Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-07-19
Paris Letter.

WHAT RESPECTS THEY ARE INFEEoB-rHE
YELL OF THE NEwsBoY SILENT IN PARIS, AS
ALSO THE YELL OF OTHER BoYs-A VERY
SMALL NUMBER OF CHILDREN DECREASING
roPULArIoN-C CAUSES AND EFFECTS.
Especial Correspondence Of THE PHuNIxI
few days since l bought an illustrated
French journal, and before l had half done
reading it my hands were black from the i'm
perfect, filthy ink with which it was printed.
In quality of paper and topography the
French papers are far inferior TO ours. Ger
tainly not in Paris. and il is to be presumed,
not in France, is there II newspaper that in
material and mechanism will compare with
hundreds that are printed in the cities and
towns Of the United States. The same infe-
riority may be seen in the French circulars
and business cards, which look like those un-
canny, dirty little scraps that some trades
men, with a false theory of economy, print
for themselves with rubber stamps.
The number of newspapers published in
Paris is very large, but few Of them are of
much use or interest to the stranger. All the
numerous parties, shades Of parties, and
cliques, have, as with us, their special organ.
The Legitimists have the "UHiOH,' the Or
leanists the .Sol,H, the Catholics the "UHi-
GERS" The Bonapartists burn daily incense
to the Empire in three Journals "HOrdre,"
which is the organ of the ex-prime minister,
NJ Rouher; the "Pdys," edited by the duel
ist, NJ. Paul e. Cassagnac, and the "Gdu1ofS,
paper largely devoted to dramatic and Par
isian news. Republican and Radical organs
are too numerous to mention. Perhaps the
best paper in France both in style, matter
and management is "Lc Ttmps." which has
on its staff some of the most distinguished
scholars and MterdteurS of modern times.
NJ. Sarcey is its dramatic critic, and his arti-
cles, which are Published each Monday, are
the djctd from which there is no appeal. The
political writer's on "Le Tdmps' contend
with those of the JoHrHal d,s DeJdts in their
influence upon European politics. During
the recent war the articles of the latter paper
were telegraphed and discussed in every Eu-
ropean capital, and if any decision shall be
arrived at by the present Congress at Berlin,
it will, no doubt, be influenced and shaped
by those writers who WELD weapon more
powerful than the sword for the columns of
the "DeJdts.' The organ of NJ Gambetta is
the "RcpUJHque Francdise;" but there are
many other journals of pretty much the same
shade. The Radical organs are the "Bien
PuJEc," the "Rdppel," the "Ndysejlidise'
and a number of other journals that soon sue
cumb to the censorship of the government,
through the fines imposed for. seditious Ian
guage. The paper that is read most by the
stranger who comes to Paris to see life. to en-
JOY himself, and who wants to know what is
going on in society, whether high or half
toned, who is interested in literary novelties,
and in the sayings and doings of the world
that lives in the cdtts, is, undoubtedly, the
'FigGr0" l have mentioned above only
few of the leading papers that are to be found
at the kiosks Papers here are usually sold
in little news stands that look like sentry box
es. The yell of the newsboy is seldom heard,
except about the gates of the Exposition,
when the jaded visitor comes out in the af-
ternoon; and then the newsboy here is man
or woman, not boy as on our side the At
lantic Boys appear to be very scarce in
France. The gdmin, so graphically described
by Victor Hugo, no longer swarms in the
foubourgs. Statistics tell us that the popu-
lation of France is decreasing, and the search
ty of young children in this country is so
marked that Americans seldom omit to speak
of it with surprise. Few families have more
than two children, which is perhaps double
the usual number, and many families have no
children. l have met but one family in
France who had as many ms five. As the faith
er mentioned the number he evidently eX-
pected me to be overwhelmed with surprise,
md / ,aI to tlotI H., haJ
parntively well, did not wound his vanity
by telling him that twice that number was
not uncommon for the teeming shores of the
new world The effect of this condition of
things on the future military strength of
France it is not difficult to foretell The pop
ulations of other European powers are slowly
but steadily increasing; and, although France
loses less than any from the drain of emigra-
ton, she is certainly falling off in population.
Silent unavertable causes are at work to this
end. A European military necessity which
the traditional warlike attitude of France has
chiefly produced, is inincal to those fecund
energies that are prolific only in an atmos-
| phere of peace. The reaction has, with stern
retribution, been first felt by this nation the
chief offender.
Frenchmen are patriotic in their vain way.
| They are ambitious to maintain and transmit
their heritage of military glory unimpaired to
the future. They would be proud to add new
| trophies to their columns of Vendome and
arches of Triumph. They are courageous in
war and not afraid of blood letting but in
antagonism with their narrow patriotism, and
public courage, is their personal selfshness
and prudence. The way they avert the or
| phan and widow dilemma, involved in war, is
by avoidance of marriage. IN the conceit of
| the individual Frenchman this is shrewd and
| provident but from a national point of view,
it is fatally shortsighted. 1t is that false
economy that we illustrate in America by the
nAuseous metaphor of the spigot and bung.
French statesmen prate about eras of peace,
and next week grand fete of international
amenity is to be given; but the grim, war
| like wrinkles of centuries cannot be effaced
by festivals and rhetoric. This people wor-
ship me with their lips but their heart is far
from me-" In spite of epigrams like 'the
Republic is peace" in spite of the Exposition
and fetes like the one proposed, France has
no policy but to maintain her place in the
armed camp that insane thirst for glOire has
made of Europe. c. A. =.
Judging from the publishers announce
ments the youngsters are likely to find the
Midsummer Holiday number of st. Nicholas
the issue for Augustus bright and sum
merry as they could wish. There is to be a
long funny poem by their old friend, j. T.
| TroWbridge -yersifed from a story by Maud