Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-01-29
a Sensible View of Paris.

The Philadelphia Bulletin prints ed,
itorially, these common-sense remarks
abour side of Paris that IS usual :
hidden
There can be no doubt that Paris
besides being the gayest, is the most
intellectual city III the world. There
is 10 place where there is such rxten-
sIy- and severe study Of every branch
OF science and art. The old establish
cd institutions are among the best in
the world and the late great exhi-
0ltion brought together illustrations
OF the recent progress Of all branches
Of human Intelligence, not only IN
France, but in all other nations.
But how little do the vast multi
tude who annually visi: Paris appear
to think of these things. The gale
ties and trivolIties OF the great ciIv
seem To be most the only things con
siderrd From the highest monarch
up to the greenest newspaper cores
pondent, the follies. pleasures, vices
and r1trsvagance oil Paris is apparent
ly, the only matters 10 be pursued or
noticed. Even the Car OF Russia
hurried off to second-class theatre on
the evening of his arrival to see the
Exposition. \ nd as for the actual
monarchs and monarchs-rx ectant. the
reports represent them as pIunging in
to all kinds of dissipation.
Most of the letters to newspapers,
from Americans on their first visit to
Paris. give descriptions of it made IN
from the most superficial observation
According 10 these, there is nothing
but pleasuTe-seeking, dissipation and
Idleness IN the great capital while
every intelligent man knows that it is
a very hive of industry, and seat Of
learning more extensive and varied
than any other in the orld. The
whole population is described as eat
ing and drinking on the boulevards
and in the cafes, day and night, or else
IN worse dIssipations, in which the
writers appear to have, themselves,
experimental by way Of !" seeing Pa
ris." The Paris of the University.
the Institute. the Sorbonne the French
Academy, the great schools Of science
and art. the libraries, the museums,
the hospItals-this Is Paris wholly
unknown to them. And yet these
institutions are the glory as well as
the strength of Paris. They give it
the leading influence all over the
world in matters of intellectual cul-
ture. Why these should be neglect
ed by visitors and cores pondents, for
the sake Of telling over the old, old
story Of the splendor, the gayety and
the vice Of Paris, is a thing hard TO
understand
1t is equally wrong to ignore the
numerous and varied manufactures of
Parls,and the vast population Of work
ing people, who have no time or mon
ey 10 waste dav and night in pleasure,
as these Saplent writers pretend Is
done universally
The resident. of Paris have among
them as small, proportion Of idlers
as can be found in any city. True,
the city IS gay, and everything IS done
oy the authorities to make II attract
I'VE 70 pleasures seekers from abroad,
But the superficial Paris of the boul-
evards and the haunts Of vice Is very
different thing from the great indus
trial and intellectual capital; and il
Is worth while To have this impressed
anon the minds Of those who contem.
plate voyage to Europe and series
ot letters for the enlightenment Of the
American public,