New-York tribune., 1882-02-22
Ay HISTORICAL PARALLEL.

There WAS a grand banquet at the opera
house in Versailles on the first day OF OCTOBER,
1889. 1t was given 10y ardent admirers OF
those who were the leading exponents OF the
minority of France-a minority which the peo-
pie had already sternly condemned ana Wh'c"
a little later. they compelled to reap the awiul
whrlwind of their righteous wrflth. All uh-
commonly gay dinncr-while 1t lasteu-"eco-
rated with what Carlyle characterzes as many
@pot -valorousr speeches. By the waving ol
white Bourbon cOckades by trampllng Oh ma
tional cockades, and by much vOciie1ail0n, the
jewellers gave vent to their passionate admlra-
tiop for their idols, the chief OF whom, accord
ing TO the same reporter OF the dlnher, was
sitting duled" Nor was this idol the only
one of the company that was sitting dulleo'
History bears witness that every man OF them
sat dullcd. so far as the disccrnment OF popular
sentiment was concerned; or that If they dld
apprehend what they were doing, they were
stupillv reckless of the consequences. Silence
and seclusion were what best became them
were what alone became them. Nevertheless
with a fatal folly they feasted in unrestrained
opnlence and ostentatOn, and to the tune Oh
90 Richard, o mon Roi' they Haunted their
obnoxious sentiments i'll the face OF the French
people. -,
Ninety-thrce years later. Another splendid
hanouet Not at Versailles this time, but III
New York. Again the spectacle Is presented
of a band of admirers assembling to make
obesance to the will of the minority and to
tie great exponents of that will And even as
the frenzied mirth of the Versailles jewellers
mingled with the groans of people wrought
TO fury by famine, SO the mrth oil these New
York jewellers, equally untimed, mingled with
the slghs OF nation not yet fOrgetful of
tbc assassination of its best, It's bravcSt, It's
most patriotc son. And, to complete the
ANALYSIS. the New York reyellcrs, like their
Versailles exemplars, INDUCED in quantities OF
pot-valorous speech. True their Yoclieration
was not accompanied by the waving OF white
Bourbon or any other variety OF cockadeS, but
il is not clear that 1t WAS not accrntuatcd by
the display of sundFy brass seIf-conterred
medals. They did not tramplc upon the
national cockadcs, but theY did, these New
York revclers take care to snub the national
sentiment. And surely not the most reckless
OF the Versailles jewellers evinced denscr IN
capacity To discern or "A more shameless wiling
ness to disregard the face of the times. Obllv-
ions TO the fact that all they could Justly ask Of
the Americas people was the charity OF their
forgctfuness to the tune Of ROScoC, . mon
Roi." they invited the empying upon their
heads of the vials of popular condemnation.
The parallel is not quite perfect Where 1t
is deficient appears when we contrast the per-
sopgcl OF the earlier with that of the later
dinner The Versailles jewellers may have
been born to dazzle not illumine mankind
But they did dazzle they were men OF brilliant
parts. lofty of character and rich in accomplish
mrnts and achievements, unSeltish OF purpose.
But who were they who poured out the incense
at the NeY-York dinner Prominent among
the guests were hungry ollice-scckers, blatant
dcmagogues, dime professional politicians, and
q clerical ex-inspector Of consulates.