Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-10
LEssEr7' LAST SCHEME - THE MAEsEII
IAISE.

| DE LEssEr-' LAST SCHEME - THE MAEsElL-
| IAIsE.
PARIS. Sept. Eth, 1879.
To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times:
France, unpreoccupieI by the runners OF
war, which fix the attention of many of the
great powers of Europe, undisturbed for the
moment at least by the plotting of rival
forms of government, and having nausht but
its internal arrangements to modify or COM
plete, has judged the moment opportunc to
develop abroad vast commercial schemes, OF
which the Suez canal is the most successful
example. 1t is true that the attempt to start
a company for cutting the Isthmus of Darien
has failed but did not Professor Nordensk-
jold fail six times before he accomplished
the North East Passage? NJ. Ferdinand de
| Lesseps is not man to he daunted at the
outset, and he will try again next year. In
| the meanwhile he is devoting his energy to
another great project, which al first sight ap-
pears wholly chimerical. To construct
| a railway to the very centre OF Africa, and
thence to the French possessions on the west
| coast of the unknown continent is not a pro
| Jet en- TAR, hut one in the hands of engin-
GERS and travellers. A subcommittee of the
| Trans-Sahara Company met yesterday, with
NJ. de Lesseps in the chair. The necessity
of immediate action was insisted upon, and
the resolution that the llaoussa and Lake
| Fchaad, in the very centre of Africa, should
| be the points towards which the railway
should be laid, was unanimously adopted.
'tAll ideas even of important commercial
| transactions with the Soudan across the
desert of Saraha would have to he abandon
| ed" said NJ. Say, IF any other route were
selected than the one we have suggested.
The whole of our 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. The salt springs of the desert
are the keys of the Soudan."
So much of the "Marscillaise" has been
heard of late that NJ. Paul de Cassagnac,
weary of heavier subjects, has taken up the
National Anthem" as the satire of his song
against the government. Citizen ponitis
of the Republic" he exclaims in to-nights
| Pays. "change your national hymn or let me
whistle have just dined comfortably, and
am about TO light my cigar. Suddenly
hear the cry, To your arms, citizens This
shocks and alarms me, and | hiss. | know
very well, however that if invited to take up
arms they would quickly decamp. In few
moments come drunkards declaring in STEM
torian tones, that our wives and our chill
dren are being slaughtered | know that
this is false news-I whistle. | have the
right of so doing at least And so on during
the evening, The same drunkards state that
the day of glory has arrived which is noto-
riously inaccurate that the bood-reeking
standard has been raised which is premature,
TO say the least and that il is necessary to
water our burrows with impure blood,
which will not improve our crops this year,
nor destroy the phylloxera. If, exasperated
by so absurd and idiotic n song, | protest
against it, shall be cashiered if an officer,
imprisoned if civilian whilst the returned
convicts are exalted to the first rank of
virtuous citizens" The lmperialists, CON
tinues NJ. Paul de Cassagnac, were molten
sive when they repeated in chorus the legend
of the Beau Dunois and, with the exception
of NJ. Jules Ferry, who was married civilly,
no one could he shocked at hearing of ''the
bravest man and the farest damsel walking
together to the altar Of the Lord" The
''Marseillaise, away from the battlefield,
Is but an cxccutioner's orchestra to its
strains the heads waltzcd into the basket.
Attracted by its sound the crowds gathered
around the guillotinc. Ii is the HYMN of dis
cord of civil war-it is the anthem of muir
derers Yours, RiNE