The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-01

AaeEHce II ForAo-Wnot one OF Our
Lest Tribes Il Doing-Rrsnch Criti-
oism On AmericA.
Burns has quaint conceit that II men and
women could sec themselves as they are seen
BY Others they would escape many biunders
and foolish notions II is not grateful func-
ton, this acting as . moral mirror to our
friends and acquaintance and showing them
their little faults and embarrassments. There
is an old frontier story of two sinners who.
having experienced o change of heart resolved
upon q change of lives. Not being in the
range of Gospel ministrations. they resolved 10
confess their sins and amend their ways
'Now, Tom." said Joe. ''you know you have
been wicked" 81 know replied Tom.
You know you were drunk recently"
calais! many times" said Tom. s'Ycu know
you tell lies" Whereupon Thomas grew VIC
lently angry, committing assault and battery
upon his confessor and postponing-indeh
nitely, we fear-the day Of regen-
Grafton and religious selfdeniaL There
is another story of the Same character
that comes to mind. 'Do you know" said
the village gossip. ''that Smith, the village
sinner, has got religion" ''Has he?" said
the deacon. eyes; he does not 60 around
on Sunday with his axe over his shoulder to
| cut down trees He waits until church is out
and carries his axe under his coat-tail" All
| america in Paris is in an excitement Of q
similar nature over the new play Of Sardou.
| Our American friends are about to be shown
their weaknesses sins of commission
and France will be told that If now in our
days of reform, we do not carry the axe on the
shoulder we carry it under our GOATS; Nov,
it is notorious that 10 people claim to welcome
criticism more earnestly than Americans NJ
Sardou has taken them at their word, and
they reply, we fear, in the spirit of our
| frontier friend, who terminated his confession
Of sins by an assault upon his monitor.
We sympathize with the emotion of our
exiled brethren and fellow countrymen. We
trust we love and honor our dearly beloved
compatriots; but if there is one section more
cherished than another it is that absent colony
of free and Independent citizens that we call
america in Paris" We are afraid our sober
stay-at-home people-who see no spire higher
than Trinity, and find in the new Court
House the sum and glory of architecture,
and believe Central Park the only breathing
ground worthy of the na1ne-know very
little b about their exiled brethren,
and forget, if they ever really knew, that
we have q colony in Paris who exercise
large influence upon France and the French
people. In that catholic spirit which ami
mates the HERALD our readers will see that we
have not forgotten this precious remnant of
the American race. Our commissioner, en-
ulous of the fame of the discoverers of the
Swamp Angels, the Cuban patriot army and
DR.. Livingstone, boldly set out in search of
the colony and found it. He says nothing of
the dangers he encountered, but leaves them
to our imagination. To be sure, they are not
like those confronting the commanders of
other expeditions, but still they are not to be
moderated. There are perils in Paris far ex-
ceeding, We fear, perils on land and sea, from
land rats and water rats and pirates on the
main. There is the Latin Quarter fatal to SO
many noble spirits from the time of Abelard
to that of young Duval, who shot himself for
Cora Pearl There are the boulevards where
needless travellers find traps and pitfalls; the
Palais Royal, where any one who enters with o
full purse must leave all hope behind. There
are legends of Mabille and the gardens of the
Luxembourg and the chestnut trees at Sceaux.
But our commissioner braved them all in the
performance of his work, and his report is now
before the world ss.- sa na..
1t will be seen, as general thing, that our
colony is in fourishing condition. The pic
ture Of the home-sick patriot sitting alone in
the courtyard of the Grand Hotel, musing
over his fifth bottle of pale ale and hoping for
some friendly face to come and partake of his
hospitality, is sad enough. When q thorough
bred American is lonely and away from home
he is the loneliest of human beings. The
Englishman has his beer and the Times, the
German his pipe, the Frenchman his red wine
and his picture of Napoleon, to remind him of
his nations glory; but the American needs
society. He Graves sympathy. Our country
man abroad is usually seized with a desire to
give his views on politics and society. He
becomes talkative, would instruct mankind
upon the reasons which lead to the decadence
of France, and, indeed, of all European ma
tons as well as upon the facility with which
England could be invaded. AS general
thing, he likes Bismarck and will tell
you what Bismarck is about to do. He
believes in Russia; but, somehow, never goes
there on account of the wolves, which are
known to make travel dangerous. His special
antipathy is the French people, especially if
he cannot speak the language. He admires
the Bonapartes and thinks the French pecu-
liarly unfit for republicanism. He resents the
universal impression that all Americans
abroad are in the sewing machine business,
and delights TO buy imitation jewelry and
Yreaenf IL 10 thu carxanfs He hacornaa a