The New York herald., 1870-03-21
FRANCE.

neutrality-suspicious. OF the Blending of
Sentiment and Kank-City Social Revoiu-
ticnjsm from Amcricn-The Carnival Ter
minated in n Eluze OF Glory.
PARIS, MarcIp6, 1870.
Tue American colony OF Paris has lost "brlght
particular starr in the person OF the pretty Eliza.
beth Field, daughter OF HicKson W. Field, Jr., or
New York, who married on the I'd instant q young
Roman gentleman, with the sounding tiLle OF
Prince dc Trggiano Brancaccio. The founder or tho
fortunes OF this branch OF the Field family Is the
venerable HicKson w. Field, stll fourlshing as u
green bay tree and VINO accumulated, as q New
York merchant, handsome fortune some forty
years ago and which, with tue rise IN real estate
has very largely increased.
Thus mas another OF our young and fair rcpubli-
cans gone TO swell the ranks or the ancient aristo-
cracy OF Europe. There was time when these mar
riages Of American beauty and fortune to European
titles created sensation ana escaped censorlous re-
Marks but OF late they are becoming IKE a thrice
told tale. There Ia no denying that aristocratc
title, especially when personated by q nice young
man, has undeniaole charms for American
young ladies', while, on the other hand,
the representatives Of pedgrces that often
date from the middle ages are nat u rally carried
away by the proyerbiai beauty and vvactous ntellI
gence OF our fair countrywomen. whose attractions
are IN nowise diminished by the pleasing fact OF her
possessing splendid fortune. 1t Is all very well Tor
the malicious to up their spiteral and say,
when they hear OF an American girl espousing q
fine old title that she has sacrificed herself to her
vanity. And it is just as ill-natured to declare
that o young man, who happens TO inherit
tiue has sold himself for fortune because
he IA fortunate enough to ally himself to youth and
beauty, with the additional advantage OF good
estate. Wnere is the dsparttyAj would IKE 70 know,
between one OF our iovely young republicans and
over, as IT may be- wlta medieval rust or me
tnlckest mcrussation. Burns used to sing tnat
s.Kank was puC the gu1eas stamp, ana a man was
man FOR a. tnatu By the same reasoning woman
is woman though she be a republican, auo II to
beauty and cultue she is the innocent heiress OF
hereditary acres Is she not q patcn FOR the highest
titles OF Europe? The gentlemen with long handles
70 their names are pretty clearly OF tnis way Of
tner alnance with the lovely young daughters OF
Columbia. have known IL my time Of something
ike IA dozen such marriages, and not one OF them
has turned out unhappIy. There Is always guar
antee IN favor or the descendant OF an Old family
being gentleman aud that is the best surety for do
mestic happiness U course there may he exceptions
for where Is the flock without the occasional black
sneeps IN England among the upper classes
marriages are always carefully adjusted with due
reiereGce 10 position nnu fortune and they are none
tac less happy Tor tnas. IN France this IS Sill more
sIrikinay the case. and thus ltness In rank
and fortune Is considered very properly or para.
m0lnt importance The incllnatiOns OF the youthful
pair are not forced to the oegree generally supposed
Wherever indliierence or repugnance manifest them
selves the proposed marriage Is abandoned. In tho
United states everything III tulS most inoftanb mat
ter or domestic alliances Is lett TO chance Young peo-
pie are lett for The most part entirely TO their own
guidance, and interpreting their FIRST momentary
sensations OF satisfaction with each other as an n
dication of profound liking, usually called love- they
rush headlong into wediocK with Or without parents
consent, as the case may be. nave yeG 10 be con-
WINGED that the average of marriages according 10
our American system yield larger return OF solid
and enduring happiness tnan those contracted On
the more cautieus and rational plan adopted In the
Older couaIf1es Of Europe.
To 60 back to the topic started with: am salts
fed that few matches turn out more pr0pitiousy
than those occurring here III Europe between our
American bellies and the representatives. OF old ana
titled families. iney are invariably preceded by
natural and decided inclination Tor each other by the
youthful pair, and there follows what ought never 10
be neglected in .we regulated iamiiies," pru-
dent investigation into the pecunary future.
Granted tnat the. grcponderance of fortune
Is on the side of the ady and OF pedigree
on se OPPOSITE pa nar aaa. sn no reason o o ia
ever in perfect contentmenI with each other. How
many marriages take place IN our republican iand
s!de but that Is not considered bar to luture hap
pness. In view Of ali the foregoing considerations.
wen as OF the potent fact that American fortunes
and European titles do adapt themselves most
harmOnlously together, l 40 not hesitate to
protest euergetically against The indignant obJur.
cations OF certain Mrs. Gruldys VINO would II
they could, prevent and forbid IN all time 10 come
sncn harmless and most Juslliiabe amaiganatons.
Before dropping The American colony IN Paris,
may say That not . few Of our Well known American
families are exhibiting strong symptoms OF Decom
ing hxen lacts, or ~ other Wous OF settling down
here for gooa and all. IL IL hardly TO be wondered
at, for Paris IL really so In Vi fascinatlon Tor all
ages aud tastes that after short experience
the aiIHcuy IL 10 shake oil lis HIlurement ana sober
down 10 tine prosaic life OF other Lands. There Is
old Virginia family here, dating from the days OF
COLONIAL governorshlpS, tnat ol the CorDn5, who
have dom.ciled Ia Paris for some forty years.
A wealthy Philadelphia iamly, tho Riugways, nave
been established here nearly twenty years ana.
the descendants Of Doth these. amiltes have ntermar
rtcd with French noble Houses MAJ De iaIefred thaJ
though affections for tne great repnpc may survive,
there more material part has been permanently 40.
III bel
been settled here Tor over thirty years.
and as the sagacious head Of 1t has gone
the high price or lots In New York Will ever attract
them tnitner again. Ths remnds me OF two other
gentlemen not unknown In the land or Gotham
vino to put implicit confidence IL tho luture or
Paris, whether lhe empire STANDS or falis. James
Phalen and Elisha Riggs. well known III our imam
clal circles, have Invested considerable sums In
OF the new and splendid avenues opened couple Or
years since, IN Lhe direct neghborhood ol the
built by Napoleon l. III honor Of his own great VIC.
tories.
This portion Of Paris only ten years since was a
complete Desert; but the magic wand oi Napoleon
Ill. has waved over 1t and Behold 1t has oeen laid
out IN more than dozen magnificent avenues that
IN strnightness ana breadth arc uneaualled in the
world, white buildings OF costly ana most innposing
dimensions are rapidly converting this terra ancoO-
~ v,s o,ass ~ nsu c u palaces WIN
land In this new and elegant quarter, which has
the advantage, BESIDES. Of so great an eieya-
salewd gentlemen have just named have erected
the past year two very commodlous and splendid
mansions, with front Of some xty-nve feet each
and depth Of some two hundred feet They have
With characteristic enterprise introduced INTO these
fine houses certain American novelties that have
made quite q sensation here ana which cannot iaii
to be copied when the French nave once got over
that dcep-seated love OF routine which, til honse-
building ut all events, makes them clng
with the utmost renacity to the customs ana modes
Of century slnce Messrs. Phalen Riggs have
DuiJ furnaces in their ceitafs, in the New York
fashion, SO that every room OF the house wen as
The corridors and staircases ENJOY the same tein-
pcraturc.-T TINS IS an indescrbaDe luxury In Paris,
iortnough the cold Is not SO great as with US yet
>the small wood nres used never make any portion
OF The house comfortable. IN IKE manner they have
introduced hot and cold water ali over these houses,
and, more daring stlll. they obtained, with great
dimcuty, the consent OF the municipal government
to lay gaspipes SO burn In every part ol the
mansion.
This is an unprecedented innovation, for In
Paris gas Is only used the halls and ktchens OF
the finest houses. as great prejudice exists against
IT as being very Injurious TO the costly gliding SO
lnuch IN fashion, as well as from belief that IL Is
hurtlul To the health. These silly preudices win
naturally give way before successful experiment,
aDc tley received beayy Wow recently al y pri..