New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-06-07

self. All great cities have fascination for
me. They attract me, perhaps by that
mental magnetism that is generated by these
vast assemblages of men and women thrown
together and stirred up by all the passions
that are awakened by a fierce and continu-
GUS struggle for fame, for glory for wealth,
and for bread. | suppose that it is generally
believed that Paris is the most corrupt and
wicked city in the world. 1t may be so, but
sometimes question it. There is this to be
remembered that while London, for in
stance, hides her wickedness, covers it up
beneath the cloak of hypocrisy often, suffers
1t not to show its face by day, permits it
only to appear stealthily by night, restrains
it by law, and frowns upon it by custom,
Paris does the very contrary. She displays
her wickedness to the full light of day: if
she covers it ALL it is not to conceal it
or to cause it to assume the garb of virtue,
but simply that it may be decked in robes
that will more fully display its charms.
Here vice OF every kind is made attractive,
but II is not called virtue. Sometimes, in
an afternoon, | 90 to the Bois de Boulogne.
There is a beautiful carriage drive around
the little lake-there is a delightful walk for
pedestrians. Here, if the day is fine, you
may see the leading Stars of that Internal
| slsterhood OF shame which exists in every
city, but which in all other places than
Paris is either ignored or kept from public
view, Here it is recognized as necessary
SLCAcnI " sollStS, ieSdllZeu anu pToleCttd'
| Out at the same time regulated and kept
| within bounds. Here are the demi-mopde,
the i0J'etteS the qudt,'e monde and the danes
| dt lac. Some OF them rival in the splendor
of their equipages and the richness
| OF their toilette the proudest and
nobest women Of the empire. You
| may see their carriages surrounded by
| young nobemen. by generals, by men high
| in the world of science and literature. The
present queen of the Danes du Lac is Mile
Cora Pearl. She is an English girl. She
came to Paris ten years ago to seek her
| fortune. She found it. She has had
princes, lords, bankers, warriors, and at
least one archduke as her lovers. She at
tracts them no less by her wit than by her
beauty. For while she controlled the
fashionable world of Paris, and consequent
ly that OF all other lands. The papers pub
llsh her bon mOtS. II is said that hel
power now is on the wane. Some new stal
will arrive TO eclipse her. While the los
| but brilliant women of whom she is the
queen are driving around the circle of the
lake, surrounded by admirers and fatterers
glittering with jewels, and resplendent il
gay but eXquisitely tasteful attire, they ar
regarded with envious eyes by groups o
J working girls, who earn, by twelve hour
; incessant toll, twice that many cents. Tn
contrast thus presented to them betweel
the reward for honest industry aud viciou
idleness is powerful and suggestive. 1t i
| no wonder they yield to it. Every mont
: five thousand illigetimate children are lef
at the founding hospitals of this city, am
every day, every hour of the day almost, th
I | crime OF intanticide is committed. 1t is no
| considered a crime-at least it is not pur
ishcd as one. When a Partisan is re
| preached, as he sometimes is, for the mar
= ner in which prostitution is encouraged
\ | licensed, and rewarded here, he has an al
| swer ready that often contounds his would
be mentor. What would you have say
a he: lit is not for ourselves. Half millio
f strangers come every year to Paris for thei
| pleasure. They must have it. 1t is for ther
we regulate this thing."
) In Paris there are more theatres and ba
n rooms than churches. There are sixty
+, the latter, and ninety of the former Sh
~ has so 0O0 students of medicine, law, al
art. She has libraries that contain MOI
e than million books galleries filed Wit
a So 900 paintings and statues. Five thousar
n policemen and 10000 troops guard her. Isl
= | uses half million of cubic feet of wat
II every day, and do not know how mar
[. thousand bottles of wine. Beneath h
. streets are the tombs of million and
quarter Of men. To beautify and adorn h
u Louis Napoleon has spent more than tN
,r hundred millions of dollars. She is granC
v she is beautiful ; she is wicked, shameless
- full of genius, and full of ignorance full
. goodness and full of crime. She is BabylC
h the great she is Sodom the wicked she
ID TyIe and Sidon the prosperous. II
,s ancient history is a romance; the story
- her modern history is tragedy; aud s.
a seems now to be enacting a farce. She h
y slain kings and queens, filed her quite
70 with the blood OF mobiles, given birth
:, heroes, and to monsters, dethroned God al
II worshipped woman of the pare. She h
III seen more strange things, endured mo
TO | agony achieved more glory, committed mo
= crimes suffered more fearful eXpiator
Al and performed more fantastic deeds til
any other city in the world. She alterI
be tely fascinatcs, disgusts and territies yo
ro You enter her walls with curiosity; y
- regard her wonders with amazement, and
w you are Christian, you leave her with
as shudder and sigh of relief But you "
Is. return again. Paris, once seen, is neV
- torgotten-and mans first visit TO her
ou very seldom his last.