The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-06-20
NO. 101.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.
Pans, May 80, 1880.

pact and well disciplined, and has decided, in a
reunion, held for the purpose, to pass the bill
without amendment, driving it through, with all
It's imperfectons on its head The strong mem.
bers have been won over by promises, and the
feeble ones whipped in by menaces, just as in the
famous Missouri Compromise of the United
States A certain M. Vesin, who was little
stubborn, wss openly expelled from the party on
the floor Of the House, after his speech in favor
of a third party amendment. $50 to the Noun
tain, where you belong p was shouted to him in
chorus, and the poor wretch remounted the tri-
bune to stammer out an apology, and declare that
If the amendment should be rejected, he should
vote for the law, although it was against his con-
sciencel The morning papers of the majority
seold him this morning for supporting the amend
ment. and add that he has been forgiven this
time after making all necessary Acknowledgements.
This scene of abasement is the most pitable yet
witnessed in the French Assembly.
The debate has been q hot one from the COM
mencement, and one of the most abe ever wit
nessed in parliamentary body. Spite of the
.,oat orators who have succeeded each other at
the tribune for more than week, the poet Hugo
has borne off the palm of eloquence. His rival,
Lamsrtine. confirming himself to considerations of
mere expediency, failed in making deep impress
sion Men listen now to Lamartine, not for the
lofty truth he utters, but for the melody and
beauty of his language. They hear him
but to please their ear,
Not mend their minds some 70 church repair
Not for the doctrine but the music there /"
The daily press of this city has been filled,
since the commencement Of the discussion, with
appropriations of the different orators, each party
prsising its own orators, and satirizing those OF
the opposition Each orator has not one Rhada-
nautilus to Judge him, but two Scarcely has his
speech been fairly enshrouded in the MonaeHy, or
official report, before the two party presses APP
proach the body one is his good and the other his
bad angel, and they chant their requiems over
him, and, under pretence of using holy water,
p sprInkle dur ono wHh'satire, and ssSs
"a -. -.-l.. ssTA. -
The press has said more of Victor Hugo than
of any other member who has spoken on the bill
He has been better praised and more roundly
abused than any other Open a journal Of the
Opposition, and you will find something like the
What great orator! What a magnificent
poet What q path of light Victor Hugo leaves
after him He embraces at single glance the
confines of the European horizon. He advances,
and in three steps he has traversed the world
lie dsdains the present, and reads, with prophetic
eye, the future He resembles the Sybil of DID,
when, all-inspred by the Divinity, she agitated
L. - -
on Sinai with the halo from heaven. What beau
tiful cadence in his periods What an inbreath-
ing of the soul into each word What floods of
harmony His language seems to flow over
sands Of gold through prairie of flowers. His
words enter the heart; he insinuates with ire
sstible sweetness, he attracts and subjugates the
most rebellious spirits, and the angry murmurs
of political passions are hushed in his presence.
Pick up one of the Ministerial papers, and you
find very different notice of the same effort
running perhaps in this strain
Victor Hugo is evidently on the decline; he
lost himself entirely to-day in an empty and dull
phraseOlory. His oratorical style has neither the
melody Of poetry nor the frmness and ease Of
prose. And, besides, don't speak to us of these
wings hundred miles from the question. This
was simply whether citizen who pays no tax
ought to vote, and 10 and behold Mr. Hugo
buries himself in the sands of Libya, or interro-
gates the Oracles Of the god Memnon! Men
ought to leave poetry to the manufacturers Of
rhymes and metaphors, and in business matters
speak the language of business. The priests Of
Memphis, the dwellers on the Caspian sea, the
Romans Of the Coliseum, and the god Memnon,
have nothing to do, that we know OF, with paying
our taxes in France. Victor Hugo smuses him
self with playing on his flute all sorts of airs
but it is not by Aute-playing that he can defend
Liberty, or save society from the bloody talons of
Socialism. We shall praise M. Hugo more when
he confines his attention to writing such pieces as
Angelo for the stage, and leave politics to those
who understand them.
From the bitter attacks and vigorous defence
of M Hugo 1t is fair to infer that his speech has
made great impression. Birds bite the best
cherries The ties which formerly bound him to
the majority are severed, and be is now fairly
launched on the sea of liberalism.
The local news of Paris and the news from
the interior are not interesting. Nothing is
heard of except the opposition to the Electoral
law, and the persecution of editors 1900 900
signatures have already been affixed to the petit
tions against it. At Paris, the packed jury is
sending writer's, editors, and publishers prison
1t is not improbable that M. Emile de Girardin
will be condemned, before long, for he is the can
didate Of the Democrats Of the department of
Bas-Rhm for the local election Of the 9th. The
Government will scarcely permit him to arrive at
the door Of the Assembly without prosecuting
him little.
The President has given orders to the director
of the GObeias Tapestry Manufacture to commence
his portrait in one or two fine carpets. lie must
be calculating on long stay at the Elys6e; for
one OF these carpets cannot be finished in less than
four or FIVE years. Several, intended to hand
down to posterity the features and glorious deeds
of the sons Of Louis Philippe, remain in an un-
finished state
A mailman, named Sefelage, attempted, on the
2@d Of May, to assassinate the King of Prussia,
as the latter was passing from his carriage to the
railroad cars at Charlottenburg. The King had
raised his hand to his hat, to return the saluta-
tions Of the bystanders at the moment Of the dis
charge Of the pistol This act Of politeness saved
his iife the ball aimed at his breast struck his
wrist, and glanced down toward the elbow, tear
ing open the arm frightfnlly II is flesh wound
only, and the physicians give the public the as
sarance that the King will soon recover the use
OF the limb. The Queen was close to the King,
aud was spattered with his blood
ENGLAND AND rHR CONTINENT.
The difficulty between England and France