The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-27
The Nurfulk gust.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER q, 1865.
LETTER FROM PARIS.
Correspondence Of the Norfolk Post.l

In q country like France. where lib
erty no longer exists, and politicians ar
obliged to meet in small knots, to dis
cuss in secret, what is taking plac
around them, the chronicler has
rather difficult task, for facts of any i'm
portance are "few and far between. ,
The Emperor himself, who almost al
ways holds the rudder of the Ship O
State, seems to have abandoned it to tn,
hands of Fould, the minister of Hi
nance, who is doing all he can to keer
down the expenses of the country.
cannot better compare the situation o.
France than with that Of the prodiga
son, who after having spent all his in.
heritance, suddenly makes up his MIND
to turn over a new leaf and be saving
and at the same time keeps up his ex.
pensive establishments, only curtailinp
his petty expenses.
FouId thinks himself a wonderful
economist, because he has effected re.
ductiOn of three millions, by cutting
down the expenses Of certain DEPART
ment; but the consequence il that he
has satisfied no one, and that the deficit
still stares him in the face.
The bull must be taken by the horns.
and the country must wake up from its
long slumber.
A month ago the cholera wars reign
ing supreme. 1t has now left us, and
the coming exhibition Of 1867 is the
theme OF general conversation. The
question with the good people of Paris
is, how they shall make the money of
the stranger pass into their pockets, as
the affluence from all parts will, it is
be very great. The decree
partitioning out the Exhibition build
ing for the exhibitors of different nations
Is much commented upon, and the dis
tribution is considered unfair. 1t is as
fOllows France is to have GA, O56 metres
less than Italy, which is not likely to
vie with the American republic; but
nothing can rouse the French, not even
the report of the death of the Duke de
Chambord or Henry "; nevertheless,
II the news had been true, it would
have been of the greatest importance,
for the legitimist party naturally rally
round the Comte dc Paris, and pro-
claim him King of France, and the
ranks of the enemies of the EN- peror
would thus be increased.
State loans, speculations on the Stock
Exchange and such like, now occupy
the French more than any thing else.
"Oh, what u falling off was there
The French who are generally consider
ed in other countries to be the wittiest,
the lightest, and the most disinterested
people in the world.
We have no sooner filled up the list
of the Austrian loan of 500 millions,
than we are anxious to subscribe in aid
of the Ottoman Empire, whose cash. box
is empty, and of Italy, which Is not
much better Off AS for the press more
closely gagged every day and the right
of public meeting, for no matter to what
purpose, q dead letter entirely.
The parliamentary opposition, which
Is to come forward at the opening of the
Chambers on the 25th of January, is
more divided every day. Endless dis
cussions and quarrels daily arise be-
tween the Independent papers, and the
of the opposition, as to the
principle of authority, and the principle
of liberty.
What will it be when the Chambers
are opened?
The Court is at COnspeigne.
The opinion and esteem entertained
by the middle classes, for the high and
will not be enhanced on lear
ing the kind of amusement which Occu-
pies the court. Nothing i'm word can
BIO more Insignificant, childish and re-
diculous than the amusement of the
court at Compeigne.
The greatest hit of the season, has been
the performance of so called yearly re-
view, entitled, the commentaries of
Caesar" written by an officer in the
regiment of the "Guides"-M. de Mas
STA, a favorite of the Emperor and En-
press, who is shortly to proceed to Next
60. The Princess de Metternich, the
Austrian Ambassadors, appears i'm the
piece dressed as q cOachman, and the
Princess Imperial sings few songs
with as much cleverness as the juvenile
actors who give such pleasure to the fire.
1uenters of theatres in the Boulevards.
Twill spare you in not writing down
all the traits that the play contains. I
cannot however, refrain from giving
you one short passage. Which has been
published by the government papers ex-
pressive of fulsome admiration at the
You must know Mr.. Editor that the
coachmen and the cabmen struck in the
course of this year, and that for four en-
tire days there was not vehicle to be
had for love or for money in Paris. You
will also perhaps remember that the
Emperor confided the reins of Govern
ment to the Empress during his journey
in Africa. Mr.. de Massa has made these
two facts the ground work for the fol-
lowing scene. A stranger arrives in
Paris and wishing to take carriage is
to see a woman on the box.
He asks the person why ?"my husband
has struck, T" is the answer, land 1 drive
the hol SEES as the Empress governs France
in the absence of the Emperor. What,n
returns the stranger, Caesar has struck.
thought one stuck to ones post at such
a time.n "The Emperorand the Empress
are one, answers the coachman's wife
and thereupon she sings songin which
The Emperor is compared to good
coachman driving the chariot of pro-
gress, drawn by the French, literally
called submissive steeds. How compli-
for the French people. In the
present state of the public mind, such
seeming trifies do more harm to the
Imperial cause than greater events. An
officer struck one of the audience in a
theatre the other evening and when
they were proceeding to arrest him he
exclaimed II am one of the Emper0rs
staff officers! Letany one touch me at his
peril. will call him out and kill him
10 morrow. The police proceeded no
further but the public nearly tore the
swaggerer to pieces. This all
shows that there is more discomfort
abroad than those in high quarters
would wish to believe.
The following is another instance.