New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-04-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS..
PARIS UNDER TIE EMPIRE.

PURPLE TINrs or PARIS BY BAYLg 81. josh l9mo Up
4f6. Rher ThorDo 20
Within the last few years, Mr.. Bayle st John has
ACQUIRED good deal Of celebrity writer OF lively
"a. hand, agreeable sketches Of foreign travel. lie
aims both at the picturesque aud piqusnt and seldom
fails of hif object If he is neyerProfound he never
tedious Let us thank him for that, and take doctiey
what he has to give. He has quick eye for sight
seeing a cultivated taste for all sorts of lions, GER
tain shrewd tact which stands in the place OF wisdom
and answers his purpose we'll, aud never falling
fuency of exprel sion. whatever the topic in baud We
think that this volume, the whole, is quite as read
able as any of bis former productions and in some re-
pects more instructive than either of them. IL has
definite purpose, which is we'll followed up by the au-
thor He undertakes to describe the Purple Tints
Of Paris" or in other words to show the elements in
French society which made the Imperial purple posi-
be- and then to portray the influence OF the Empire
on the manners of the metropolis. Such awork, of
course could not be accomplished without treadng on
dangerous ground 1t leads the author through GER
tain my steres and morates of Paris which are rare
y treated of in serious discourse to ears polite lie
rlides over the most perilous topics however, with
great dexterity and generally contrves to escape from
their discussion without fatal damage to himself or
his readers IL any are harmed by his frank revela'
lions il must be more their fault than his Az all
events he may wash his hands of any design to 10.
fame morbid curiosity. lie writes as painter OF
manners and delineates only what he sees But he
does moi tell the truth in way to tempt the imaglns-
tom 20 much as to awaken reflection II his pictures
Of Parsisn social life are often high-coored, this
must be charged to the Parsians and not to the PIC
ture.maker.
But leaving these descriptions, which compose 8
considerable portion of the volume, We will pass to
one of the most interesting chapters devoted TO the
condition of the working classes The sympathies Of
the author are with tie rights of the lsborer lie
fully rerceves the unsatisfactory character of the ex
sting relations of capital and labor The argument
against democracy derived from its eveling tendeu
ces he Justly regards merely successful ePisram
Society as now constituted contains causes which give
a MONOPOLY of comfort of knowledge, and of beauty
TO some whilst others are distorted physically ana 10
tellectusy and suffer the extremes OF misery Wha'
ismeart by leveliDg in philosophical sense Is clear
ing sway all the artificial causes which make men az
leren from one another not Only in outward, but 10
intellectual and physical advantages The moment
Won admit that these causes proceed from V0luun'y
social arrangements you make out the case OF equai-
~ against privilege of humanity against conventional
NV of man against arstocracy The French working
man is thus relieved from the charge Of being mere
amateur revoutonist
In regard to the character of the laborng classes in
PARA the statements of the author confirm the a;-
counts given by the most observing recent travellers
INTELLIGENCE OF THE FRENCH woRKINGMEN
Altoes4her the osrriers-I now the skilled work
men Of France distinguished by certain gentleness
Of bearing and elegance Of demssnof no, peTepHD nS
When sscompsnied BY fashionable dress None Of the
hwsr cses Of Paris have that brutal habit Of insulting
iosignen In the streets account OF any ~
drss or appearence which Is common In England Vn