The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1879-10-11
Letters from EurODe,
What Peaceful France is Doing Pro
posed Railroad Across Africa-
Ridiculing the Marseuaise.

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posed Railroad Across Africa-
Ridiculing the Marsellaise.
PARIS, September u, 1879.
EDITOR CHIEF:
France, unpreoccupied by the ru
mors of war which fix the attention
Of many of the great powers of Eu
rope, undisturbed, for the moment a
least, by the plotting Of rival forms
of government, and having naugh
but its internal arrangements to mod
ify or complete, has judged the mo
ment opportune to develop abroad
vast commercial schemes Of which
the Suez Canal is the most successful
example. 1t is true that the attemp
to stars a company for cutting the
1sthmus of Darien has failed, but die
not Professor Nordenskjold fail sia
times before he accomplished The
north east passage7 NJ. Ferdinand
de Lesseps is not man to be daunted
at the outset, and he will try again
next year. In the meanwhile he is
devoting his energy to another grea,
project, which at first sight appears
wholly chimerical: to construct rail.
way to the very centre Of Africa, and
thence to tho French possessions on
the west coast of the unknown COZ
tinent is not a projet en- pair, but one
in the hands of engineers and trav-
elers. A sub committee of the Trans
Sahara Company met yesterday, will,
NJ. de Lesseps in the chair. The me-
cessity of immediate action was in
sisted upon, and the resolution that
the Haoussa and Lake Tchaad, in the
very centre Of Africa, should be the
points towards which the railway
should be laid, was unanimously
adopted. Z" All ideas even of impor-
/ tant com mercial transactions with the
Soudan across tho desert of Sahara
would have to be abandoned" said
NJ. Say, If any other route were
selected than the one We haye sag
gested. The whole Of cur policy in
Sahara must be the occupation, first
by diplomatic means and afterwards
by locomotive engines, Of the salt
rocks which form the halting places
! of the CARAVANS. .sF1pa .alt sl,rings .vf
the desert are the keys of the Soudan -
So much of the Marseillaise has
been heard Of late that NJ. Paul de
Cassagnac, weary of heavier subjects,
has taken up the " National Anthem y
as the satire of his song against the
Government. "Citizen pontiffs Of the
Republic," he exclaims in to-night's
Pays, "change your national hymn
or let me- whistle. have just dined
comfortably, and am about to light
my cigar. Suddenly I hear the cry,
'Toyour arms, citizens This shocks
and alarms me, and hiss. IknOw
very we'll, however, that if invited to
take up arms they would quickly de.
camp. In a few a1oalents come drunk
ards declaring in stentorian tones,
that our wives and our children are
being slaughtered.' know that this
is false news-I whistle. l have the
right Of 80 doin, at least. Aud SO on
during the evening. The same drunk
ards state that the day of glory has
| arrived, which is notorionsly inaccu-
rate; that the blood -reeking stand
ard has been raised Mlfiel. is Irema.
tnre, to say the least; and that it is
necessary to water our furrows witt,
impure blood" which will not i'm.
prove oaf crops this year, nor destroy
the phylloxera. If, .exasperated by
SO absurd and idiotic song, protest
against it, shall be cashiered if an
officer, imprisoned if a civilian; whilst
the returned convicts are exalted to
the first rank Of virtuous citizens ,,
The 1mperialists, continues NJ. Paul
de Cassagnac, were inoffensive when
they repeated in chorus the legend OF
the Beau Dunois, and, with the ex-
ception of NJ. Jules Ferry, who was
married civilly, no one could be
shocked at hearing of "the bravest
man and the fairest damsel walking
together to the altar of the Lord. The
Marseillaise, away from the battle.
field, is but an execntioDer's orchestra
to its strains the heads waltzed into
the basket. Attracted by it's sound
the crowds gathered around the gull.
lotine. 1t Is the hymn of discord, oil
civil war-it is the anthem of mur.
derers." 5~@-. -.-@ ~... .--. ...
This assault upon the popular bal
lad has created quite sensation.
Yours, ROVER.
Kansas has had more than enough
of the exodus. The Mayors Of Kan
sas City and Wyandotte voice thi
sentiment in an address inviting