The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-05-22
From the New Orleans Picayunc.
THEIRS In THE FRENCH ASSEMRTy

PARIS, March, 1867.
10 on "the flags" and hunt men who have
passed their seventy fifth year. Observe
them; gauge their strength allot them i'm
aglnary tasks. Notice them as the sun ooes
down, and reaction succeeds to the exc;te,
mcnt OF business. You are satisfied that n
man who has celebrated seventy five birth
days is nearer infancy than manhood the
grasshopper is a burden to him; his ewes are
darkened by the shadow of eternal niobt.
his brain is drowsy. Now, don't INDULGE in
sombre reflections, and mediate upon the
WEAKNESS of life's last scenes, for if man is
old even at seventy five or eighty or anv.
where this side of one hundred ii abandon
him to you after this age,) it is entirely his
own fault. l don't pretend to saw we can
absolutely escape death Though whole een-
erations OF very wise and learned men have
held that hypothesis as true, to wit the
Rosicrucians) but We can keep it off until
life completes its circle, and consipns us
once more to the nurses arms; intertlicts us
truff1es floating home on iced rieur Gems and
dooms US to cordials brewcd by the apothe-
cary. Let him who covets this cabbage life
take measures to secure it-he's not for NV
market. I'll show you a maj, who. though
passed seventy five, is capable of coouettinp
with disease; speaking brilliantly for three
hours and half, and spending eight hours.
that same day, after dinner, in a printing Of
flee, revising proofshects; returning home
at half-past three o'clock, A. M. This mans
name is Adolphe Theirs. He announced
last week his intention of speaking. forget
ting twas carnival week, and when he re-
mcmbered it, lie gave out he was quite un-
well, entirely too unwell to think Of speak
ing. He had no idea of appealing to public
attention on grave questions Of public pol CIV
while the general eye was filed with muir
murs, while every ear vibrated with the
hoarse notes of the day horn, and every leo
ached with dancing. When woman faints
statesman falls sick, and the obstacle
which seemed insuperable is evaded. You
may easily believe there was an immense an
dience. A small portion of the public GAL
leries is allotted to the unpatronized public
ard the rule is-frst come. first served ,
mere were people who stood all night and
the greater part OF the following day (de-
spite the unusually Indictment season) to lis
ten to the great speech. Some Of these
walters at the gate were actuated by merce-
nary motives; they sold their places $50
and $40 were cheerfuly paid for the front
ranks. There were 10000 applications
for tickets. Admittance to the greater por-
ton OF the public galleries is by ticket. The
diplomatic box was filled; foremost among
the occupants was the Princess de Metternic6.
Prince Napoleon was on the floor. 1t was
quarter past two when M Theirs took the
tribune. He spoke two hours and half
rested for fifteen minutes, and then spoke for
an hour. He returned home at six O'Clock;
dlned; at seven o'clock went to the Moniteur
office, and remained there until three o'clock
IN the morning, revising the proofs of his
speech As he goes from his seat to the
tribune ne cannot be said to move with
grace, He has short but fat body and
very short legs. He does not walk, he wad-
dies. When he reaches the tribune he fails
to command the audience by that appear
ance of the great orator which Clay, Preston
and CASTOR possessed. He barely reaches
above the desk of the tribune, and his face,
body and gestures remind one of Punch.
He wears spcctacles, too, and glass is as
complete non conductor of eloquence as it
is of electricity. Then he has an awkward
trick of continually thrusting his hands in
his pantaloons as if to satisfy himself that
all is right Whereabouts. Besides his voice
isextremely disagreeable; Mrs. Caudle must
have pitched her voice in just that grating
shrill note when she was most exasperated
with her husband. May be these charac-
teristics, which seem to me disadvantages,
are really advantages; they may throw an
audience off their guard, make the minds
sentinels careless, and give easy access to the
citadel commonly 80 well defended by in
terests, passions and prejudices. His style
Of speaking would seem to confirm this view.
He never seems to attack or to defend. He
apparently is engaged only in expressing his
private opinions in a conversational way.
He merely wishes you to understand his
sentiments; he does not ask you to share
them. It is the syren breathing her melo-
dies to the winds; they do not appear ad-
dressed to the mariner doubling her island;
though if he hears them once, he is enchanted
by them. GAMMA.