New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-19
PARTISAN TOPICS.
pYrFp FRoM HENRY JAMES. JR.

THE PAINTER PISS CAREER AND WORKS.
iYRox A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE.l
PARIS Jan. 28.--The newspapers for the last fort
night have contained little else than addresses ana
programmes from candidates for the Senate and the
Chambers. One of the most remarkable documents
of this kind is sort of pronuncamiento from victor
Hugo, who is not indeed possible Senaior VI
Deputy, bat who has been nominated delegate W INC
electoral college of the Seine for the election OF Se-
stors The election in this department PROMISES 10
wear rather ruddy hue, and if NJ. ilugos utter
go ha,,. ,v ;,anence upon it, it will certainly be
red enough. We shall see, however, for it comes OH
an tho a0tb If the month Ii seems incredible that
Victor Ungo,s political vaccinations should nave
narticle of influence upon any human creature put
Ibave no doubt that they reverberate sonorousIy
.nongh in some Of the obscurer touches soclhes'
and there is no reason indeed why the SAINT
Influences which shaped Victor Hugo should
not have produced number of other people
who are ike him in everything except III
having genius. But in these matters ms genius uoes
not count for it is certainly absent enough from MS
address to the delegates of the $4,000 co;nmunes
of France 1t might have been believed that he
had already given the measure OF the power OF the
human mind to deude itself with mere words and
pbrases but his originality in this direction is quite
uneaualcd and perhaps | did wrong 10 say that
there was no genius in it. There is at any rate a
genius for pure verbosity. What he has to say to
his &c, 600 brother delegates is that Babylon mas
the heroisrn of Saragossa," that upon this farls
which merted all generations have been heaped all
sffrouts; y that the world has measured the guam
tity OF insult il has poured forth to the quantity Of
respect that was owed" 1t is worth quoting. What
matters. however In taking from her her dladem
rs capital of France her enemies have lad bare her
brain as captd of the world. This great fore
.lxrN Sihl all he
radiant that it is dscrowned. Henceforih the
nations unanimously recognize Paris the leading
CITY of the human race" NJ Hugo proceeds to
summon his electors "to decree the end OF
abuses by the advent Of truths to affirm France be-
fore Germanis,n, Paris before Rome light before
night Whether or as a nation The French are
more conceted than their nelghboTs, is question
that may be left undecided very good case on
this charge IN gt he made out against every nation
But certainly France occasionally produces lndlvid-
uals who express the national conccit with trans
cendcnt faulty which is not elsewhere TO be
matched. foreign resident i'll the country may
speak upon this point with feeling 1t makes HIM
extremely uncomfortable. don't know how II al
fects people who dislike French things to see their
fantastic claims for their spiritual mission in the
world but il is extremely disagreeable for those who
like them. Such persons desire TO enjoy in tran
fruits of French civilization but they have fancy
for being commi ted to perpetual genulectons and
proStratiOus. They read Victor Hugos windy sub
hmites in the evening paper over tieir profaneiy
well-c0oked dinners, and probably on leaving the
restaurant their course lies along The bll.-
hantly illuminated Boulevard The aspect of
the Boulevards, of fne mild evening, IL as cheer
full as you please but il exhibits number of fea-
lures which are not especially provocative Of ven
eTaion.n Perhaps the irritated foreigner We are
imagining is going TO hear the Ilinbale dAr-
gent" OF the Petite Mari6e," and he asks him
self at what particular point of these compositions
the brain of the capital of the world is laid bare.
good many other things are Laid bare, but brain is
not among them or course Victor lingo, rs politi
cal adviser, is taken ssrieL by very few people,
but the fact remains that one is liable 10 meet him ia
this character in ones evening paper and il is an
amusing fact.
Victor Hugo's old poetic rival OF rather his brother
in the Muse the generous Castor Of this impctuOus
POllux has also just been having an hours reap
pearance as an actually" very brilliant per
torrance was given the other day at the Porte Saint
Martin Theatre in aid of the fund for erecting a
statue to Alphonse de Lamartine. This II always
found 70 be the most effective way of raising money
IN France, and it generally produces large sums.
People who will not put down their for
requisite fee for the privilege of jamrniug them
selves into an ill-placed seat in crowded theater
OH that least inspiring of occasions, morning per
Torrance. The other day the programme was at
tractive as several of Lamartnc's most famous
poems were detained and sung b. artists Of the
Theatre Francois and the Opera. IL is worth
little discomfort to hear some fine verses rected by
Delaunay and Nile Fayart. There is no better
proof, however, that the good Homer sometimes
mods, than that that somewhat lurd star OF the
same establishment-the young tragedian, NJ
Nounet-T ully-should be allowed in the matter OF
recitation TO in ugar parlancc) 90 on" lie does
he is a clever actor but he has conception Of the
proper way to treat beautiful lyric verseto let it
speak for itself. His rantings and spUtterings and
eontOrtions are altogether beside the mark and it is
hard to understand how, III 50 august a school, he
should have been permitted to form such habits
j believe he is very wIllful young
The piece de resistance on the occasion
mention was a conference by NJ Ernest Legouy6 the
prince OF coRf1renciers. This epthet may be inter
preted as a compliment any degree the reader
chooses. conference the reader may need TO lie
mnded is performance which general takes place
In very uncomfortable little room on the Boulevard
des Capucnes into which curiosity has occasionally
be guiled my steps. 1t is both something more than
O lecture in our sense Of the word and something
less-rnore by grace but decidedly less by exert OIL
The French talk ofi-hand much more neatly and
brilliantly than we who have to buffet the big bill
lows Of the English tOngue, can ever hope to do,
that almost any clever man who will mount BESIDE
adesk with glass OF water beside him Is a very
sufficient lecturer. Perhaps that is the reason why
the spectacle Of such parsonage Is 80 Tar from AZ
tracing a crowd. | have never been into the room
IN the Boulevard DIES Capucnes without finding
inf