The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25, 1867.

MISCELLANEOUS NE TVS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
PARIS, Dec. 19.

I have sat down to-night to forward the weekly
notice of Paris news which the Franco does me the
honour to insert ; but I have been reflecting that
its next issue will be the only opportunity I shall
have previous to the arrival of Christmas of expres-
sing to the numerous kind friends who have hitherto
borne with my lucubrations my sincere wishes for a
merrie Christmas (I like the old spelling) and a
happy New Year. Under this plea, therefore, je
prend conye of my ordinary duties, and venture to
luxuriate in a page of Christmas gossip. Every-
body keeps Christmas. The Emperor here keeps
it right gallantly, and it is even said that in com-
pany with the Empress he makes the tour of the
Boulevards to inspect the Christmas Fair, unsur-
passed, I will venture to say, in any nation in the
world ; and the Prince Imperial has opened his
furnaces for the benefit of the poor of Paris. Mr.
Beckwith keeps Christmas, and thinks, doubtless,
of the turkeys, bear venison, and other innumerable
American delicacies which have been immortalised
by Cooper and Washington Irving. Lord Lyons
will keep Christmas, and doubtless will not
forget his plain pudding, though he may not
have it served up in the style, which tradition states
it was on one occasion served up in France to a
British Ambassador, viz., without being previously
tied in a cloth. The Ambassador had given all the
requisite directions for the making of the pudding,
but he had forgotten the cloth. Magazine writers will
shut themselves up to elaborate Christmas legends,
and Dickens, the Christmas writer par excellence,
will have an opportunity cf judging between Christ-
mas iu the Old World and the New. Even our
respected Chef will smile, regardless of possibly un-
paid subscriptions and advertisements, as he wit-
nesses the cheerful alacrity with which his legion of
subordinates hasten to empacket the journal on its
Christmas passage to the four quarters of the globe
and escape to their respective firesides ; whilst his
unworthy Paris Correspordent, with nevertheless
the greatest goodwill in the world, feels himself
utterly unable to do more than indulge in reveries
of scenes and friends far away, leaving the indi-
rect responsibility of his holiday upon the indulg-
ence of his readers. Good friends in America,
whom the arrival of the journal will remind of the
brilliant scenes of the most brilliant expositions the
world ever saw.—Good friends in Old England, and
even in climes far more remote, for whom the same
kindly messenger will form a fresh link with the yet
unforgotten past. Scenes of the past—scenes of
infancy, when the writer slept but little in his little
bed the night of the Christmas-eve, in his anxiety
to know if he had been sufficiently good to induce
old Father Christmas to pass in the night and
leave upon his pillow the supply of mince pies and
bonbons which he always distributes to good little
children on that occasion; and the midnight music
of the Waits, with the childish trebles mingling in
the carol, were like the angel's whisper iu the bal-
lad of the Irish poet.—Scenes of youth, the gay
dances of the Christmas party, and the privileged
escort of the fair partner of the evening, inclemency
of weather forming, if possible, an additional
gratification. Scenes of manhood, where the
subdued light of the dining-room shone pleasantly
upon the substantial delicacies of Christmas, and
sparkled with a thousand varied hues upon the well-
filled decanters, when the attractions of the dance
had yielded to those of the quiet rubber, and the
Waits had partially lost their charm. Scenes when
the festive board of Christmas was surrounded by
four generations, and the wanderers were recalled
from all parts to make the tale complete. Scenes
when a grey head or the golden ringlets of childhood
were missing from the number; scenes of mingled
grief and happiness, which make up the web of
human destiny, testifying to that elasticity of human
nature so mercifully accorded to the state of trials
and temptations ordained for all on earth. Who is
there on earth who has not experienced this in a
greater or lesser degree—who is there amongst
his numerous readers, who will not re-echo
the kindly wish of their Paris correspondent,
when he hopes that they all may spend their
Christmass as happily as possible, remember-
ing that the dullest day will pass, and that
the advent of the child's festival, inaugurated by
the Child Jesus, will be to them a season of hope,
happiness, and comfort. Mais revenous a nos mou-
tons, for I am beginning to exceed my space, and
the shears of the sub-editor clip as mercilessly as
those of Atropos. I had a vague idea at the com-
mencement of myletter of launching into some fanciful
Christmas legend for the amusement of my readers,
but the plain home-feeling has been too much for
me ; and, in consideration of my sincere and hearty
good wishes, they must excuse an effort which
would probably have resembled that of Icarus, and
resulted not only in my discomfiture, but, in Par-
liamentary language, in a vote of want of confi-
dence. Let me then occupy the remainder of the
space which may be graciously conceded me by
describing what Christmas looks like at Paris. In
other countries, England and America especially,
solids predominate ; in the case of the former aided
by the attractions of the pantomimes and the
Christmas parties; in that of the latter by those of the
many sleighing parties. But in Paris, whilst yield-
ing in no respect in excellence of catering, there
exists a greater degree of refinement—naturally to be
expected from so spirituelle a people. Long before the
arrival of " Noel," as Christmas is called in France,
the commerce of the bonbons and various descriptions
of etrennes (New-year's gifts) occupy fully the Paris
tradesman, to the exclusion of all other. The
golden fruit of Portugal arrives in shiploads, the
confitures of Aix, the dried fruits of Provence, the
prunes, the pistolles (a conserved apricot), the cho-
colate moulded into the most fanciful forms which
the human imagination can conceive. Even the
representations of the half-burnt Yule log fill up
every window. The skill of the illustrator and
printer i▪ s taxed to produce those beautiful little
pictures which, in every variety of shape, illustrate
the events connected with the season, and espe-
cially wi▪ th the birth of the Saviour, whilst in other
instances they are modelled in a manner to repre-
sent nature. Along the line of the Grand Bottle-
yarns, for more than three miles in length, on either
side are erected a row of wooden baraques, or stalls,
in contemplating which one would fancy that the
Parisians who supply them had spent the entire
year in catering for every want of every class, for
the ouvrier may purchase for his child an etrenne
for a sou, while the scale advances to suit the
pocket even of a millionaire, especially if the shops
of the Boulevards be also taken into consideration,
where the products of all the quarters of the globe
offer themselves as etrennes; and the Christmas-
trees of Paris bear fruit within the reach of every
one. I intend, if possible, on the occasion of the
present Christmas to witness the midnight mass in
the celebrated cathedral of Notre Dame. It is true
that Notre Dame is some way off on an island on
the Seine, whose dark current washes its base, but
there is an old adage, Cantabit Vacutts, and also
Vive l'Empereur ; he keeps Paris in good order, and
is, in every respect, a father to his people. But
my space is fast lessening, especially as there will
also be so much Christmas news, &c., to get in from
all parts. Once more, then, dear friends and
readers, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Dear friends in America, in England, in Australia,
aye, even in Africa, think, when you get the Christ-
mas number of the Iranco, that as the clock strikes
twelve, on the night of the 24th of December, 1867,
I looked towards you— Valete biers sincerenzent.

[AlWE[tTlSEMENT.]—llyspo,psin,(lndigestion), Constipation. De-
bility, Consumption, and all nervous, bilious, stomach, and livei
complaints in every stage, are only aggravated and aeceleratea
by di tt,:s of every description. but perfectly curable by Du
Barry's health-restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, as proved by
thousands of cases which had been considered hopeless, suet
as—cough, asthma,. also diarrhea, hemorrhoids, liver com-
p:aims, flatulency, nervousness, biliousness, fevers, sore throats
diphtheria, catarrhs, colds, influenza, noises in the head and
ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia,
irritability, sleeplessness, acidity, palpitation, heartburn, head-
ache, debility, dropsy, cramps, spasms, nausea and sickness,
even in pregnancy or at sea, sinking tits, bronchitis, scrofula,
tightness of the chest, pains at the pit of the stomach and
between the shoulders, &c. We quote a few :—The Pope's health
restored by Du Barry's Food. Curs No. 63,413.—"R0me, July
12, 1866.—The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especially
since, abandoning all other remedies, he has ccuflued himself
entirely to Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica Food, of which he
consumes a plateful at every meal. It has produced a sur-
prisingly beneficial effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot
praise this excellent food too highly."—From the " Gazette du
Midi, July 25 Cure No. 46,270 Mr James Roberts, timber
merchant, of Fernley, Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs,
spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deafness.
Cure No. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord Lieut. of
Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No. 49,832. "Fifty
years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness.
asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency. spasms, sickness and
vomiting.—MariaJoly." Important Caution.—Beware of the many
unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to which, withou'
authority, Baron Liebig's name is most audaciously attached.—
In tins at ls. lid.; 1 lb., 2s 9d. 2 lbs., 4s. 6dl; 5 lbs., Ils.;
12 lbs., 225.; 24 lbs., 40s.—BARRY Do BARRY and Co., No. 77,
:regent-street, London; also Fortnam and Mason, 182 Piccadilly,
and at GI, Gracechurch-street; 4, Cheapside ; 63, 150, and 289,
020014-street; 330 Strand ; and all grocers and chemists.

R. SECRETARY MCULLOC.H'S REPORT.

The following abstract from the Baltimore lVeekly Com-
mercial will be found to contain the main features of the
very able report of the Secretary of the Treasury :

lawful money because it was thought that this character
was necessary to secure their currency. By reference to
the first debates of Congress upon the subject, it will be
noticed that those who advocated their issue justi-
fied themselves on the ground of necessity. No one
who spoke in favour of the measure favoured it upon
principle, or hesitated to express his apprehensions that
evil consequences might result from it. But the Govern-
ment was in peril, the emergency was pressing ; necessity
seemed to sanction a departure from sound principles of
finance, if not from the letter of the constitution,
and an inconvertible currency became the lawful
money of the country. While the action of Con-
gress, in authorising the issue of these notes, seemed
necessary at the time, and was undoubtedly approved by a
large majority of the people, there can now, in the light of
experience, be no question that the apprehensions of those
who advocated the measure as a necessity were well
founded. Upon the demoralising influence of an incon-
vertible Government currency it is not necessary to kn-
large. They aro forced upon our attention by every day's
observation, and we cannot be blind to them if we would.
The Government is virtually repudiating its own obliga-
tions by failing to redeem its notes according to their
tenor. These notes are payable to bearer on demand
in dollars, and not one of them is being so, paid
It is not to be expected that a people will be more honest
than the Government under which they live, and while
the Government of the United States refuses to pay its'notes
according to their tenor, or at least as long as it fails to
make proper efforts to do so, it practically teaches to the
people the doctrine of repudiation.
The general financial legislation and the administration
of the finances during the war reflect the highest credit
upon Congress and the distinguished gentlemen then at
the head of the Treasury Department. They have com-
manded the admiration of intelligent and impartial men
at home and abroad. In speaking thus plainly of the
legal tender notes, the Secretary must not therefore be
understood as indulging in the language of criticism. His
object is neither to criticise nor to condemn what has been
done, but to express his decided conviction of the danger
of a repetition or a perpetuation of what experience has
shown to have been, in a single but important matter, un-
fortunate legislation.