Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-13
THE PEOPLES FETE.
THE NATIONAL FRENCH CELEBRATION
AT PARIS JULY l4IH.


THE NATIONAL FRENCH CELEBRATION
AT PARIS JULY l4IH.
A Brilliant Event-Msjesty and Grandeur
Of the -Enthusiasm-The Re-
view-The Scene at hight.
PARIS, July l6, 1851.
As impatient as were the Parisians to
begin the fete of the I4th, so are they as
10th to abandon it entirely, for even to-day
numerous flags are to be seen waving to
the breeze from every house of the city,
and innumerable lampions still remain
before the windows awaiting the illunin.
ations of the evening. Quella fete! As
was predicted it proved to be more mag
nifcent than that of last year, for at their
first trial the people were almost afraid to
give vent to their joy, it was such new
thing for them to have fete all to them
selves, it was difficult for them to believe
that it was their own fete and net that of
the birth of some new sovereign who gave
orders for them to be joyful as he would
give for any other ceremony which was to
reflect glory on himself. Yes, it was diff
cult for the French people to believe that
they would ever be able to celebrate those
liberties acquired by their ancestors many
years ago, after generations of horrible
sufferings; that their day had at last come,
and they could freely and in all security
enjoy the fruits of the great deeds of their
forefathers. 1t was easy to perceive that
this was
THE PEOPLES FETE,
For the enthusiasm was thoroughly spon.
taneous and national, and the poorer the
persons, the lower they were down in the
social grade, the more demonstrative were
they in their expressions of joy and graft
tude, as though the benefit were greater to
themselves. 1t would be impossible to de-
scribe the grandeur and majesty of this
fete it was as though each three-colored
cloth, each lantern, each festoon possessed
a voice of its own, and were singing one
loud chorus of Joy. The windows were no
longer visible for the flags which covered
them, and that which was especially touch
ing was to see in the more narrow streets,
ordinarily gloomy and unattractive, the
finest and most elegant of the decorations,
for the working people had frightened and
beautified their dwellings, which took upon
themselves all the gayety of their own
hearts and as though not satisfied with
| ordinary ornaments, their own ingenuity
had devised notices and garlands appro-
pirate to the occasion, these last extending
across from one dwelling to another, as
though uniting them more closely in
bonds of sympathy and fraternity. The
| higher up travelled the eve to the modest
dwellings of the modest poor, the greater
the brilliancy and the more numerous were
the colored lights, which seemed to joy
| fully mingle their rays with the stars above.
l do not know whether it is have grown
like the Parisians and rejoice also in fetes,
but acknowledge that l experienced the
contagion of happy strains which seemed
to be singing through every ones heart.
There was something awfully imposing
and impressive in the pulse throbbings of
two millions of people surrounding you,
beating to the measure of one thought, and
which seemed to create
AN ELASTIC CURRENT,
Carrying you with it whether you willed
or not. Every face bore smile, and
cheerful happiness was written upon every
brow, which had the singular effect, how
ever, of swelling my heart and bringing
tears to my eyes, SO beautiful seemed to
me the sentiment of patriotism. For that
day the people were their own police, and
thus gave the guardians of the city's Sc
curity holiday also. All horses and
vehicles were forbidden the streets after
o'clock in the evening, and it was strange
sight to perceive the people moving along
the center of the street as well as on the
sidewalks, as insouciant and happy as
though following their accustomed path.
All were at liberty to do whatever their
fantasies or instinct might suggest, as no
restraint was placed upon them, yet never
could a more calm or orderly crowd be
| seen. As no carriages were allowed, each
one had to depend on his own legs to carry
him from one point to the other in order to
see the Examinations and decorations that
| the rich jostled the poor, the aristocrat the
| bourgeois, and the bourgeois the artisan,
| pleasing to see than this crowd, smiling and
happy, all bent on the same business and
awed by the same fairy.like scene before
them. The most perfect order was main.
| tanned everywhere, smothered laughter
sides, but not one ill-natured sound or re.
mark. Good humor reigned supreme, and
| that which has always impressed me in the
oh c%r
on this occasion-their entire and wonder
full abandon to the pleasure and happiness
of the moment. Are they not in that true
philosophers, and can man expect to ac-
complish more in this world, haunted as he
is by unattained desires and pursued by re-
| gretful souvenirs?
THE REVIEW
Was very fine, although perhaps less in
| terestIng IN some respects than last year,
since there was no distribution of flags,
and the number of soldiers was not SO
great, owing to the present war in Algiers,
which has called away great many troops,
but the defile was superb and it was almost
impossible to tell which company did bet
ter than the others, so perfect did each
seem in its step and department. No voice
was heard during the entire exercise, for
all movements were performed by command
made through signs by aid of sword in
the Generals hand, which proved most
satisfactory innovation. The review was
for 2 o'clock, and promptly at that hour
the President and his suite made their APP.
pearance, the guns we're fred, and the
ceremony began, lasting an hour and half,
each company passing in review before the
estrada containing President Grevy and
other state officials. In spite of the ex-
tremely warm weather, the afiiuence of
people was very great, and as early as S
o'clock in the morning all public convey.
ances, boats and omnibuses, were crowded
with persons carrying their lunches with
them, and all moving in the direction of
Longchamps. Since Longchamps is in the
heart OF the Bots de Boulogne, they found
it both pleasant and convenient to take
their morning meal on the green sward and
under the shade of the trees. The heat on
that day resembled the heat of our 4th of
July in the Eastern States, and it was
proof of how fond are Parisians of military
shows to have brayed the ardent chances of