River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-12-28
RIVER FAILS JOURNAL.
RIVER FALLS, WIS. DEC. 2s, 1882.
PARIS NEHsPAPERs.


It is, think, scarcely necessary for
me to introduce lie Figaro to my reat,-
ers. Who does not know lie Ftgdrof
Nine out of ten travellers consider
French genius of the nineteenth centu-
ry to be represented by lie Fi9aro-not
by Chateaubriand, rot by Victor Hugo,
Lamartine, AIichelet, Auguste Comte,
Renan. Claude Bernard, Pasteur--but
by lie Figaro.
The Frenchman abroad, whatever be
| his political opinions, re DIS lie Figaro;
whether he be at Damascus, Pekin or
Melbourne, lie Figaro comes to him
with an odor of the b uleyard, and is
always opened with delight. lie Figaro
inserts long articles, both ultra royalist
and ultra-clerical, of which some, it is
said, are written in good faith; but it Is
so much paper wasted. lie Figaro IS
not read for them; it is for its spicy
gossip that we take it up, for its indls-
Greet way of taking peeps at private
life, for its theatrical news, its green
room gossip, its bits of scandal, and es-
pecially when we believe them false.
You like it as you like the good barber
of Seville, who tells you the news while
cutting your hair or shaving you. There
are very often days when LIE Figaro Is
worthy of it's name.
1t is an error to suppose that the po-
litical Importance of a newspaper Is to
be esti rated by the number of copies
sent out. The Petit Journal, which
strikes eff more than 100000 copies,
certainly has an Importance not to be
despised upon the public that read the
half penny newspapers, but lie Pdrte-
| mont, which strikes off only 5000 or
1900 at the most, is paper which no
pol teal man neglects to read every
morning. This is the rogan of the Left
Center. il was founded by NJ. Dufaure,
year before his death. NJ. Ribot,
Deputy for Calais, is now the director,
and NJ Dietz principal editor. 1t be-
longs to the category of anonymous
newspapers. Few journals are man
aged more conscientiously, with more
tact or dignity.
The most widely known of all the
Republican papers is lie Temps, pub
lished in the evening. 1t died at the
commencement of the empire, but owes
its resurrection in 1861 to Neff ger,
whose two friends, NM Adrien and JAG
ques Hebrard Cat the present time both
Senators), succeeded him. Of all our
newspapers, this one, in size, kind of I'M
formation and method of discussion,
most nearly resembles an English
paper. Since the 4th of September it
suppresses signatures, except for liter
airy articles by NJ. Scherer, literary
critic, second only to Sainte-Beuve; by
NJ. Fransisque Sarcey, the most power
full and well-informed of our dramatic
critics; by NJ. Jules Claret;e, the most
prolific and learned of chroniclers; and
from time to time well-known academ
icians, eminent in letters and sciences,
such as NJ. MeZieres, NJ. Wurtz and NJ.
Bertholot, sign their articles.
lie Journal deS Debats was born with
the age After La Gazette de France it
is the oldest of our political papers; it
is, l think, the best known abroad; it
has always been liberal; for eleven
years it has been Republican-wisely,
prudently and courageously SO. OF all
our papers it is the one which has sup
p led the most members of the Acade
ME, which means in so many words
that its contributors write a language
which is very correct and very elegant.
Chateaubriand, Provost Paradol, Saint |
Mare, Girardin, De Sacy, Bersot and |
Janin all wrote for LIE journal des De |
bats in the past, just as NM. John Lee
moinne, Renan, Cuvillier-Fleury, Taine
and Leon Say (the last of whom always |
returns to his dear paper when he is no
longer either President of the Senate or
Minister of Financed are contributors
to-day.
lie Journal deS Debats has by pref
erence always taken up questions of for
eign pol cy, and makes up for this by |
being gener lily about twenty-four hours
late with all news. Excessive scrupu- |
lousn SIS for beautiful language and dis
regard for information are two charac-
teristics of this papcr.-M. Reindch, in
Nineteenth CeHfItTU.