The New York herald., 1871-11-10

.I"lcs si,oon on ,hc Tressa4c. OF fatis-The
Burnins Cfij uescribed-rhe ras,. Present
and tu,uFr ef The t:ay Capital.

J"Ics simon on ,hc TreasoSc. OF fatis-The
Burnins City nescribed-The Pas'. Present
and tu,urr cf The Gay Capital.
PARIS Oct. "a, 1871
At the meeting Of The French Academies yes.
tery the Mini Ter Of Public Instruction, who pre-
sided, delivered speech, in which, after congFat-
lating hts audience upon the resumption Of their
pubic sittings, winch were suspcndc5 IN 1870
account Of tho siege of Paris ne stated tiiat two
committees were appointed ~ that Tine 10 take
measures for the preservation of the works OF art
and literature m the various institutions In and near
Pans. SO efectual were the precautions taken that
"duripg the siege none Of cur collections or
monuments we've ai sll injured. The bonn.
hardment, which las,cl twonty-one days. did
not even splinter statue one cannon ball
went through the cupoa Oh tne TaniheOn
without doing injury 10 the paintings nv Gros Tie
other precious articles escaped as by miracle. II
was not So however, under the Commune. That
iDsurrection only sought the overthrow Of the gov
ernment with the object Of breaking up society," We
GO not NOV What TIE CoMmuns intended TO estsb-
, ish bul Ne do know beyond doubt what it was IL
attacked, ant that YVES our civilization When in
Its lasl days Of exis tence II burned down the monu-
monts which were illustrative Of France. but when
belonged to thn world It regarded as on act of
despair: but II was not so: It pursued The task It
had determined upon. U will be thus de-
ton SCI ire 10 Libraries and museums
The flames which X kindled doyoured the
Tuileries the Hotel de Vile, the Ministry OF Finance,
the Palace Of The QG0 d'0rsai and the Palace Of the
legion ol Honor. Ii destroyed 10 the last leaf
several Of our great collections OF books-tho library
OF the Louvre. those Of the Hotel lie Vile. Tie P,e
lecture OF Police ana Of the Council OF state. We
have lost at the Gobelns magnificent t1restIles
executed after Eopnael, Bcuche Lancret and several
modern masters. TWO hundred and twenty-five
wo have s5 few rivals, have disappeared IN The
directors observatory
inform us Of the destruction OF two instruments ol
geodesy and an asronomical ), clock. ihe G gLeat t
IN the most essential portions.
Fora whole day every one tremhlcd for the Mu-
seum of the louvre. The numerous spectators WHO
crowded NJ the heights OF -. Cloud and Meudon
and watched irom afar the progress OF the Gre
the names which they beheld along the banks OF The
Seine were beng fed with the canyases Of haphaei !
the Tuiieues IN ashes aud the FIRE approaching with
fearful rap;dty, we regarded the loss OF our ches
s va a. ~ ~ M - tsr may ~ sa tat se
oavSt Ts Xe 81 s 5S% 3 j st aa dsy Se VI @ Sne
| Of the LuxemboHrE, anu even in The vaults
I of The palace Ia which we are now assembled.
not greater Iavages 10 lament 9ie library OF Inc
| Rue Richelieu hts not lost volume, medal nor a
n p ~ ~ a bean ssasd al onr ns ee
iS libraries, the Ais5da saint Genevlve Ia Mazarns
the sogbonne. the library OF the luxembourg tilat
OF the CoTps legislatii, magnincently decorated
/ ny Eugene DelsCroS, remain intact The National
Printing OGlcc and the Mint nave suffered no injury.
broken window AM the disappearance Of few
articles do MOI iorbd rs from saying that We have
Z saved entire the Museum OF Modals. The
| mandatory OF the Gobelins, which o. nst
/ was believed 20 have been destroyed anu
! which has suffered cruel losses, has been
able 10 resume its operations ana is today IN fuii
! activity. The Museum OF the Luxembourg, not
I Withstandnq the explosion OF powder magazine;
the Hotel ue Clany, with It's wonders: the Ecoic des
Beaux Arts; the saintc Chapoe, which the burning
Of the Prefecture de Police at one Time caused 20 DC
surrounded by names: Notie Dame all our churches,
! from 81. GcIrna1 dos Pres and ST. German lAuxel-
ros 10 The Madeleine have escaped alike the shells
| OF the enemy ana the torches or the Commune.
! Europe can come. We are to-day, as we we're yes.
terday, the nrst city IN the world for studies. rue
very ruins VIII disappear before long. Pari VIII
/ remakc Pans But what time viii u take ns, what
sacrifices Will n cost as 10 temake France Else
where Il Will he related how much che has
lOst IN blood and treasure. Here In this
hail cnu.ecrated 60 literature, science and
ad, lot us inquire only what ls ler position
IN respect OF Intellectual and moral force. 1hat Is
the great question for q people 70 consider. Where
men remain the nation is not destroyed. France
has already shown on more tn8n once occasion that
she can sestore herself The disaster OF sedan, so
severe and cruel, was not the first that she has
| undergone. without gong further back into HI s.
, tory and combining ourselves within the limits OF
| our own lifetime, are we not almost the c6ntcmpo.
| raries or wateroof Did not our fathers witness
/ in I7e3 for tho 1rst time the C0mmuDef WHAT
vaa the position OF France after "atcscof