The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-02
PARIS UNDER DEFEAT.
The French Capital In Peril In Past Times and
Mt the Present.

When, in 1918, Paris was declared in state
of siege, and it became an ascertained fact that
those contemplate allies were actually on the
road towards Paris, an immense thrill went
through the capital, and, say contemporary
writer's, it was touching sight to behold the
patriotism of the masses, old men clamoring
for arms, and middle-aged men flying to the
frontier to help to repel the invaders. His
tory repeats itself, and the same touching ex
hibition had been witnessed just about hun
dred years before when it seemed likely that
long era of military glory was going to be
crowned by the appearance of nj. de Malbrook
and M. lie Prince Eugene within the precincts
of the city gates. On that occasion the old
king declared that if the enemy set foot on
French soil he would put himself at the
head of his mobiles and go to meet the foe
in person-which was a noble speech, and
must have sounded grandly to Mdme de
Maintenon, but which in sober prose meant
simply this-that if the army were routed
his Majesty would kindly go and add to the
confusion by placing himself where he was
not wanted. However, tho French are nothing
if not magniloquent; and Louis XIV could no
more have helped delivering a pompous ora
tion than could the withered patriots of 1913
have helped piping shrilly for matchlocks
And yet il must be confessed that the motives
which made these old gentlemen of 1913 pipe
for matchlocks would not, perhaps, have
borne the test of very impartial scrutiny.
Already on the return of his Imperial Ma
jesty FROM the Russian campaign there had
been awkward signs that the Paris of Janu-
ary, 1873, was not the Paris of January, 1872
That dignifed body, the Senate, had actually
been known to look sullly-not defantly
sulky; that would have been stroke of in
dependence to which those Legislators
were not quite equal; but ominously
sulky, as though saying to their master: eff
you are successful in this next campaign we
may hold out the hope that you will find us
down on all-fours as previously, but if you
fail it will be another story" Among the
people the demonstrations had been even
more significant. At a review of recruits
some workmen of the Faubourg ST. Antoine
had cried ont to the Emperor that they were
willing enough to lend him their arms, but
that they wanted liberty in exchange; and.
while paying visit to the Halles, Napoleon
had been aeeosted by tishwoman, who had
Said to him good,naturedly, but boldly,
when are you gong TO give us pHS"N; pHS"N
question which evoked a reply
which Nj. de Las Cases-that sublime Jen-
kins-appears to think triumphant, for his
Maiesty's words were, Mind your own bust
ness, woman, and let me do mine" Honest
NJ Las Cases! According to him it was no
business Of these poor hsh-fags what the
conuueror did with their money, their hus-
bands, and their sons.
Well, the new army was raised, departed
and was beaten; and it was then that the
immense thrill took place, that the middle
aged men set off for the frontier, and that
the old ones clamored for weapons, as above
stated. It must have been touching sight,
but it was not an agreeable one to the Minis
ters, who knew better than to deliver arms to
xrhn ,t1,ht ,1,x
enough against The enemy, but who might
show on unpleasant disinclination to give
Them no when once the war was over; for the
fact is, loyalty was Enthusiastically on the wane.
Leipzig was as q wet blanket on the imperial
ism of the Parisians; the defeat at Laon fell
like an extra bucket Of water After Arcis-
sur-Aube people reminded one another that
they had been opposed to the empire all
along, and that they had always foreseen this
from the first. AS for the Ministers, they
were not comfortable. NJ. Mollieu, Minister
of Finance, looked with an exceedingly dismal
face into the State Golfers, and brooded over
a vacuum. NJ. Champagny, Due de Cadore,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, enjoyed
Sinecu1e, diplomatic relations with foreign
powers being momentarily interrupted; NJ.
Bigot de Preameneu, Ministre des Cultes,
who had been wont to make bishops march
to the rightabout or the leftabout as it suited
him, was beginning to find that these holy
men showed him their teeth and treated his
instructions with GOODNESS, not to say with
derision; M. Mole, Minister of Justice, per-
ceived a growing reluctance on the part of
the judges to send royalists, and even repub-
icans, to prison, and-what was q much
graver sign-M- le Due de Rovigo, the sue
cessor of NJ. Feuche at the Ministry of
Police, no longer tracked out this class of
offenders with the same alacrity as of yore.
In official drawing-rooms it was admitted that
the Emperor had always been rash in
unofficial drawing-rooms that he had never
been anything but a knave. The frequenters
of cafes wondered how France could
have borne him so cravenly; they
themselves would have revolted long ago had
they found any one to back them. The
loudest in the outcry were of course the
Senator'S who felt it quite repugnaut to theiI
consciences to countenance a sovereign who
was losing battles. When the day of disaster
came these Senators, who had licked the dust
off the Conquerors boots, and had cringed as
never Senate cringed before, and as only one
Senate has cringed since, were the first tc
turn round like the magnanimous quadruped
who kicked the dying lion. 1t is true-anc
we may throw them this reason for their ex
cuse-that France was tired out; so tired, in
deed, that when the allied sovereigns rode
into Paris the inhabitants gave them an ova
rfon lust as in 1713 the audience at the opert
rose en- nadsSe one night to cheer an English
man-Milerd Bolingbroke-who had brought
them peace.
For the French are very fond of peac,
when they are getting the worst of war
Compare the demeanor of our friends in Pari
to-day with their entertaining talk fortnigh
ago. What have we done with those irwin
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