New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-12
TIE P4RISIAN OF TO-DAY.

The English people and press arc DtSHlhiuS
to regard the Parisians in much the same
LIGHT in which the LondOners were formerly
regarded by the gay and spirited dwelers by
the bouleyarts. The Engiishman was
familiar type, not only in opera and vaude-
vile, but IN literature and conversation. He
was stiff, sad, and eccentric; much addicted to
rare beef. BULLDOGS, and suicide. His wife
was like unto him long of teeth, hay-colored
and wispy of hair acidulously devout and
thin. They both wandered woodenly over the
world, avoiding everything amusing talking
much of M6d, buying without taste or
economy, and never looking at their change.
The type has now almost gone the way of the
stage Yankee, but by way of restoring the
moral equilibrium, the English have created
a new fashioned ideal Frenchman, as untrue
and fantastic az tho departed Jean Boule
of the comic opera. The framework
of him has existed for long time, but he has
received in recent years many of his most
characteristic features. In the time of the
Commune the correspondents of the English
papers invented the petroleum thrOwer, and
ever since then all Parsians have had favor
derived from the occupation of that myth
The English have been profoundly moved by
the funeral at Chiselhurst and the pilgrimage
from Paris on the occasion of the young Napo-
Icons coming of age; they therefore FASTENED
to add to their ideal Partisan hearty devO-
ton to the Empire which Paris overthrow and
continues to vote against at every opportu-
nifty. This Frenchman was before great
dancer and singer, extremely frivolous and
gay; he seems to have retained these qualities,
and therefore, in adding to them tendencies
to arson and hypocrisy, servility and anarchy,
piety and atheism, which the English press has
of late discovered in him, the combination
becomes so monstrOus and bewlldering that
there is TO refuge but in the clOister or
suicide. 1t is no wonder, therefore, that the
British public appears firmly convinced that
monasticism is revivng, and that self-slaughter
has become natural death to a Frenchman.
The death of NJ. PrevOst-Paradol and that of
NJ. Beule. which followed at an interval of nearly
four years, are mentioned as a proof that this
suicidal mania is affecting the highest classes
in society and government. But the English
forget that Lord Castlercagh took his own
lite. and that the Hon. Preston King is an in
stance of the same form of disease among
American statesmen. 1t is true that nearly
every day the journals Of Paris chronicle
cases of suicide, but the English papers do the
same, and we rarely have a day free
from the same casualties in NewYOrk.
The journalism of Paris is certainly exhibiting
more energy than formerly in laying before
it's readers the details Of these cases, but It
does not appear from official statistics that
more people are displaying in this way their
practical disgust with life in the French CAPT.
tai than in any other large city. Nor is there
any more reason to apprehend that the whole
population is going into converts. Two or
three actresses, Of free life and large reputa-
ton among foreign visitors to Paris, have con-
Guided to make one last sensation by forsak-
ing world which was beginning to forget
them, but there is nothing in this fact to JUS
tify the apprehension that the Boulevard and
the foyer are to be swept by blast of ennui
which will clear them of all that is wrong and
amusing.
In fact Paris remains, and is likely to re-
main, very much the same that it has been
for thousand years or SO, city that
foreigners may capture once in a while, but
which will capture them for ever. The Eng
lish have taken it, the Germans, the Russians,
singly or all together, and factious armies of
Frenchmen, over and over again. But it has
never changed its essential character Of being
the city where all the world feels at home.
We read accounts of its daily life and at some
high favored incident we say How French -
until we remember that the same thing hap
pened here yesterday. Clement DuvernoiY,
Imperialist Minister and banker, fails and can
not pay cent in the dollar. Do not many of
our political financiers sec in him brotherf A
young stock-broker was arrested the other day,
and was informed by the authorities that they
intended to search his papers. He calmly con-
sented, saying they would find nothing but
womeas letters and restaurant bills Very