Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-04-05
Correspondence of the London Daily News.
THE FRENCH LEGTTIMIsTS.
Stormy Close of the Gathering at
Antwerp.

To-day the great Legitimist CONTINUATION
here came to an abrupt close. AT q a. m.
the Comte de Chambord left for Holland.
He took his departure from the Hotel 81:
Antoine in simple carriage, accompanied
by the Count de Mont and only one ser
want. 1t was well that those somewhat
rough Flemish burghers of Antwerp did
not know anything about it, else the Comte
might have had tale t. tell. would just
notice that he is tall, good-looking gen.
tleman, with benevolent, but by no means
so angelic an expression of countenance as
he is represented within the cheap Pnoto-
graphs, and that he wears full beard OF
brownish shade. The clerical papers IA"
made out that Bonapartist gold was no
stranger to the Antwerp demonstrations.
All / can say is that I noticed, indeed,
some of those semisinister and semtludl-
crous faces which were familiar to me III
Paris before the coup d'etGt of 1851, as ap-
pertaining to the members of the SOctete
d,t De2tr Decembre, and selfcommiSsioned
Colonies and the selfpatented noblemen
of all degrees, but the poSsessors OF the
said faces did cert ainly not come forward
as agitators, but confined themselves alto
gether to the role of attentive observers.
To-day, therefore, Antwerp enters again
into its normal state; and, indeed, it was
high time. Not only was there no ordinary
business done during the sojourn of the
Comte by the Anti-Chambordists and
Chambordist-fOr into these two parties
had the Antwerpers suddenly divided
themSelyes-but the continued presence OF
the Comte would have seriously interfered
with commercial event Of no small I'M
portBnce to Antwerp-one of the tour great
! wool fairs Of the year, with its commencing
| to-day.
AT 6 o'clock last night a large crowd had
[ lo,I; 1,a of
! tel st. Antoine, and stared persistcntly at
| the windows. The police and the gend-
armes, with their towering bear skins, who
guarded the approaches to the hotel, pre-
vented all circulation around it. During
! the day the excitement had run high. The
opinion generally expressed was, that If
neither the Belgian Government, by apply
ing the law relating to foreigners, nor the
French Government, by means OF diplo-
matte representation, would put an end to
the present state of things at Antwerp, the
people must themselves do it. The Liber-
ais mustered strong tonight at their meet
ing at the Cafe des Arcadcs. 4 great num-
Der Of them exhibited arms, such as reyol-
vers, loaded canes, heavy sticks, &c, and
It was evident that 10 pity would be shown
! to the clerical TOuShS who Ind attacked
| them on the previous night. The orators
recommended calmnesS and legality, words
which seemed TO fall on the ears Of the au-
dience somewhat like the American ''D ont
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." admunition.-
. Shouting The MarseillaiSe," the crowd
! went to the house of the Burgomaster,
| where they again broke the windows and
then to the two JeSuits' establishments,
where the same exploit was Performed
The houses of some of the leading clericals
underwent the same treatment, and
then the crowd returned to the
| BurgomasteT's house, where tremen-
dous shouting took place. The
! Gcnd 3rmcs being too few iii number,
seemed to be glad to bc let alone. After
this the crowd divided, and went partly to
invade the Roitelet, the tavern where the
clelicals usually meet, and partly to other
taverns. The clerical roughs, owing, in all
probability, 10 their last night defeat and
loss of banner at the Cafe Bavaria, did not
dare to show themselves tonight. This
seemed TO appeasc the crowd, which then
settled down in the various taverns Of the
town, where fierce speeches were delivered
in Flemish, reminding the people of their re-
sistance to Philip II, and of other great
things done by the Lion Of Flanders. When
enough had eeen spoken and drunk, the
police had no difficulty in effecting the evac-
uation Of the taverns, as the occupants
found themselves without adversaries to
~ III against Che ldCL was, Llldt
the speaker in the principal tavern on the
Place Verte who used tie strongest Ian
guaee with respect TO the Comte de Cham
bord, was an English publican, who, be-
iievc, carries on business at Antwerp.
GendG17ncS on horseback patrolled the town
for the whole night, but no further dis
orders occurred.
TO make you understand the spirit that
pervade5 the population of Antwerp, have
to add that The wcalthicr class of merchants
and traders of all kinds, as well as the peo-
plo employed by them, belong to the Lib
eral Party, while the petty traders and
poorest class OF electors belong to the
Clerical Party. The latter, however, owing
to their numbers, Outvote the former at
the elections, and thence violent antag-
onism, which profits by every opportunity
to show itself. This reason Of the outbreak
on the occasion Of the Comte de Cham
bord's stay here has to be added TO the
others indicated in my previous letters.