Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-09-20

Having given separate sketches |
of French and American society, or
at least of the more marked features
which distinguish one from the
other, we propose before Analysing |
Ga third phase to study these two in
their relation to one another at |
points where they come in contact.
Two such strangely contrasted |
modes Of social intercourse could |
hardly come into close relations
with one another without some
thing Noteworthy resulting from the
contact. This result we will seek
at a point where the contact is
most conspicuous; namely, where
Americans reside any length of time
i'm Paris. 1t will be the purpose
therefore of the present paper to in
vestigate what IS Familiarity called
the American colony in Paris.
We are penetrated and dismayed
with the audacity of our enterprise.
Does not the creme de Ia creme of
American society intrench itself rs
in an impregnable fortress in the
colony to the exclusion of every
drop of skim milk? And how
shall the quiet, eontemplative
editor Of country newspaper gain
any insight into those realms of in
accessible brightness, luminous and
brilliant to their own deniZens, but
to outsiders "dark from excessive
Light? Fortunately, with all its
exclusiveness, the Franco-AmeTican
circles of Paris delight in publishing
their doings, and thanks to the
travelling correspondents of our
city papers and the Washington
society correspondents of our cOun-
try iournals-thanks to Jenkins, in
short, we are periodically informed
of the dOings and surroundings of
those august circles down to the
patterns of their teacups and their
visiting cards. Through the teles-
cope furnished by the European cor
respondents let us first take a peep
into
THE AMERICAN COLONY.
"Good Americans when they die
90 to Paris" is a somewhat profane
proverb originating in the passion
for a trip to Paris, with longer OF
shorter soiourn there, which seizes
on the average American as soon as
he or she possesses the means OF
living without daily work. And
once tasted, the joys of a life in
Paris have a fascination for Ameri
cans, especially those of the fair sex
which holds them there as long a:
they have a dollar to change into
francs, and would hold them longer
but that the mystery of living Oh
credit is one which has never beer
mastered by Paris tradesmen. Pay
as you go is the rule which cruelty
abbreviates the residence there 70
so many who spend the rest of thei
lives in a state Of querulous discOn
tent with the insufficiency Of Amer
lean society for the enlightened few
who have seen better things. ThOs
with whom the dollar or the dollar
worth of francs have not given on
constitute the Landed and enviet
American colony. 1t is founded
we regret to state, on shOddy. BE
fore the war there was scarcely
colony there. When that unfOrtu
nate difficulty commenced, som
cotton nabObS who had sold thei
crops hurried thither to escape tn
various deSdgreHle7lS attendant upO
the ''little unpleasantness." Tn
planters themselves went to avOi
declaring for either North or SOutl
hoping to save their land an
negroes thereby, and to come bac
shouting for the winners when tn
cruel war was over. Their wivt
could not exist without getting til
fashions fresh from Europe ever
year; their daughters could haV
no pleasure in the South when a
the beauX were in the army, an
the gilded youth were glad to dOde
the CONSUMPTION shouting an
swearing for the South was all VeT
well, but fighting for it was not
their programme. These patriot
Southerners were soon Joined b
patriotic NOrtherners who had fla
tened on contracts, and their nun
bers and wealth increased through
out the war and long after the W;
was over, while the COnfedera
element became small by degre
and beautifully less. On the co
trary, the flush times which Taste
for spectators and contractors ii
about 1S6S-7O built up the colon
abundantly on the shOddy basi
and it has become rather a b
thing even in Paris.
And now, what does the color
do in Paris? What is its mission
What are the objects OF 1T ASPIRATION
What it does is to ape the vulg
extravaganza of the SecOnu EmpiT
its mission is to dictate fashions
the less fortunate Americans;
aspiration is to be presented
court. Before the catastrophe
Sedan this aspiration amounted
mOno-mania, and the Americ;
Minister in Paris found life burd,
through the demands of Americ;
matrons upon his mediatorial 81
vices in causing the gates OF Il
paradise to open.
The Court of the Second Empi
was neither very moral nor We
refined, and it was quite as W.
for the American matrons al
maidens when it collapsed. II
receptions at the Champs Elysee
President Grevy are the consOlatio
they are respectable and inteIlet
ual, but the colony finds them slo
Let us look Il little more in {
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