The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-09-15
Paris.

Parisians have been wont 70 complain that
xher city did not belong to them, but TO for
eigncrs. 1t was as much an American city as
Newport, as much Russian city as St
Petersburg, and as much German city as
Frankfort Belgians, Swiss, Italians, Span
fnrtls, Creoles, South Americans, Mexicans,
and 0rientals all laid claim to it. In former
years the English swarmed through its streets
ns through their own Piccadilly, but they
have in q measure given place to Americans
aud Russians. The fashionable Boulevards
from the Madeleine to Moutmartre, were
alive with foreigners, the American element
being very conspicuous. The American
woman, with her innate sense Of elegance
and taste, felt at her ease there. Whatever
her status at home, she found on the HdSieRs
and the Copuciaes nothing to remind her of
the nvidious distinctions which elsewhere
may have restrained her social aspirations
The court circles, too were easily nccessi
Ole under the reign of EUGENIE, who really
felt more at home with American beauties
than with the scrutinizing and fastdious
representatives of the Old World arstocracies
Thousands of Americans who in this country
are shut out from what they are pleased TO
consider the "best society" stalked up and
down the Boulevards, relieved from the
heartburnings which this exclusion pro
voked, and deriving infinite qualification from
the homage which their lavish expenditure
Of money obtained for them. Paris was, in
reality, the paradise Of the skirmishers on
the edge of good society, of strangers dis
gusted with or unappreciated or under a
cloud in their own country, and Of adventur-
ers and adventuresses from all parts Of the
globe.
Nothing, however, could be more untrue
than TO say that Paris was France. 1t was
intellectual, artistic, political, md above all
fashionable France, combination Of ancient
Rome and Athens; but thirty odd millions
Of people, the bulk of the French nation,
lived outsii. the charmed circle Of the me.
troporis. II Paris has illustrated the advan.
tagcs Of Capitalization, she has shown also
that the hysterical fluctuations OF political
life, when compressed within the narrow
compass Of one city and controlled by u
handful Of metropolitan publcists, agito.
tors, aud politicians, are positive drawbacks.
No stranger can have failed to be impressed
by the glitter ofthe Boulevards the saturna
liza OF the cafes, the theatres, and the drives
the fairylke beauty Of the city the charm
of manners in the people, high and low, rich
and poor, their taste in dress, and perfection
in the arts and handicrafs which embcllish
society and the gracefuncss not only of the
women, but also of the men, which threw an
trdcfinable halo Of fitness and finish over all
that was said and done in Paris.
But the fact that these fascinations were
compr sed within that little space which
WAS bounded rs respects the domain Of genius
BY the Academy, tie theatres, the newspaper
Offices aud the artists studios, and in that OF
politics fashion, md emotion by the Tuile.
r,cs the Chambers, the Boulevards, and
the Dois dc Boulogne, tended in some re-
epccts only to d02alc The imagination, to con
found the glitter witt he substance of civ
I1at,on, and to r.'. l' Partisan world as
ina."+rcnt to ~ p-l.a.ons VINO lived be
You'd 'ts blor-.'-mcn.s as the Roman patri
''"n Oil was to the progress Of the colo
n.sts in Britain and in Gaul. And thus
Willie several hundred thousand people livet
thore IN an exceptional condition of socia
enjoyment, thirty millions of Frenchmei
ana tf'nch women remained in comparaiy
oltcU!.'N nld their children grew UP Il
"omTora.iye ignorance and superstition.
EYen in Paris tie condition of the workin
people became moro critical in proportion .
thc iuoAlcd classes crow more power1