New-York tribune., 1868-03-20
DIR COLUllBL1S N PIRLS.

We confess that the tales which reach us
from Our Own Correspondent and, by way OF
confirmation, through the London journals, OF
the doings of American damsels i'll Paris are
by no means pleasant to our patriotic souls.
Many actions we suppose, which French per-
versity mlsundcrstands, are perfectly innocent rs
to intention; for there is no city IN the world
in which yItuous woman can 70 easily and
so innocently damage her own reputation.
French eyes always look for an impure motive,
and the French understanding is always dis
satisfied unless it can trace an intrigue IN the
simplest social action. AS general rule,
Frenchmen donot credit feminine honesty at all.
| They are like Mr.. Longfellows courier, who,
when asked if lie thought there were eleven
thousand virgins in Cologne, answered that he
did not believe that there were so many in the
whole world. Now this French distrust OF the
sex is something entirely foreign to the Amen-
can character. We observe great freedom OF
manners without the least ungenerous sus-
picion, and permit our misses to travel, to at
tend places of public entertainment, to walk
and TO drive with as little reserve as If they
were married women. Probably not few OF
our young ladies who sojOurn in the French
capital merely make the mistake of suppOsing
themselves to be still in New-York. They
need advice and control, and these they Will
hardly get from papas and mammas who
are as unsophisticated as themselves. An
American school girl walks quietly home
with any gentleman of her acqualnt-
ance cheerfuly chatting and laughing
by tie way, and nobody thinks of ccnsuling
her; q French pupil who should do the same
hon and
locked up by her father, and pronounced lost
young lady by all her acquaintance 1t is an
extremely good reason for not taking our
daughters to Paris, either to complete their
education or to display their accomplishments,
that they will then be obliged to live with
people who believe in virtue only when it is
closely watched and in fidelity to moral law
when there is no temptation or no opportunity
to violate it, 1t is an equally good reason for
not taking our daughters to Paris, that IN that
city the standard of life is low, and the main
business of existence is supposed to he amuse-
ment--tlat show and fashion are there held TO
be matters of the first impOrtnce-that home
duties and affections are undervalued, and q
brilliant superficial display Overvalued in pro-
portion. We are not quarreling at present
with the French standard of manners and of
mOrals-we are merely stating what is well
known to all the world. In this country, with
the increase Of wealth and of intercourse with
Europe, we have multiplied frivolities and i'm
ported reprehensiblc habits but the American
idea of woman's best duty is still substantially
just and elevated one. With Saxon speech,
We have retained Saxon feelings and social
relations, and, whatever perpateic slanderers
may write to the contrary, there is no country
in the world in which womanly purity is
more generally preserved than in this. The
great majority of American women are
faithful as wives and as mothers, and find
their greatest happiness in the quiet fulfill
ment of domestic duties; and we are sorry if
Il few hght-headed gad-abouts have given
Frenchmen different idea of our madames or
our mademoiselles A traveller under all cir
cumstances should bear constantly in mind
that in some sort the reputation of his country
depends upon his conduct but fools are fools
the world over, whatever may have been their
natal soil, and the women in Paris who ara
registered at an American bankers, who fiaunt
and firt at the theater, and go there dressed
in way to attract attention. who are men,