The New York herald., 1869-12-08
SCOTLAND
| NJ. Provost Paradol on the Social Condition
1 I'm France.

NJ. Prevost Pnradol on the Social Condition
in France.
On Friday evening, November ~, M. Provost Par
adoi delivered lecture to the members OF the Edn-
burg Philosophical Institution the "socia State
Of France" There was large attendance.
The French peasantry were he said, as q whole,
nation of merltOrous and hardworklng proprietors,
but at the same time small proprietors, and as such
as times without the power stand against the gov
ernment. The State was all TO the peasant-the
modern centraiized Stale. Born Of the French revo-
luton, they had inherited an unseen treasure
OF obedience and lear which had been
peasant by centuries OF feuda dcspotism. Universal
suffrage ha however. instilled some life into tn,s
inert part Of the nation, ana change was being
effected. The democratlcal party had begun to MT
hard at taxes AMI the army, and 10 Impress the mind
OF the rural voter That he SHOULD do something to
throw OF or alleviate the old yoke. II that were 70
take possession Of the peasants mind the country
would be threatened with new and unforeseen dan
ger and there would be increased di[ienity N pro.
small towns NJ Paradol said The classes did not
MIX and there was no trace Of that public life
WHICH was constantly stirriag 10 British towns.
There was over tnen, too, an influence waIch
never slept. The influence Of the Catholic Church,
wnch was more powerful in the small towns than
I'm purely rural DISTRICTS had oeen increasing for
thirty years, and the influence Of the clergy pro-
gressed wonderfully among that bourgeoisie whicl
mad formerly thrown or It's allegiance 30 decidedly
to the Church. IL was deemed now in provincial
towns bemisn and fan't, not only II you were an
OppOnent Oi TIC tnHfCh, Dut IL you WSlc hUb T6Ek-
oned among It's friends. The cause Of this ipcrcase
OF the influence OF tne Church was political cause.
II arose rom tue resentment and fear wncn tho
revolution OF lS43 and the threats " socialism had
spread among the conservative part OF the nation.
The Old struggle between the Church aud the rcv0-
luton mad begun again. and was at no time 80 viru.
lent as now; therefore the Church was IN danger II
and when new revolution came. Its best chance,
tnen, was 10 oe cue away from the State.
NJ. Parad0l proceeded TO speak OF Paris. He said,
in the same Paris Ii not as Is too often
believed, in the hands Of It's workmen, IL Is not
clusivey a pleasure town. as one Ii apt TO think
VINO looks only at the external face OF It. 1t Is Qults
true that Paris Is the real capital and centre OF pleas
Ire seekers from al paris % OF the world But what
pean or American pleasure, what makes It appear
more domineering and more absorbing than it Is
quite as II pleasure had swallowed up all other
forms and pursuits Of Partisan lifeis that pleasure
In Paris Is surrounded with special, noisy and
wonderful public ~, without rival or even analogy
In any other capal IL Is also because pleasure
In Paris Is more mingled aud lnerwoven with
intellectual and artistic. amusement tnan In
last to know where the true Paris lies, concerns
its real strength and ascendancy on the couRry one
IN ust look ABOVE working classes aud directly
under that external and brilliant cover which we
have called our pleasure world. THERE'S the Parisian
bourgeosle, much more enlightened than our mdd o
classes free from preudces OF any KIND, actlve ana
thrifty, honest intelligent, friendly TO progress,
sensible IN all things far from indifferent to science
literature and art but wen tempered ana wen
ordered in all ts tastes; in snort it Is the moral
reserve OF our national good sense and national
spirit. tAppiause.l IL IL sometimes 100 simid,
forgotten TOO long, and IL II rather slow TO move;
but as soon as It IL fairly aroused 1t
Is felt 10 be the ruling power IN the
country, by It's moral and material weight
Its wisdom and Its wealth. lApplause.) 10 IL there
that may be those especially general features OF
the national character which are 70 be found in
various degrees, but less distinct and less clear in
the other Classes General prudence and the DESIRE
not much OF wealth as OF quiet and sure COM
potency, are the main features OF French temper.
The children nre loved IN France with tenderness
often excessive, and the law OF equal inherltance
which has become part or our national character,
renders the Erenchman still more prudent, IRON the
perpetual anxiety which he feels about tho future OF
his fanny. Now, If you bear In mind that all
French inheritance, real or personal estate, IL Con-
stantly divided In equal portions among the children,
that tncy nave India nor Australia TO 60 20 aud
that emigration IL generally considered as KIND or
penalty or de esperate remedy for great faults, you
Will at once understand the cause OF the two
facts which separate most deeply the French family
from the British one--to wit, the small number OF
children aud our peculiar way OF contracting mar
rlages. on the small number OF chidrcn won't
dwell here; but curious fact IL that the apprehen-
sion about bringing up children keeps pace among
Us with tho acquisition aud increase OF properly.
Our peasant as q landowner, does not like TO zee