The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-01
THE NEW BABYLON.
THE CaNKER 1T THE RO0TOF Social
LIFE IN PARIS.
Astriking Picture Of DIssip alton In the
Gay Capital-How the People Profit
by the Lessons Of Adversely.
From the Saturday Revlew.l

/ v
From the Saturday Revlew.l
This time last year Paris and France were
passing through the furnace of aflictlon.
The teachings of adversty had been bitter,
but ut least we were assured that the lessons
had not been lost. A great price had been
paid for the wisdom that comes of experience,
but at any rate the experience and lis fruits
were gained once for all. Confessing her
faults, she denounced her seducer. Borrow
ing congenial precedent from the imposing
Hebrew ceremonial, she charged all her sins
on the dynasty of her choice, and cast 1t out
into the wilderness. ThenceforWard che had
broken with her past, and made fresh pact
with the future. Like lorette turned devo-
tee, and alive 10 the excitement OF contrast,
she rather glored In the mad dissipation she
had repented OF. There was doubtless much
| ephemeral sincerity In the earnestness
with which she threw herself Into her
part Paris is too emotional not to
| always has Its influence, even If 1t be born of
self-1elusIon. When Paris recanted and con-
| fessed, although she vowed and promised 30
much. we were almost half inclined 10 believe
her. Yet we might have remembered that
when nations have passed their early youth
they seldom profit by the schooling Of adVersl-
ty. A tone of thought has established itself IN
the ascendant, inyeterate habits have become
engrained; exceptional men may rouse Them
selves to extraordinary effort, but the nation
grayitates back into the deep-worn grooves.
We say nothing now of French International.
lists who renounce patriotism as treason %
humanity, or of the Communists who denounce
properly as theft, and Identity superstition
With religion. We speak of all that is most
respectable 10 political poiot of view, what
ever it may be as regards private moralttyi
and we ask how have the respectable" Pari.
SLAMS performed the vows that were forced
from them by the pressure Of the beleaguering
Germans What have been the fruits Of the
panic generated of murder and fre-raasing
during the misrule of Communist anarchy !!
As 1t happens. we have the means Of satisfying
ourselves, aud conservative Paris Is put to
crucial test at the opening of The New Year.
1t has TO return a member to the Chamber,
and the eyes of France and Europe are upon
1t. In the opinion OF many thonghtlul French
men, Paris Is asked to decide upon lis own fate
and yet conservative Paris seems to give no
thought 10 the matter. Never had French
conservatism, taking the word 10 Its broadcast
sense, Its path Of duty made palmer or easier.
Yet the timid bourgeotsie Is inclined TO leave
the course clear to the nominee oil the party
who but yesterday set Paris 10 hames, 70 Inc
poet who has proslituted his genius to apollo
gIze for the worst exeesses Of the Commune.
While Rome burned Its emperor fddled.
Paris has plain duty to perform In the
supreme interests of iis own honor and
safety, and the Parislans Sdnlusent. We
would not be hard on people for
acting after their nature. We never believed
that q grand national regeneration was to be
operated by miracle. We know that with vo-
latIle nalion there must light hearted reaction
from the depths Of depression, and that the
journey back to better things must be AL up.
hill, and very painful at the best. But, making
the most generous allowances, It is impoSssi, Sse
Reds are raising their heads again. The Ger.
mans still occupy the provinces of France, and
the German chancellor he's just stung the ma.
tional pride to the quick. The country has to
brace Itself 10 bear burden of taxation which
only Industry and frugality Gun render tolera
BILE, and nothing whatever Is settled as to the
government of the future. Yet long before
France has LEFT the school OF adversely, she
has cast all Its lessons behind her, and her lat.
ter state Is worse than the former by wasted
opportunities and hundreds of millions OF
debt. !.
Pa,is is still the Paris of the Empire. I'm
poverlshed as che is, she still finds The means
ior dissipation and tlivolily. She has dis
carded decency. aud seems bent on proving
to Europe that the refinement and good taste
on which she prided herself were only tlnsel
on the surface. She is holding her orgies In
what should be the house of mourning. She
has pitched the booths Of her Vanity Fair on
pavements scarcely cleansed from the nl9od
of her citizens. The stalls are set as thickly
along the BonleVards as evey they were, and
the trade in 6tre,,nes goes forward more brisk
IL than before. It appears as II the chosen
seat of genteel comedy had lost all sense of
the ludcrous. Does Paris believe life to be
OdudeuiHe, and crushing national calamtttes
things to De triaed with or jested over It is
ho, 80 yhnn mr. fnnnnfnnQ
and llght.hearted and vall-glorious of peoples
can find matter of mutual congratulalion In
the events of the past year, or the prospects
of the coming one. Fancy an English or Ger
man family munching bonbons aud e4chang.
Ing jests on the day after funeral, and while
there Is an execution In the house. A moral
lst might find something suggestive of the
gaudy and costly cases which contain q francs
worth of unwho!esome sweets. SILL we can
conceive that something might be said by
Partisan for keeping up the friendly fashion of
6trernes. Abused as 1t has been, 1t is the
French counterpart of The German Christmas
feeling. There might be false air OF chivas-
rous spirit In struggling to be cheerful In
memory ofpast happiness, In pinchlDg upon
straltened means In order TO be generous. No
such defence can be set up for the public
amusements Of the season. The masked balls
at the 0pera-hOuSe are IN 1ull swing. Most
people know what these are by hearsay II not
by personal observation. The masked ball
means the loose.t of loose Paris celeba ating
It's saturnalia, In disguise that invites decen-
cy to Join while giving indecency ito Widest
lleense-iudecency of thought, speech, and all
but act, we should say; for experience has
Taught the necessity of detailing q powerful
force of police to quell any delnonslra'ive OBJ
scenty. 1t means dancing, beginning at mid
! night after long dinners; snppers In The cabi-
nets of the Maison Doree and The Gaze Anglais;
women In "costume," with as little character
as clothes, shading of through the neutral
classes of shopgirls, actresses, danseuses and
danes de compton, to ladies OF society ensconc-
ed snugly in their masks and d0minoes. These
masks and dominoes give absolute immunity
from the Whispers of the world, even were The
world more Inclined to censure than 1t is.
The fair wearers may rub their draped shoul-
ders with the naked ones Of the most brazen-
tongued of the lost slsterhood, and listen free.
ly to shameless talk. L. Is easy 10 conceive
the facility which these balls give for assigna-
tiOns In city where married women are Ire
quenlly as much their own mslresses as fascI-
mating young girls in business. One mi shL
fancy tnat the cen SOrshiD which bnsips itspl [