The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-20

beauty. At the same time they are still very
interior TO the English in this respect. The London
equipsge has completeness which that of Paris Is
far from attaining 10 The first thing an English
noberan does 10 to buy, not his carriage bat his
horses, as infinitely the most important tem. Five
hundred guneas paid for these all that s then neces
sary s ON equipage Of graceful and symmetrical out
line. fitted up With beauty which is chiefly remarka
bic by ito severe simplicity an meretricious orna
mcnt is held in horror The harness is never over
done with metal no ornament ia SUFFERED to interfere
with that which is before ALL the grace and beauty
OF the horses. The servants ere distinguished by
perfect severity Of cleanliness. The tie Of the neck
CLOTH the smoothness Of tie hat the polish Of the
shoes the glossy freshness of the coat the sp0tles
ness Of the hands, are ten times more important than
scarlet breeches gold hatband and embossed headed
canes; but in Paris, paint and silk, and brass and
many colored garments are thought sufficient to
cover grained horses, illmade coaches, and
unwashed footmen and coachmen.
However. with such "A sun overhead, such beautiful
Streets such magnificent cavalry grouped III all the
places, snch delicious strains OF Gssic waiting With
the zcphyriike atmosphere, hypercriti.ism was out
Of the question In the Palace sat the Emperor and
his beautiful Empress, receiving from Relatives &C
clesia teal dignitalies, high constituted bodies de
cCrated narshals, admirals and generals, erahied
jpdges, and municipal officials salutations-each
yieirg with tie other in ardeney Of good wishes.
Al twelve o'clock, all withdrew to the chapel, to
hear mass; and as the shot its brilliant CLEANS
Though the richly colored windows, which was re-
fected or their heads, the gorgeous crowd OF sena-
tors, legislators, military heroes and high diploma
tic frnctonares from all civilized countries, while
the Emperor and Empress those wondrous children
OF fortune-kneele apart in prayer TO the King Of
Kings, the scene was imposing in the extreme. The
present deeply interesting position OF the Empress
the prospect OF an heir TO the new dynasty, mpart-
ed increased epsFressfnlsnt to the scene.
Meanwhile never was the population Of this gay
city so gay before Taking OF hutting in the Cri-
mea, the huitng OF The Bouleyards must beat the
East out Of the field. On Saturday, the 18th, in
not orc was united to lie erected bat that event
iui spectacle over ard the streets on fire with The
joyous illumination which followed, the Whole cause
way was covered with these little wooden teuements,
as by enchanfment Before midnight perfect for
est Of timber blistled along the Boulevards, from
the beautiful pillars Of the Madeleine to the CO
Iumn four miles away in the Palace de st. Antoine
all night long the hive Of toymen Piled their trade,
ard when the Sabbath broke upon tie intoxicated
city. far az the eye could reach line of infantile
in tie shape OF balls, windmlls, tops
whips, trumpets. hoops, duodecimo editions Of
chips, theatres, battles, mechanical tools, houses
given to view, such other city bnt Paris ever
presented to the rising generation OF mankind. Till
Twelve O'Clock, however. the vendors had 1t all to
themselves. Here and there some neerd0well
as rule, true to the Roman Cath bic discipline,
which divides the Sabbath into hours Of prayer and
all were, or supposed to be, at their de-
votions. Bot betwixt twelve o'clock and one,
wonderful hubbub broke over the stiffness Of the
scene. The vendors launched forth their voices
with terrific volume in commendation Of the extra
ordinary virtues OF their articles, and the they
shouted the fuller the pave before them grew.
Such clappng of little hands, such joyous tones OF
from papa and mama, such pushing,
Leaving, tossing to and fro of that dense throngt
was, indeed the child's jubilee run mad. 1t must be
confessed, however, that !bese are occasions when
the French character s seen under its most gloous
phase. Whatever the fault Of that character, its
suitability to children, to helpless humanity in any
form, is pre- erninen,y beautiful. No nation that
know exhibits this characteristic in equal degree.
child in distress, an accident to old age plain
tive cry, wakes up all the woman in their soals and
their own younglings, the very toodgates OF
human tenderness seem to be opened.
No request seems 10 be made in vain. The little
ones, like ants returning from their day Of forage
are seen bending under the weight Of sugar, of
cakes, OF drums, horns, guys and India rubber
balls, which have been presented TO them. The Gus
tom IS, not to wait for the arrival of the Jour de
Tan, but TO prepare considerable garrison of rnen-
tai amusement previously. On the arrival Of the
new year, however, there are generally some es-
Pecial etrennes' which SO mysteriousy preserved
in the house that, when they make their appear
ance, the general belief is that some good angel
has done 1t all The little folks put out their shoes
over night to WOO the angelic regards; and seldom
do thew woo In vain, for the nsxt morning, by the
shouts, hustle aid wild shIieks in the nursery the
parents arc made aware that all sorts Of wonderful
accidents have happened in the night. And tler
this is such day for the restaurants. One would
be inclined 10 think that the Classes - e,ch
must 1--we very scantily at hone wnen the manage of
.he restaurants offers geb pnmixed delight To dine
asa D - we theatre afterwards is in truth.
the ne plus ultra Of French gala day; ard New
Years the only difficulty is to find sitting room at
one place or the other.
i must reserve a description of NJ. Circus estab-
lisbment for another letter. Such aristocratic
stimuiants for the intaDtine mind require page
OF their own. l have left myself little room for
politics. but the following pyecis, drawn up BY the
of the continuation Of the war, is worthy OF atten-
ton. condense it as much as possible -
-Four Powers are belligerents-Francc, England,
Turkey and Piedmont; two are allies OF the belli-
tains certain offensive eventualitics and Sweden in
respect to defensive treaty; two others are neu-
trail with evident disposition to take part in the
alliance, and, if necessary, in active hostiiites-
these are Spain and Portugal two Others are strict
Iy neutral although they have repeatedly manifested
their sympathies for the triumph of European rights
= Belgium ard Denmark; two others, also are neI-
ral-Pfussia and the Germanic Confederation; but
Prussia has In numerous protocols condemned the
policy Of Russia and Germany has recognized that
the four guarantees contained the basis Of equt
able peace. Then, finally, two other States are neu-
trail with sympathies inore or less avowed Tor Rus
sia-these are Greece and the Kingdom OF Naples
But tie first has commenced to abdicate policy
which meDaced it with disasters, whilst the second
possesses very weak influence in the councils Of
Europe. Russia has, therefore. only one Power in
it's favor, ard that little State Of third rank,
situated ii The extremity Of Italy. BERTHE.
PARIS Dec. 90, 1866.
Rerisp efMe Imperial Guard-An,using Incident
Louis Napoleon Engaged in a Dog Chase--AC
fecting Demonstrations ON The appearance Of the
Wounded SoidiTs-Dioral Of the Scene, &C., &c.
! have iust come from witnessing military spec.
tacle which would require the pen Of Napier, the
historian Of the Peni9suar war, 10 do Justice to.
Habituated as we in Paris TO things Of the kind
there was novelty, interest and reality about this
that png far into the shade all previous spectacle
at least all such have taken plase since the fall OF
the frat empire.
placed myself in the house of friend, one front
Of which faced the Place vendome, the other the
Rue de Ia Paix. With great difficulty broke my
way through the guard drawn across the Rue Cas-
tglione and effected passage across the Places bat