the effect of
which, when reflected by the calm surface of the river, was
beautiful in the extreme. The grand fenture of the night's
display consisted of a representation of the Suinuier Palate
of the Emperor of China at Pekio, which, it may be re-
membered, was sacked and destroyed during the late war
by the allied troops. This building was described as miles
in extent. Its representation in variously-coloured fire wee
on s ansmemmereesactle, preseutiog a facade of more than

900 yards—a more hrilliait specimen of the pyrotechnic art
Us 2~ bees produced. The tires of constantly
e
bees, the bouquets of flowers, end the thousand ottTeliZ
fatless of Chinese orniunentatiou, altogether produced an
effect of which no description can give an ides, and
which reflects the highest credit on the celebrated artist.
The illumioations commenced at nightfall, and were 000
of the principal attractions of the fete. The most important
of them were at the Arc de Triomphe da l'Etoile, and then
vast crowds collected. AU the public buildings were more
or less gorgeously illuminated. All the foreign emlessies
were also illuminated. The facade of the residence of the
English ambaseador in the Faubourg St. Honore displayed
au imperial crown, the letters "N. xal E.," and a wreath,
all on a large scale, and all in gas. AU the theatres and

• tniether with a vast somber of private Deem
• st poi.. .4 the tows, were likewise illeasiaated.
De• l'Arc le Men, eau‘, which h.. loots laid out wits
true alsi. tplentlelly illumisated. The
,he of Limy Lcuil.
ec..ther w4s 111Aguiticent The erew.te which col.
• .1 t -re the hreworkt rad illanito.iti..tet were itliMeD•l;
. 5.14 to the admirably mule Lc the
:.ths tw &widest sad no coadossuo OLVUI red.

ritr n.arnie OP BULL'S RUN AND TN E
I'uLUNTSAR STSTS.V.

fUroni the Swank* Rerir.e.)
A ~.at the battle td !liars Ititti indicate as to
iticiowy of our own volunteers' Thal is a
.•..0 which voluuterre have no douht been seeking
. 0h..0 for aqua .Lays peat with rather equivonsl
Hut the answer wninllik. Nothing that is
sae futnislics any real inilications as to anything
: English. The AtlierielinS are of our Wdr.i, and,
. energy and ruts rprise genuino euthushout
, rat i•byeets are coticerneJ, we may be proud to
th.• coutsesion ; hut in ...Ire neat essential re-
. • they have befOrlie a different rumple. The nature
climate has proluisly ,dome r 1111 l Alilll4 to destroy the
~o soil steadies... of their temperament—to make
• more Mote norviitio, and more sasceptible
. u ihililll,l, and of all kiwi., (nail vehement
ti. i...eau to poi, fear. Their excessive indulgence in
_Lod. aggravats. the eructs ei clinote,aud tout/thetas
• tiler their Idc one of perpetual excitement, nod to
e titan—as, compered with Englishmen. ni—t inericans
naight--to early graves. Mere phviiicul causes, there-
r.. would MU poserfully arpsupt them on auy unainiou
.• h was very trying to the Oen OIL, evatem. dolt
A, .11 4auctil yam...love probaLly told far more. It
- •tiler et that one of the man, soave-, of a failure so ilia.
. Aqui to the ituglo-nivou me ha.. laen the incurable
• . .4 insulionbeation• transferred fn .0 the life of the
: .ou tat that of the soldier. ExigLind is a land of lawful
.tnierieo iv o local alitto Lawful authority can
Slid t.. tot. N., one glares to even Ise it either
the family Of in thy state. Ever. holy aud every institu-
• •i it e.eilol leusk Ism Luau gnund to powder by
~• !melting is.lousy..fa demeieracy run IMO'. The ides
• .t it is necessary aol that it is ennobling to a freeman to
tier tilie,iletin• to milltiFirl far the gool of the CIMMOVII-
eidth has ceased to eider time wiud .1 any unit iif the
smelts people of the United States. The last traditions
this Englota seetinsent died out with tie gemiation which
Washiugton. The. cluractcridec is in Heel(
ugh, to account for twenty such catastrophes as that of
I. Hue ; anal the northerners will have laid a very mod.-
.., l'rbe for au it...doable lemon if they can learn to mama
i''h 11.4.1 the soasepienow of a military anarchy
: tar ninersopuem, lens polpelde bait no lees disintrous, of
• oiorelly in their civil affairs.
a were are either rievommems peculiar to the .tmericsairs
quit* inalepeolyet .4 the volunteer or •or other toils-
..ry .yucca, which heir, to aireottnt for thin 'whipping."
I.r•tuveriear have never, lite the English, known
..r hems taught he batter csierience to brace them-
. ie• ousinfidly for in arduous struggle. The whole coursed
L or lea \Minty has be.. 0110 Unbroken tide of putoplon.pee
O Vent,. while tleor melon anal joausalists havelahoured
•• .lov-es/all) to ell them AA full of eelf.coeceit soul over.
•osa.„r cordideors. in their own powyrs of "chewing up" the
eke, w.+:4l me the balloon which they brought into the field
iis• edict day woe full .4 pa. Now, like that tollono when it
•art is the trees, they have emus .uddealy into contact
situ hard realities; and the matund coweeperses is a
oillipso am esornium as the previous inflation. To meet'
LI, collapse their had sat, in at all an e heal degree with
...selves, the stistaming influence, which hold an English.
Laa is extryturty to the peel of duty. There le aisioug the
tqa-ricans a tyranny .4 optsion of a cattalo kind from •
eeigb we bars the happiness to be comparatively free.
eat. •es the other ha they are eonmarstavely destitute of
that Aron mei 1111 l oit of social rosponsibilitv which would
wake every Euglishman, aid every English gentleman
with the penalty of infamy.bangueg like •
tiller round ins neck. •
Mall we should Ise SOO, not to improve the occuaion by
•Irieing any morel which it may furnish fur the instruction
of oar new national form. First of all, we sec the absolute
•cossaty of regular attention to drill. If men navel to be
• Ad•rys tai must make up their minds ti undergo a
..I.ly wank; and no drill C. 113 be too high to immure ems
ulerahle promptness mud precision amidat the coefusion and
rscitouent of afield of bottle. secoodly —what is even of more
toortanne--we see the absolute DO.eseity of highly trained
.di.vre thoroughly possessing the confideoce of their
...dim. A man who boa other employmeot may well
1144 leisure to elute bim,rlf a very fair private, but he
scarcely tied h.isure to make himself • good officer—
en .Meer tat ti be misted by his regiment on is Uhl of
Mole. and really on a level with the advancing science
of what is very fast becoming a higldy scientific rofession.
The English volunteers, indeed showed (rota the
beginning far better arose than the A roericans •
show in the selectioo of their ofikers. They did
not take stump oratois. They took all the old soldiers
they ould get, mad, when they could not get old soldiers,
they took Men whoa: social position had given them some
habits of command, and who had the highest Weir/ pledge.
to otter for their good behaviour before an enemy. There
little rinses to fear that any officer of an English volun•
r corps will ever ride up to his men and tell them that
they are "licked into a cocked hat." Bu'. tine is not a
matter to be left is the slightest degree to chance ; it is the
uteri poUst of the volunteer system. • • • •
No one, then:fore, need be deterred from becoming a
i.•luoterr, nee Deed any volunteer feel uncomfortable in
to uniform, in conequence of what has occurred. But all
min ks:re may lay to heart the two peat lessons which
they beer been teught at the expense of their cousins—
strlit sod trostworthy officers. The third great leoeon
ahieh this eoloaso! smash preaches—that of subordination
--is happily not so much required here.