The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-06

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tables which represent the returns made by
the various consular districts in France to the
Office of the Consul General of the United
| States in Paris The manner in which they
are compiled reflects credit upon the industry
| and Judgment of the Consul General, and we
especially commend them because we fear that
our Consuls abroad, as o rule, do not give
sufficient attention to statistics of this charac-
ter. In our commercial age information like
what we print in the HERALD this morning will
go further towards showing the exect relations
between one country and another-between the
United States and France-than volume of
diplomatic correspondence. By commercial
ties are the nations knit together. It is inter-
esting to know what Mr.. Washburne writes to
Count Remusat to read the gossip and cackle
and quarrelling of the diplomstists, and to
remember how we were wont to wait in
patience and anxiety the inscrutable words Of
Cesar when he sat on the throne of the Second
Empire And yet as the measure of value one
country bears to another, as showing the exact
worth of the relationship Of France and tho
United States, these figures, SO forbidding in
one way, but 30 valuable as study, are q
better criterion than any diplomatic or imperial
| utterance could possibly give.
| The period embraced in this report from
| 1869 to 1872, is one of the most important and
eventful in French history In 1869 Napoleon
was not only Emperor of France, but to every
seemed to be founded upon rock. France
was in the full enjoyment of what was known
as ''the prosperity of the Second Empire" and
the world was ringing with the praises of the
Emperor who had established in uncertain,
mercurial France, not only stable government
but one that added largely to the prosperity of
the people. These reports close with the end
of 1872, and during that time the world saw
Sedan, Gravelotte, the surrender Of Paris
| the Commune. From the uttermost glory to
| the uttermost despair could there be greater
| fall? Have we not been bemoaning the
miseries of poor France, and plying the sad
fate which has cast her down and made her
the most wretched of nations? Well, after
the extremes of feeling which the history of
these four years has inspired, the statements
contained in these tables are most instructive
Has France gone into paralysis national
decay? Have these prodigious events, wound
ing SO deeply her prestige and her pride,
really affected her position among the nations
Do we find in her dealings with our own
country that she is any poorer-that she shows
any less industry, any diminished productive
quality any of those signs of national apathy
and Incidence which one sees so clearly in
poor Spain and Greece, and which, leading to
pauperism and brigandage, are among the
first indications of a nations downfall
Those who love France and wish her we'll
especially under her republican form OF gov
ernment-will be gratifed with our reports.
Thus, in 1859, the last year of the prosperity
of the Empire, France sent America over fifty
millions of goods; while in 1872, the first
year of the Republic, she sent nearly seventy
millions. Strange to say, during the years Of
the war, 1870 and 1871. we see no falling of.
In 1870 the exports were q little larger than
the year before, and this notwithstanding the
siege of Paris and the occupation of the terri
tory by the German armies. We find, how
ever, the effects Of the siege and the occupa-
ton in the consular districts. Paris fell off
IN all nearly ten millions on account Of the
siege and the Commune and although she
shows o large increase over 1869, in the
than that of France generally So that while
France shows complete recovery and greater
activity in business, Paris seems to lack
energy. While in the parts of France
occupied by the Germans OF dependent upon
Paris for their supplies-Havre, Nantes and
so on-we see diminution during
the war years, and no such cor
responding increase during last year
in other parts, where. the war did
not come-Marseilles, Lyons, Bordeaux and
the Southern districts-we find large increase,
which has been maintained since the peace.
Thus the war drove business and industry
from Paris to the South, and although the
metropolis has recovered still the great cities
of the South manage to hold the power and
the commerce thus suddenly thrown upon
them. What Paris has lost Bordeaux, Mar
seilles and Lyons have gained And we have
little doubt it will be seen in the end that this
impulse of capital and wealth from Paris to
the provincial cities will enure to the general
welfare of the country. One Of the misfor-
tunes of the French system has always been
that power centred in Paris-that Paris
claimed and with practical justice, to be
Francois heart and head and strong right
arm; and so, when fanatic like Robespierre
or despot like the Third Bonaparte seized
Paris, he held tho country by the sheer power
its possession gave him.
/. The reports do not show much fuctuation
in the character of our commerce. We crave
the same things now that we did before, and
France manages to supply them Prudent
| husbands will have their own thouphts when