The New York herald., 1874-08-13
MACMAHoN's RED ROOM"
The Centre From which France IL
Ruled-Scenes I'm the Reception Cham.
bcr-Tho President's Wife . Power in

-
the state.
From the London News, July 2s.j
! In the small, white mansion, which was built to
house the Projects OF Seine ct Olse, but which
serves now to lodge the Marshal OF the Republic
M. de MaoMahon has a red drawing-room, where
he receives MS friends OF an evening and reireshes
them with tea and conservative talk. Those who
look only to the surface OF things ana fancy that
the AFFAIRS Of France are directed by the 75o gen.
tlemen who make noiso under the eyes OF NJ.
Buffet take no account OF this Red Room; and
they are wrong, for 1t is here that are given all
those cues-0racular hints or mysterious mods
which act upon the schemes OF party leaders nke
the winds which Aiolus kept in his bags and
| shrewdly let out as occasion required.
THE ENTRY AND RECEPTION.
Call at the Presidency any night at ten, and a
couple OF footmen In gray liveries will relieve you
OF your overcoat, an usher with silver chain
over his bust will glide be ore you to announce
your name ana you VIII be greeted with amability
enough ny the lady who taxes her full hall share
In the governments OF her country-a lady OF
queeny puxomness, with quiet smile and open
eyes, stngularly searching. Passing before Her
Excellency with a low bow, and bestowing an.
other bow on her pretty maid Of honor, Mile. de
M0ntalgn, you VIII only have to double gracefully
on the hearthrug 70 ind yourself opposite the
stold gentleman VITO led the charge OF Reisch-
onen, and who Is sitting with his back to
the door. HIS moustache Is clipped into
bristles, his white haw Is brushed up In peaE
over his iorenead, and he wears gaze OF chi onic
astOnIshment, when 10 heightened when, as on ac-
around reject about dozen duphcSsess OF him IN
| the evening dress Oh civilian. On slight chess
table to his lett he his double eyeglasses and the
| two newspapers which he loves, NJ. de Broglie's
ETGncaas and the Figaro. just reappeared its
ior.night's suspension. Needless TO ada, that what
the Marshal loves IN the Figaro Is not the light
Jokes III the tnird and fourth columns, but the &C.
| casional arucles OF that ex.sergeant-maJor. N.
unique style Of excaiming, ''rhank Heaven tha5
| the ilustriOus MacMan0n remains 10 us | The army
wlll ooey none but mimi Our distracted country
| knows no one elsein
PRESIDENTIAL VISITORS AND WHAT THEY SAY.
| Now, 1t ID soothing 20 hear that on army viii
! obey none but oneself and that country even
sed prefers one t. every other living SOUL
| II gives tone to one's minu and braces one ior
| walking straight ahead. without caring Tor the
! people who talk Of pitfalls and would have one
turn this way or that
As IL is presumable that you have come to the
| Presidency TO Keep your ears about you, you viii
soon discover that MacAanon and the army are
chInXcd about while the ootmen hand round the tea
and whi,e the visitors streamin. They arrive very
last and Ia great NUMBERS these visitors, tor we
rc fierce SESSION Of word i peiugs the tired Assembly
has resolved to disperse. Inc rerIer motion Tor o
has been shelyed; all the Institutional plans have
been put away TO cooi, and In snort. TIE Marshal
comfortable dictatorship. during which the nation
VIII get on as 1t cannot unsOiaccd, maybe, bv the
knOWcd8o CnaL tne a. NV Is Lnere 70 WutCu over IL.
So In comes the Marquis de Castelane, mover Of
the prOrogatlon and tue youngest member OF the
sHOuse, with step elastic I%,u and AUBURN hair
Bishop Of Versailles who cares too much Tor
things political; whlte.headea black lnustacnioeo
| NJ. Target who led the Cave which upset Al. lhers
and received tue Mlnisership at La Hague In
! recompense; General Cnangarnier, lean grim and
ing mat IL ne popua VIII has Seen snuSoed and
! then, suodoniy constant visitor. at whose ap-
pearance all IN the room respectfully stand up
riously hard of hearing since the b0moardment OF
81: Jean d'ulloa extracts an car trumpet from the
shal, and thereon the concOurse breaks up inso
groups and whisper, while the tide OF fresh comers
Orieanst ana generals OF the same persuasion.
1t Is one OF the signs OF the times that so many
where five years ago general Of that iaitn could
hardly have Ieen discovered even by advertising.
sons OF LOUIS Philippe; tney have all to complain
OF the Empire, which was niggaId in promoting
Marshai, for taey ~ are the oniv men in the army my
who give HIM no trouble. Very dlnes cnt are they
IN s
the %arsnai had cruelty Betrayed the
sna T"s' an GspSssa ospSaa the Drops
remarks about the impiety OF the times and the
foot without needing modern crOtChets; the re-
publican answers gravely and even coldly when
the own where ne commands. But from the
Orleanst none but hopeful and complimentary
nardY'' says the Marshal to an honest old general
who waddleS across the room and divides ms
bow INTO two two !adlcoas halves halves between the
bring from Fort lie Coqa" "ine best news,
Marshal the very bes',n Xneezes the veteran who
to Versailles to say now admirable was the impres.
sion produced by the rejection OF m: Perier's mo-
ana the population Of Fort le Cog rest all their
hopes on Your Excellency"
IhoeMarshal never smiles, but surely the benev-
olent grunt with which he dismisses Cotonuard to
his teacup Is as significant AZ pat on :he BACK
and alter all, why wonder at this, lor when three
contrary, where Is the mo shal president who
would not sooner believe that fourth, provided his
version were the pieasantestp 2
COMMERCE. AND POLITICS ON DANGEROUS GROUND.
That is why good General Cotonnard and his
Projects Of NJ. Guz0t, exDeputes OF 1880 to i84S-
have 1t all their own way IN the Presidents Red
perceived tnat their hints to the President to re-
tire and make way Tor better man were not re-
cctved in cheerful spirit they fell away murmur-
ing; the Bonapartists kept aloOI, because 1t was
not agreeable to Them TO lace the mncing sar.
casms Of M: de Broglie or the inqulsitorial
puDHcans their company generaiy succeeded
in throwing such chill on the polite
how they might ONtwlt them, that they never at
any time mustered strongly: There arc plenty Of
Lett Cen,a,sts noWevsr, of fhe sort VINO ca them;
Co,onnard alter he has received his moral pat on
the back nom the Marshal you Will see him nestle
close to one OF these gentlemen, wnO has been re-
ceiving the compliments o an affable Orleanist
Countess on his patriotism In voting against the
Republic. He is o man Of full grth, with not much
hair, but plenty Of talk. and he manufactures
something IN the provinces. Al the time
OF his election ne gave himself out as
republican because he believed repibcanism 70
be in the ascenaant; and he stnl keeps his name
on the bOoks OF republican clubs. and Is counted
on by the party whips certain to vote with them
on Important divisions. But he always votes the
other way because ne likes good company and can
pof han tn hn a nv nd f,fla A
Tournequille-lOr such Is his name is not singular
In this respect but herds with lew otner manu-.
iacturers, who would not be sorry II the Republic
could be established without their help, Tor they
see that tnis is the regime under wnlcn their
operatives are queteBt; out, on the other na nd,
they shrink from Identifying themselves with
o losing cause. lest all the good gifts
which government can bcstow should be kept
from them. M. Tournequillc, in his perplexity,
sits among the republicans and only drops the