The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-07-31
90
=. For THE HERALD.
asEsOADBRfE'S PARIS LET
TER.
NO. 12.

NO. 12.
The Grand Fete of the 3Oth Of June---Splendid
Illuminations AL Over Paris---Street
scenes---The Midnight Procession-The
Exhibition.
A few weeks ago I remarked that,
if there was anything which a
Frenchman loved it vas a holiday !;
we have had a good many lately,
races, reviews and general jollifca-
tons, but nothing in magnitude
and grandeur to approach the
grande fete of Sunday, the 30th cf
June, which, for elaborate detail,
was undoubtedly the grandest that
France has seen in the memory of
living men. For weeks past we
have been holding our breatbs in
anticipation Of it; the busy note Of
preparation might be heard all over
Paris, among all classes and in
every quarter. The ancient -pobzesse
Of the quarter ST. German are not
near as enthusiastic as their COM
patriots Of Belle7llle OF the ouvrlers
of the Faubourg st. Antoine. You
may briefly divide Frenchmen into
two classes; one prides itself on it's
perfect imperturbility and sang
froid, and the other flies off like a
champagne cork and is never easy
unless it is kicking up some kind of
a row.
For a day, at least, order has
reigned in Warsaw. For one day
there was a sort of general political
amnesty declared; and for the first
time in many years imperialists and
republicans, monarchists and CON-
munists, buried the little hatchet,
took a whif at the pipe of peace
and on the 30th of June, Anno D0ns-
mi 1878, have had a grand jollif-
cation and general shake hands
over the bloody chasm. 1t was not
every man, or for that matter, every
woman either, who could shout:
"Vi7e IEmpire" or ''Vive la Re
publique" or ''Vive Ia Commune
but there was not a man or woman
within the walls of Paris, but could
say from the very bottom of their
hearts ''Vive la France!" Saturday
night was a night of exceptional
storm; the rain had fallen lightly
in the evening, and towards mid
night it increased to a torrent. On
Sunday, as daylight broke, the
skies grew clear and the morning
was one of the loveliest of the
season. Flags few in every direc-
ton, reminding me of the morning
of the opening of the Centennial at
Philadelphia. Over many houses
the cross Of St. George was en-
twined with the tlicolor Of France
and the beautiful stars and stripes.
Our neighbors from Japan were
nowise behind with their bunting,
and our Chinese cousins were ter
rife in fre-crackers and gorgeous
in Chinese lanterns. The day was
ushered in by salutes of artillery, the
only qualification to my satisfaction
being,-what may perhaps be an
unjust suspicion,-and that was,
that the present price Of powder
may have thrown the minister OF
war into a, fiji of the most stringent
economy, for I am willing to make
an affidavit that the discharge OF a
twenty-four FOUNDER from the In
valids, sounded like the bursting
of a second class hose, and repeat
ed salutes from a columbiad on
the outside Notifications scarcely
disturbed the little birds that
were cheerfully carolling on the
trees. As the day wore on heavy
masses of clouds rolled up from the
east, and the God of rain who
seems to take especial delight IN
soaking Parisians on their holidays
and jamborees shook over them his
angry mantle and kept them in
state of threatening suspense
though no rain actually fell. "The
city presented a beautiful sight.
All along the grand boulevard of
the Bois de Boulogne waved the
flags and streamers Of every ma
ton; temporary fagstafs had been
improvised among the trees which
we're gay with glittering pennants;
boquets of brilliant lamps peeped
out from the green foliage and
hung suspended in the air, and
electric lights festooned like strings