The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-11-09
WOMEN IN FRANCE.

u
Fysaft 9aHJ
Their ATOraE Character ana Mental C,uI.
ture--.Thelr Social Position and In.
nuenee.
Thesocial position ofwomen in France
cannot be compared With that in any
other European nation. There, she
forms the centre ofthe whole life and
Iall its relations; her influence extends
over all interests, both great and small,
general MS well,as private; she paftaRes
In all struggles of parties, and often-
times decides their issue. She helps in
undermining and pullingdow thrones;
Is active In building up new dynasties;
and the crowns of victory are mostly
distributed by her hands. Heroes or
artists are eager to obtain her signa-
ture to their diplomas ofonlcIal ;immor-
tality. The French woman invented
thesalon-something between thepublic
market place and the privatehouse, par
taSihg more of the, former than Of the
latter. There she reigns; commands!
judges and extends her5empire over nil
the relations ofsocial and private life.
The French women OF the last century,
py their salons, powerfully contribute
20 form, 70 develop, and to spread every
where VIZ literature which, by destroying
old ideas and opinions; md by creating
ana propagating now principles and
social laws, laid in ruins an old world
and originated new one.
Bonapartism, by e1evatinE brutal
force over right by suspending personal
liberty and banishing the freedom Of
thought and expression, by developing
to its utmost limits a general system Of
espionage, gave deadly blow to Mi
kinds OF lively and witty conversation.
In the same manner that it abolished
the public tribune, limited the freedom
OF the literary lecturers chair, and clip
ped the wings of the public press, it
also perverted the true, character of the
French Salon. BY obstructing every
free exchange ofideas, it regulated the
influence of;woman to the mysterious
secrecy of the 6Ond0if. Under the first
Empire Mad. de, Stael was banished,
not SO much on account of her writings
as because the political conversation
carried on In her salon irritated the
nerves otthat despotic soldier,
The second Empire Immediately after
Its installation, drove into exile the
sarcastic Mr: Thiers, ofwho hom there was
no fear lest he might reVOlutionize the
Eaubourg st. Antonia, or encourage
the construction Of fbarrtcades or. armed
with musket, descend himself into the
streets, in order to defend the laws of the
country which had, been trRmpladsu under
foot. He was sent into exile in order
that his epigEams might not expose to
general redtcule the C@sarean govstn-
ment. The reunions in the salon of the
Princess of Lieven when Mr.. Guizot was
the favored speaker, were prohibited
against all law, on right. The French
emperor does not care much more for
the sanctity of private houses than for
Ulcers bltndly+ execute the orders they
Iec1eve.E sWot to him, who, appealing to
his rights, ventured to offer resistance
In the interest of order and public
secnrtty he ts snatched trom amid his
tamlily tstfLly and friends, and transported to
Slnds OF prtyahons1 and. tortures, or to
die an untimely death. A heavy,
anxious silence then bFooded every
Where through Franc ice. Only base and
apject uhmission was allowed free ut
rterancea In the salons people played
sls ~ OF discussed the prices OF stocks
az the Bourse; the women followed
their example. The heroes OF the day
were vulgar stock job bers, and the
women paid courb to- theml 'tThe last
SNAIL be first, and the first shall be last .
tlls was the axiom generally put in
practice and thus those who were at
the bottom OF the social ation5in life
rose to the top, and brought down those
VINO occupied formerly tho highest
places, ~. -. So -
The deep moral degradation OF the
eighteenth century I'M France, which
took It's starting points from the Courts
OF Louis eAI Va, of the Regent, and of
Louis XIV, and which destroyed not
only family, but also the moral prfn-
eiples upon which its sacred chnFactef
repoSed, was so general and so power
ful that all! the political and social revo-
lutions which followed were unable to
remove its lasting pernicious conse-
l'quences. withlregard to. domestic ,Iife
and family relations TO the uhwfitten
laws of female m0desty and virtue. the
FrHnce of our days Is still suffering
titrom this inheritance from the last CEN
tltury. . The great French Revolution. did
not directly check the eVfI, but mfti-
gated It only iiiiifectiy by puttfnir N
and to the liceutio tionsness of the nobility,
and by develo oping the power.oE the tfeT-5
etdt, or the middle class, whose fCfeas
and principl les became the ruling po8er.
But as those ideas and Ilrihciptes were
themselves more or less 1ntectsd; by the
demo Eali1ing spirit which had sprung
l 1up in the higher classes, they did mol
I carry out the struggle against the moral
1 rottenness with sufficient energy Con.
siderable remains of ihRre still lingering
lin the moral atmp sphere ofthe France o.
our days. 1t IS true that moral depra-
I Walton does not enjoy the same priv.
! ileges, does not celebrate the noisy
triumphs and present itself in public
i with the sHfne shameless arrogance a.
in the last century !; It has grown more
modest, and conceals itself more bui
on the other hand it has become so tI
say, demoraliz eds spread everywhere
& and pefFhdes all GLASSES ofssocfaty.x
i The lfeenfibt chionesses nolongel
4 exist, but they have SUCCESSORS i'm al
fclasses to whom thing Is wanting bt
< their diplomas Of nobility "A who'll
! ,tquarter OF Paris isl populated1W 4hosl
s women who have broken with society
\ carry on their struggle inst ft witl
. alternating advantage Their beini
meEciIessly driven out of. decent sOeie
i tY and proScrfbed and outlaRed, not
; wtthstanding all the sp1endhr wifl
: which they surround themselves, AM
4 in9spite OF all the charms they kno1
i