Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-09-17
Letter from Rev, Mp. McGiFfcrt.
NUMBER EIGHT.


man calls bis country and beautiful France, :,
indeed did appear to us as we journeyed
across it, beautiful in city and country, in ts
broad, rich plains, end gently undulatng hills
III i's parks and gardens, in its highly cultiva-
led neh's and It's vineyards hanging full of the
luscious II ait beautiful rs nature can be, i'm.
proved and adornrd by industry and tasteful
ART Alas that this beautiful land is now the
P.cene of most fearful carnage, and the enemy
whom proud government challenged TO a
needless combat, is marching steadily and re-
lentlessly across these fertile fields, and thro'
these festooned vineyards, and the harvest is
destruction, and the vintage is of blood. Our
hearts were saddened amid the beauty, as we
heard the tidings of the approaching desola-
tion. and knew that where pleasure and gay
city had so lately prevailed, fear had come al
ready, and mourning and death were fast
drawing nigh. The gloom which rests on
France was preceptible wherever we went
the dependency which so easily seizes on a
people who have not learned TO anticipate re-
verses 1t sometimes seemed like dispair, as
if the fate was certain and nothing remained
but to prepare for the worst Every day
brought its dark tdings of the army which
had set out for certain victory; hemmed in or
falling back, and of the stern invader drawing
nearer to the gates Of the capitol. A proud
nation, thus Unexpectedly crushed is an OBJ
ject of pity. Though we cannot sympathze
with the government which entered recklessly
on this criminal war, and though we must re-
cognize the judgment of God which is shifting
the aggressor with his own sword, yet we
must pity the suffering people, suffering thro'
a war in which they could have no voice.
Nor is France the only sufferer. Triumphant
Germany is bleeding at every pore Such vic.
tories are gained only by fearful loss. great
nation, forced unwillinglY into the conflict, is
growing, almost of necessity, angry and bitter
through the deadly cost of victory. And when
other nations speak of peace, and of a settle
mcnt which shall leave everything as before
the war, the Germans naturally demand COM
pensalion for the suffering endured, and secu-
rity for the future. And what shall compen-
safe for the widowed hearts, and desolated
homes The very causelessness os the war
will render its settlement more difficult. And
when and what will be the end, Europe asks
but cannot answer.
But l am neither a politician nor states
man, but at present, merely traveller, seeing
what may and learning what can. l leave
to other pens the task of reporting and dis
cussing the war; these hurried notes must re-
late to more peaceful themes. So far as our
company has been concerned, though travel
ing through both warning countries, we have
incurred but little difficulty in consequence
The parchment with the seal of the United
States has been, under Divine protection, our
safeguard and our passport Though Paris
was declared in a state of siege, neither mob
nor officer disturbed u.s. we went where we
wished, and saw all that was on our pro-
gramme without hindrance.@ The amount OF
our present experience in Paris, of the discom-
forts of war, was standing in the street three
hours, in row of some three hundred for
eigners, awaiting our turn to have our pass
ports examined and viseed by the Prefect of
Police. Without such wise, no one, not even
a woman, is now permitted TO leave France
We were as well off as our neighbors, and we
concluded to be good natured A companion
would grumble occasionally at the slowness
with which the line moyed on; but we re-
minded him that he had come to Europe for
variety, and this certainly, as compared with
other sightseeing, partook of the various
Better, we thought, to be an American, if we
must work our way to the Police officer, than
be Frenchman, to be hurried, without pass
port, to the field of battle And we noted the
experience as an interesting fact for our diary,
and we were well pleased that, if such a war
must occur, our visit to Europe tailed with
it.
To attempt description of Paris is at once
vain and needless. No other city of Europe
so indcscribablc, and of no other city has so
much been written. propose, therefore, no
such iniiiction upon your readers; but will
merely note a few of the most interesting fea-
lures, Paris is, preeminently, city of palks
and gardens. There is the park of the Tuil-
leries, or Royal Palace, the Champs Elysees,
extends a mile or more from the Royal Palace,
across the Siene, the Field Of Mars, at the
other extremity of the city, the extensive Bo-
tanical and Geological Gardens, not to men
tlon many less important. All of these are
open to the public. The Boulvards, which are
broad streets, with four or more rows of
streets, seem scarcely less than parks l be-
lieve it would scarce be an exaggeration, were
to say that half the city is occupied with
these parks and garden-like streets. The
Boulevards, most of which have been con-
structed by the present Emperor, and which
have completely transformed the appearance
Of the city, are laid out on plan, which, to a
stranger, is exceedingly complex, and which
renders Paris one of the most perpiexing of
cities to person with a deficient bump of
locality" A number of these boulevards.
usually eight, start from a common center,
and strike out in their opposite objections, a
mile, more or less. There are dozens of these
centers in the city, and the streets crossing
each other everywhere, in all sorts of angles;
so that even the crooked streets of London are
less of maze than the straight, beautiful
BouleVards of Paris. You are perpetually
coming out in unexpected places, while every
spot is so like the Others in its beauty, that
you become utterly bewildered, and call to
your aid that ever-prcsent and convenient in
stitution OF Paris. the cab, and are driven aui-
etly to your destination. These cabs have a
hxed price, the same to any part of the city
and as the driver hands you at once the print
20 n NRia ~. 4