The Portland daily press., 1867-04-06
DAILY PRESS.
PORILAND
Saturday Morning, April 6, 1867.
European Correspondence. 81

European Correspondence,
PARIS, March u, 1867.
To the Editor Of the Press: ss
Your correspondent is ON the ground ready
to furnish items from the Exposition Uniyer-
selle, but the most that can be said of this
stupendous affair, at present, is that it is a
great mass OF confusion and incompleteness.
Nothing is ready and, indeed, the prospect is
that very little will be finished by the first of
April Yet announcement has been made
that grand opening will take place on that
date. What this grand affair is to consist of
is as yet unknown, though many coniectures
are afloat.
| The Exposition buildings are located, as ev-
erybody knows by this time, in the Champs
deMars-Field of Mars. This park is situat-
ed in the southeastern portion of Paris, not
far from the old Bourbon Palace, immediate
ly in front of the Military Academy and ex-
tending to the river Seine. 1t is very large
field and has previously been used as a parade
ground for the troops of the Emperor The
principal building occupies the centre Of the
held and is large ellptical edifice, or rather
series OF concentrlc elliptical galleries, one
story high and lighted by means of glass roofs.
The remainder Of the ground is laid out for
gardens and smaller houses of various kinds.
and divided by plots among the various ma
lions to be represented in the Exhibition
France takes nearly half the whole territory
tor herself and colonies, giving to other coun-
tries the proportion that it is supposed they
| viii need or will use.
So much by way of preface but further
than this your correspondent does not wish
to write until things assume a better defined
shape. Much has been written about what
| this mammoth exhibition will be, but the
larger part was written ON suppOsitiOu, and
as so great portion is to be wholly remodel
led, your correspondent prefers to delay till
he can give what he is sure will be correct.
Meanwhile, ashort account ofa trip through
Ireland and experiences among the Fenians
may not be uninteresting. The published re-
ports and dispatches from the "seat Of war;
bear a most striking resemblance to the cor
respondence published in American Journals
at the breaking out OF the late war. We ali
remember at that time how every molehill
was distorted to the size OF mountain, how
| the Overwhelming forces of the enemy were
spoken of on both sides in regard to the same
! fight, how the courage and skill of the officers
and bravery of the troops were lauded, and
how each skirmish, which a little later would
| hardly be noticed, was magnified into "terri-
bic battle" OF exactly the same character
| are the Fenian reports. To one who has re-
| Gently come from the very midst of the de-
| monstrations, the accounts published in the
| English newspapers and the kilograms sent to
| America seem little else than ludicrous. Not
| that the Fenian movement is not worthy of
| looking after; their intentions doubtless are
| far from pleasant to England, but their or
ganization is SO loose, their mode of warfare
SO sublinely unmilitary that the excitement
caused thereby is truly funny. o, $50 rf avs
The greater part of Ireland is under mar
lial law, and so closely are the suspected Fe-
mans watched by Her Majesty's soldiers, who
are scattered everywhere about, that The Fe-
mans must be much more wise than your cor
respondent gives them credit for to cause
| revolution that shall accomplish anything per-
manent. Their hatred of their present gov
eminent is intense, to be sure and they will
cause much annoyance by damaging property,
shooting policemen, throwing trains from the
track and perpetrating many kindred acts
which require the work of but two or three
men, but there never yet has been an army of
two thousand Fenians collected in any one
place in Ireland, as has been reported, and the
probability is very strong that the day when
there will be that number gathered for war on
the soil of Erin will not be witnessed by the
present generation. si.i H .fI H-d lsd sl..
Beyond doubt there is great sympathy
with the movement among the Irish, more
especially in the Southern and Roman Catho-
lie portion of the island. But where will
| their arms or supplies come from? From
America, some may say. 1t might be practi-
| cable-or possible-to bring arms from there.
but hardly supplies and it would be an exceed
| ingly difficult matter to land arms. Further
the population of Ireland is scattered in small
communities, with few exceptions, where
every one knows every other, his ancestry,
business and prospects, and an absent one is
quickly missed. These villages and towns are
guarded by vigiant and strong police, now
aided by large bodies Of troops, SO that to ar
semble in considerable numbers is next to I'M
possible. No! deluded laborer In America,
consent not longer to pour your hard earned
gains into this sieve on the specious repre-
sentations Of those who are to be benefited
thereby, and you, poor servant girl, cast not
your wages into this bottomless pit. 1t is al
ready the opinion of your brothers and cous-
ms who live on the "Ould Sod" that 1t is a
scheme on the part of some to enrich them
selves at the expense Of others, and that even
if all officials were strictly honest it would be
impossible, in the face of so many and great
obstacles to accomplish the object for which
the brotherhood was professedly organized.
A few hints to those who intend visiting
Paris during the Exposition and this letter
will be finished. BY all means avoid the ho-
tells il you can find accommodations else
where, especially if you contemplate staying
any length of time. Hotel prices are already
extortionate and are to be raised as high as
the guests viii bear. A better way is to en-
gage lodgings before reaching the city, through
some friend, the meals can be purchased at
numberless restaurants at very moderate
prices. Or if you have no acquaintance in
Paris, stop at hotel until you can find room
elsewhere. There are several places in the
city where such information is given gratis,
and four American banks where one may be
assisted in this manner and in various other
ways -,s-. 3 M ....,-.... ..-!. ,-.. ..,...,..-.
In regard TO financial matters, bill of ex-
change on some Parisian bank is the safest
and most convenient method of transporting
money for one who will go no farther on the
continent For those who contemplate travel
ing oyer Europe a letter of credit is advsa-
ble This can be procured in America at
Boston or New York, and very likely in Port
land. The best known American banks with
branches and correspondence in Europe, are
those of Bowles, Drevet, & Co., Boston
firm, and of John Munroe & Co., of New
York. The Paris banking houses of both
tirma ora fittad mn with raaIipo and cittinr