New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-05-15


FRENCH TRADE-RECENT LITERARY "oHh9'
lPROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
PARIS April 30" Progress dc Ia France sous 10
Gouvernement Imp6riale d'apres les Documents ~,
fc6s" THE Progress of France under the linpoi,I
Government from Official Documents Inns % ~
title of pamphlet recently issued rom 'l0 IL
nerio1 nriptinp press Ii compliments the one pun
Ished last year: Les Tihes dc Ia DynaSHe IUPO'V"
iepue 1t is published at this time TO lhhuehCo 'uo
.ctiops and Is well calculated for It's intended Ell
fect In France as in other countries despite OF IL
nanciaI and other reports of Ministers, ana mining
romranies and banking companies ana railway
.,,ories ofiDsatiate architects and of enthusiasts
in fancy stocks-there still prevails a dumb
faith in the highly fgurative proposition that
figures can't lie. There is something cuuouSly Atuhe
and imposing in ciphers. This pamphlet is stuffed
with them of the richest description There Is Such
arecurence Of rotund millions on millions as makes
one feel wealthy in the reading. The swelling So
norous stream of them affects you something Ike the
Pactocan role Of Hoods ballad of Miss Killmanegge
and irsuircs the poor taxpayer with the comforting
feeling Of belonging at least to a rich family.
The mere presentation Of The progress that France
has made under the Imperial regime Is so Iar as u
goes tolelably fair What IS unialrls the rep
rcscutation of this progress made under as lnaue
by the Imperial regime. The assumption all along is
that # il had not been for Napoleon the miles of
railway that have been built and the very children
that have been born since 1882 would not have been
built and born. The greater practical untairness of
the editor Of these official documents lies in his
omission to furnish has readers with any means of
comparing French progress for the past eighteen
years, with the progress effected in countries not
blessed with an Imperial Government. No item IS
more, nor more fly enlarged upon than the pro-
gress in railways. of which since 1851 there have
been laid down $500 miles. The neigbboring Repub-
Il, tioua fa1,r mn
and one monarchical country really something more,
to which facts Of comparison there is not the slight
eS' reference.
still, the pamphlet to foreigners has positive
me with all its shortcomings. When they consult
it they should not leave out of mind that II IS Gov
ernments own statement of its own management
during period when it has had pretty much every
thing its own way. When, then, it boasts of what
it has done for primary education may be conf
dent that il boasts of all that it has done during the
long period Of is years, during which its wisdom and
frmness have secured to France Observation-Disclosures
peace and uninterrupted material prosperity. 1t
all amounts to this. that it has added 5000 teachers
and 32S pupils tin a population of 3900OOOO at
an additional annual expense of 100000 francs.
The same document admits that the total war eX-
penses of the Empire amount 10 S27 100000, of which
SC8OOOOOO are confessed for the Mexican expedition.
The number Of rlcd cannon is just 10 greater than
that of the additional school teachers, and cost a
great deal more.
The motion made the other week by Jnes Simon !
anu others to appropriate 100000 francs for augment
ing the ptiful retiring pensions of school teachers
superanuuated after thirty years Of service. was re-
PEELED by the Finance Minister and voted down on
the ground of want of funds. A few days later the
Emperor expressed his wish TO the military ser
wants of the First Empire rewarded by increased |
pensions and bill hurTedly framed in execution Of
that wish and approved of course by tie Finance |
Minister, was voted by an immense majority Andre |
Cochut an economist who speaks with some author /
ity estimates that this pension list will require
an aggregate Of 100000 francs Of appropriations !
Another statistGan proves that the military members
of the Legion Of Honor of whom there 5000 and
the meda-bearngsoldiers, Of whom there arc 5000
cost for their annual pensions lG,jO0OOO francs.
Since have mentioned the number Of military
DICTIONARIES it is fit, for the sake Of the American
civil Knights of the Order Of the Ribbon aud
eirfrends to state that they much more select
the whole number Of non-fghting chevaliers
amounting but TO little more than 3OCO0-the dis
mounted American squadron of 70 beng counted in
The founder Of the Order gave out but 100 crosses
10 civilians in the course Of Il years. law OF ms
insticatlon passed in the year OF the Republic,
proyided that those citizens only should be admitted
To ranks "who, by their talents, knowledge or
virtues had contributed TO the establishment OF to
the defense Of the principles of the Republic, or had
encouraged the love Of justice and OF the public adj
miuis.ration" 1t was one Of the btterest Of the
many bitter reprOaches which the present
Head Of the Order while in the Ham Fortress
cast through the newspapers at the
then head Of the order, that LOUIS Philippe
was degrading it by the profuseness with which be
distfibuted its insignia Louis Napoleon has only
about doubled the Legionary force as it stood In
Ioue Plilippss time But the parallel Of contrasts
between Louis Napoleon's views before and after
1851 runs without end 1t was still in that period
when be labored under the curse OF Ham, for the
columns Of Liberal journal, that he wrote in the
Proqyes lti Pas de Calais: Ought we not TO blush
we a free people or who at least fancy that we are
free since we have made several resolutions to be-
come sought we not to blush when considering
that even Ireland unhappy Ireland enjoys IN certain
respccts more liberty than Francef Here, for ex-
ample. twenty persons cannot assemble without
permit from the police. while IN the country OF o.
Council thousands of men meet together, discuss
their interests and threaten the foundations Of the
British Empire without minister's daring to Yl0-
late the English law that protects the right OF asso-
ciation.D Up 90 May OF last year the twentyperson
limit was vigorously enforced in France.
In another article the same able writer says: In
France where we are 50 jealous Of everything that
touches equality and the national honor, we have no
religious attachment to individual liberty. If the
tranquility Of citizens is disturbed, If their dorni-
Giles violated if they preventvely imprisoned
Tor whole months it, in a word, individual guaran-
tees are utterly disregarded. few generous men
H. n b. one Of the generous them protest, but
public opinion remains calm and Indifferent. so long
rs you don't awaken political passion" The same
TT lIfyoVN vlrDs