The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-05
AFFAIRS IN EUROPE.
Inside Views Of France.

bTELO0 HdtTed U Me x>"6's''@As" ~>S's"So
Prices of Living in Brittany &c.
OF the millions Of readers of the New York HERALD
il there a hundred that ever heard OF Oman, in
Brittany? OF the thousands of your readers who
have from time to time visited Europe is there
single person who has stood upon the ramparts OF
this ancient city? suppose not one.
Permit me, then, to make you acquainted with
this places for despite Of its obscuty it deserves to
be knOwn and the time perhaps, is not far distant
when the opinions it entertains will-because they
are the opinions of large section of Frenchmen-
tend to modify not only the existing condition of
affairs, but also the future government of France.
| have two objects in view in addressing few
letters to you from this locality-irst, desire to
call att .ntion to district in France which is so vel
worth visiting and has hitherto NAMED UNEMPLOYED
by Americans. Next, I wish to give you informa
ton, as from an eye Witness of the condtiOn-phys
al and moral-of the agricultural classes in France
and then of the political opinions they entertain;
and how it is probable they will conduct themselves
should another crisis arise, or be forced upon the
country by the Partisan notablities
What Importance the Emperor Of the French
attaches to the opinions of the Bretons is proved by
the fact of his contemplated visit to it at very
leetbut the real purpose being to canvass for popu
larity amongst he descendants Of those who fought
for wears against the republic, and who, when the
first Bonaparte had been overthrow, were amongst
the most eager and jealous Of their cosntrymen to
welcome back the Bourbons to repudiate the eagle,
and restore the lily as the emblem OF their country
and its government
Before enternto matters Of political Importance
wish to say something of Oman itself. know of
place (and my knowledge of the Continent is by no
means slight contned) that, think, would be
more interesting to person coming from the New
World to visit, than this city, which Is in itself
antiquity of the Old World in most marvellous
state of preservation. single illu straton of its
great age will suffice. There are but two churches
in the town. st. Mao's and st. Sauveurs. The first
was erected at the came time that Canute, the Dane
was King of England and the foundation of the
second was laid in the very same year that William
the Conqueror landed in England and fought the
battle Of Hastings. The churches are NOTWITHSTANDING
ing the least remarkable Of the attractions OF Dinan
Here are the walls and ramparts still standing
adorned, not defaced, with ivy and wilc fowers-and
rs firmly erect when their mangoncls, ballsta and
petreria served by their frequent discharges to repe
the soldiers of the English King Henry H., and to
deter even for the moment his valiant successor in
warfare, the Black Prince Here, too, is still stand
ing the house of the ladye love- of the braves best
and truest of knights in the great days Of chivalry
Duaueselin; here is the open place in which he
fought and conquered cruea and treacherous Eng
iish champion, ycleped Thomas of Canterbury"
chambers and passages OZARK scene passages amongst
the res is the castle of Anne of Brittany, with her
stone chair of state in which she sat sovereign,
dispensed justice, and presided over the royal ban
quet.
Let the doubters in the medieval times come here
and they will seas distinctly as they see the
Broadway in New York-the things Of which they
have read in histories and romances-plain to the
vision, papable to the truth. Here are standing
memorials Of the past tmes-and here are, too, in
the very persons who jostle you as you walk along
the living representatives of men that might be sup
posed to have died out centuries ago. Here are the
gigantic Gaus as they were in the days of Caesar
NAM oierisque hon,ini6us Calls, prG mdgnifudine
corporum suorum, brsUitas nostrd c0nfemptut est"
Here they are, still hulking in size and gait, aud
still ss disposed to undervaue the general race OF
Frenchmen as their fathers were to despise the
short sized Romans. Here they are as eager for
news as impetuous in their feelings, as ready to re-
sent supposed wrong, as prompt TO repent OF
rash action as TO undertake II; the same-the very
same-as if they were now to be described for the
frs. time by their Roman conqueror. Even in their
outward habiliments they arc little changed from
their ancestors; for here you may see the sagum
and the partyco,ored brdccG for the wearing which
latter garment Tacitus casts additional reproach
upon the memory of ViteIlus. Here, in short, is the
pure old Celtic race in all its primitive simplicity,
with all its virtues and all its failings unsdulterated
for this is out of the way part Of the Continent
and there is as little likeness In appearance, or
similarity in feeling between the Breton and the Pari
sian as there is between Connaughtmar and Cock
Inc men retain tnelr natOnallty IN their cos
tune, and their wives and daughters are worthy Of
such husbands and fathers. Their costume refer
to the peasautry-is the same you may see on an
ancient marble or Pompeiian painting-.but stu
all Offering from each other in particular; that
is in che extraordinary shape and form Of their snow
white caps-each district having cap of peculiar
sbspe, some like sugar loafs, Others liko military
officers cooked hat, others with large wings turned
up ON the top OF the head, &C., 40 that the women
OF different parishes are at once recognizable by
their popularity in wearing their head gear.
Picture then this variety Of persons and contrast
its costumes, moving through town thats the same
in outward appearance as IL was six or seven hun
bred years ago. It's ancient houses surrounded with
still more ancient walls forty feet high its broad
amparts, its old towers, its battlemented gates and
then remember that all this Is placed on the top Of
high, steep hill az its base size deep val
ley, and on all the Others enclosed by the bright
waters Of the river Rance. end then that the whole
looks out upon scene Of infinite variety and beauty
upon woods and water, on distant bills, and far off
steeples Of old, old churches, and you have some
idea-and after ell a very faint idea-of whet
lovely place Is Dinan end how well worthy IL Is Of
visit from those who feel an interest in times zone
by, and wish 10 behold in all its charms a genuine
rural city in its falling positionthe central otiect
OF most magnificent landscape.
Brittany Ia now incorporated with France: but
an inhabitant Of Dunkrk Is as little disposed say
he Is Breton as a native born Dinanese Is inclined Co
call himself Frenckman. The pure Breton Is proud
II his nationality, erd IL is his boast that fror, the
first attempt made the independence of his coun-
try by Clovis in 509 his ancestors for less period
than 023 years, fought against the usurpator ever
disputing il with their valor ever denying It with
arms in their hands So long ne Brittany had the
strength 20 fight refused every species Of homage:
and when the period came that il was too weak TO
resist, then IL either yielded such homage in a re-
stricted form, offered its adhesion TO other mon
archs on condition they would allies, aid Il in re
sisting France. Such, in few lines is the history
of this large compartment Of the empire ruled over
by Napoleon Ill. The first thought, then, with n
Breton Is not "the power y "the greatness or "the
glory of France, bat what tends TO the welfare, the
happiness and the honor of Brittany.
In entertaining these sentiments Il must not
however, Tor one moment be supposed that. n the
Bret On has not all the sentiments of pure Parsian
as regards France, that he lacks in general feein9
of patriotism from any sympathy with the old es.
tablished rival of France-that he likes France Lsss
because he loves England more. On the contrary.
believe there y no part of France where the feel
ings Of downright aEfmosity to England are 20 in.