New-York daily tribune., 1856-05-01
FRANCE.
From Oar Own CousspoLdeBt.
D.pIS Thuvsd.y

From Oar Own CorespoLdeDt.
PARIS, Thursday April II. 1856
The Congress of Paris held its closing session
Yesterday. For - resolutions about the Princi.
palities AID I,aly- 4ee The London Times. which
pas,es for being : 40 shrewdest, least i'll informed
guesser upon toe subject
The futile theme of talk and interest just at
present, is tie French Accdemy-the recent elec'
tiOns OF three new immOrtals to membership OF
that body, ard the inaugural speech of one Of
Them the Duke de Bfoglie. What created atten-
tion in this discourse was the old state smans
eulogy of parliamentary discussion, and his 'nDr-
able meLtOn of Louis Philippe-he even speaks
in comnendatory way of liberty, using the very
word HJene, an assemblage of vowels and con-
sonants that seems TO have peculiar interest for
Frenctmen. 1t is a curious sign of the suppressed
condition of the French to-day that NJ de Broglie's
discourse should pass for an almost bold action,
spd sLOud be intensely relished as al act of oppo-
sition-a protest against the autocratic slleot
regime of Napoleon III. Beside being printed
III nearly all the daily papers of Paris, 1t is
published and extensively sold in pamphlet form.
There is another popularity of the appreciation
of the discOuse that indicates another sore evil in
the political condition of France. That M. de
BTtgle kHOulu nSke TttptF'ul UltHtlOu VI ou
fallen master and the old fallen Government under
tle reign Of the present power, passes for bit Of
honesty aud consistency as rare as liudabe. And
the critics point out tbs marked contrast in this
respect between the old constitutional orator aud
the superseryicable, plant N. Nisard who re-
fronded in long discourse to that of Louis
iliippes * Minister. For NJ. Nisard, though
never kinist,r, vas in political life under the
Monarchy OF July, sometimes for the Government
and sometimes against il, but always managing
in all changes to have bis bread fall butter
side uD--nnd who now sf er having been for a
time what the Duke de Broglie never was-an
Jltrs.Liberal-is a tborough-goiDg NapoleODis
1t ia sad 10 see man receive great praise Tor
being honest. But that homely virtue is so rare
among French politicians, We all know how
commonplace among American politicians. that
lie Luke dc ..rOglie has fairly earned distinctive
laudation in the present case.
Since am presumipg to speak OF French char
acteIistics, beg TO say that, outslde oi the
class Of the politicians believe the French to be
as honest p.opleas any other. Here, for e1aln'
yle are the coolers, (hsch h-drivers class neahy
as numerous as the potioians-there are some
Thousands Of them in Paris Now, there is official
proof that in the course of the slOgle year 1870
these men had deposited at the Prefecture OF Po-
lice purses pOrt-monnales, pocket-bOOks, DC,
containing gold, silver bank bills, notes receiva
bic, &c, of o value amounting to Eore than
l5u.tCU trancs-thter articles taNltg Dttn ucRu-
gently left or lost in their carriages by persons who
had ridden in them. Be.iJe tbese direct money
values. there was 10 end Of parasols, hsndker-
chiefs, bresstrins canes, &c. deposited at tie
Prefecture BY these yrtuous Jehus in this same
year 1855. Ii is proper TO add that the more ex-
,ravaganty honest OF the eoehers, to the number Of
ten or twelve are annually rewarded BY the
PIeftct; and that thirty or forty Others who have
brousbt their lesser offerings Of watch-keys, pen
knives private letters etc, have their names re-
corded on baEdbills that are annually posted all
over the desd walls Of the city. This is not said
10 the discrtdit of the hackDeD. But II may be
said in pallstOn OF the tergiversatloDs Of pOliti-
clans, that honesty and consistency are the very
last qualities that any government thhks of
recommending Their virtue, if they have any.
must indeed be its own reward. The wages IN
this lind are so email that most OF them. like N.
Nissrd prefer to take service under the frst-come
new master. But there are noble exceptions. Ii
was only last week, .hi. <, that | had occasion
to mention Lamartine's quiet aud courteous but
positive reiusal of-pot brbe. but OF the bor-st
srpeara, ce of bri5e, in the shape Of subscrip-
tiou to HE Corrss Of Literature from the Minister
o Education and Wonhip.
To return to the Academy. This institution is
ncmiDally composed of forty persons-,Ae forty
persons Wos. distinguished By their contributions