The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-24

seventy Americans dined together, In honor Of the
anniversary, at the Trois Freres Proyencaux. The
time for preparation short, and neither the
American Secretary Of Legation nor the Consul
was present Mr.. Rives, you doubtless know, has
gone to Vlchy for his health. The dinner, it is
said, was excellent, and the occasion passed off
happily. The band was called upon 10 play Yam
kee Doodle, but, never having heard it, they were
unable to comply. Upon this the,company began
to sing the Marseillase, unconscious, probably,
| that this air is contraband under the republic To
sing it is very grave misdemeanor. Upon learn
| ing that by persisting they would seriously COM
promise the house, they ceased, and soon separated
in the best of humor.
M. Leon Faucher, the Minister of the Interior,
has just accomplished his chef deuUre of petty in
reference. Under the monarchy, the great thea
tire of the Coincide FRANCHISE had what was called
a Comite de Lecture, or Reading Committee, APP
pointed by ITSELF to accept reject all plays pre-
scented for representation. It's judgment was of
course purely literary. play accepted by the
theatre was then read by the Censure, bureau
attached to the Ministry OF the Interior who struck
out such passages seemed improper, either poit-
icaly or morally. The republic Of course abol-
| ished the censure-on paper. M Faucher, jealous
of his rights, and determined to be the umpire and
Judge Of all dramatic pieces which might be offered
appointed, himself, the Reading Committee, and
so arranged il as to throw the artistes into the
minority. and to secure the majority to himself.
His own men in the committee the small fry
of literature, and will be too happy to catch at
the winks and mods Of Monsieur lie Ministre.
Such dictltion is humiliatng in the last degree
| to authorA piece is presented to the commit
tee for perusal. M. Leon Faucher thinks'it rather
republican, perhaps he does not like the au-
thor The obedicnt majority reject the piece.
This passes for judgment upon lite literary
merits, and ia horribly injurious to the reputation
of the writer. Madame Georges Sand (whose
husband, by the way, Baron Dudevant, is just
dead) has withdrawn play already in the hands
of the manager. Such the first fruits Of Leon
Faucher's meddlesome interference with other
peoples affairs. No playwright Of independence
will submit 10 such an arrangement, and it will
either have 10 be revoked, the interests Of the
theatre will very materially suffer.
For many years the art of navigating the air has
been looked upon the next great discovery to
follow in the train of steam locomotion and the
electric telegraph; yet art science has ever
been 80 stationary, or has made SO little progress.
Balloons are useful now than they were
in the days of Montgolfer. Not single advance
has been made in preventing and foreseeing dis
aster, in controlling the direction in which it
moves. The French aronauts, the most skilful in
the world, Departing of rendering their profession
useful one, and, at the time, well aware
| that the mercurial Parsians must have continual
succession of novelty and that the ascension Of to-
morrow must present some feature distinct from
that which characterized the ascension of yester-
day, have been obliged to limit themselves to the
invention Of extravaganza and burlesque in their
Grian exhibitions. M. GODDARD would give every
dollar he has earned in his dangerous career to be
able to announce that on such day, and at such
hour, the favorte balloon, EAGLE will leave for
Brussels, without regard to wind weather; but
he do nothing of the Sort he is forced to add
to the stale display of common ascent the addi-
onal attraction of three female riders of the Hip
podrome, fastened in luxurious attitudes upon the
outside of the car. M. Poitevn, finding it out
of the question to make his balloon steer to the
north, if it happens to want to go towards the
south, has to content himself with going up
on the back Of bull, or in carriage har-
messed with two horses. But if we are to be-
ieve what we read in the newspapers, the great
problem Of erian locomotion is to be solved next
month. man is to go up in balloon of novel
construction In company with his two Having
arrived at * certain height, they to pu. ON
winge, alec OF pattern, and launch them
selves into thu blue empyrean. They will descend
| to the Garth, skim along its surface, and mount
again to the balloon, which will wait their return
without the least change of place. AS corrobora-
tive of the successful termination OF his labors the
| gentleman mentions that last Thursday, at the
witching hour of midnight, when nobody was look
| ing, he fe,o the Seine! A late traveller in
America, amazed at the vast number of steamboats,
navigating its rivers, at the magnifcence and
speed of its ocean lines, and at the development
the telegraph has reached in so ehort a period of
time, states his belief that the United States will
yet discover the secret of travelling in the air If
Brother Jonathan has any such idea, he must take
care and not be anticipated by our friend of the
wings.
| Theophile Gautier, Of the most pleasing of
the Paris feuilletonists, wrote about three years
ago, an article entitled "Apropos de Ballons." He
is firm believer in the splendid future in store for
navigation in the upper regions, and expresses his
faith in the following manners
"a strong cord still held to the earth, but soon,
upon signal from Mr.. Green, the cable cut,
and tho Rrian vessel arose steadily, with move
ment at once easy, powerful, and of infinite ma
| iesty. AS much the locomotive has internal
appearance, has the balloon celestial one, with
out any play upon words. The one borrowsits
iaries from iron, coal, tre, and boiling water; the
other employs only silk and gas-a thin cloth
filled with light air. The engine, with it's fright
full shrieks, its noisy rafting, and it's black pus
| oil SMOKE runs upon rails, rOar5 tnrouRn
the bowels Of the earth and dives into the darkness
of tunnels, seeming as if seeking the devil who in
| vented it; the balloon, without noise or effort,
leaves the earth, where the laws of gravity hold us
and mounts TRANQUILITY towards God. Unhappiy
the balloon, like Inspiration, goes where the wind
guides it-ths every one knows; spirius flat ube
rult; and the steam engine, like prose, goes straight
upon its road.
cit has neither wings, nor tail, neck, nor
feet--nothing which can guide it; it is vessel
without sail or helm, fish without fms, bird
without feathers; it floats, that ia all il is I'M
mense, and it is nothing it is 80 young that it
does not know its way, and it goes in as great I'M
certainty as lost child.
We cannot understand why all the inventors,
wise mechanicians, chemists, poets, do not occupy
themselves continually by endeavoring to solve
the problem of the guiding of balloons, and that
people pass their time in making revolutions more
or less opportune, while this important problem is
not searched out
"The government should promise recompense
of rs 600 900 francs TO him who should discover the
means of directing balloons, and appoint twenty
wise men to make experiments upon this subject
This would be money well employed. II is neces-
sary to hurry; the case is urgent There will be
spent in years to come one or two thousand mil
| ~h,oo TOR thn plat,o IF soI