National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-15
A FRENCH VISITOR
TO THE YORKTOWN CENTENNIAL
Gives Ills Impressions at Length OF tho United
Statos-An Interesting story Of tho Treat.
mcnt Received In Washington,
Yorktown, Sc.

The hrst Of q series OF articles containing |
FreuChm ans impressions the United States ap-
pearcd I'm the R,tUs dcs Dctr MOndcs of February |
Is. The author /, NJ. dHauSonvile, member |
orthc French delegation which came 10 this coun- |
try last fail to attend the Yorktown centennial |
The first number was devoted TO an account Of the |
sea voyage the reception in New York. and the |
entertainment provided for the party, and of visits
to West Point and Niagara, But Il is in the sec.
ond of the series, published March IL, that we Of
the border land between North and south should
feel most interest, for 1t Is in this one that the
author narratCs the experiences Of his party in
Baltimore and Washington, and nludcs with
much fWnkness, and at the same time with JUS
ticc and with true French pocuess TO the par.
ticu'nr institutions of tho two cities.
THEIR ARRIVAL IN BALTIMORE,
he says, occurred at ten o'clock in the evening,
and. entering bOUoooisemcnt, the vehicles which
awaited them, they were driven to the Mount Yer
non Hotel. The mayor received them, delivered
an address of welcome and they were then len to
themselves. While waiting for their baggage they
went for short walk In the neighborhood of the
hotel. They observed many handsome houses,
but the streets were badly lighted and deserted,
point de- t0i'ures point dc pdSadns Zone secs ut
once says ". dliauSsonville " that 1t is n city Of
tho second order, very far removed rom the ami.
nation Of Madison Square aud the splcndOrs of
rum avenue ne lNllUNlIk lNOFUlNE llle nhIlN
went TO see the Washington Monument, which
has n great reputation in the United States, but IL
was without much admiration that passed at the
foot Of this monument, which is n sort of Column
Ncndome IN white marble perchcd upon rcdes-
tai. Every one" continued the author, " has his
architectural preferences or nnlipathCs My own
aversion is for column" TheymCl many young
girls in their walk who appealed to the admiration
Of the party by their trim figures small feet even
gait ana by the tascnnGss Of their toilcttcs, OK.
cept occasionally in the matter of hats, whose
broad brigandsh shapes exceeded even the
frightnl Partisan hat known the "Carlssa
HNrowe' The visitors had an opportunity that
dry Of witnessing the festivities known as
the oRIoLE FEAST"
which occurs nj intervals upon some anniversary
OF The founding of Baltimore. "To speak truly"
says NJ, dlluussunvillc, the anniversary and con-
seQuently The feast have already been celebrated
year Gg,, but II, the inhabitants have preserved
an agreeable recollection of their reiocings at that
time, et CONNIE Rn'0 a pas dc bonnie teic sans snde.
main, the city counsel resolved to give n second
approximation this year, making II coincide with
our reception" N. dHaussonville speaks with
much feeling ana gratitude of the atmosphere OF
sympathy and ifiCnGlineSs which surrounded
himself and party in Baltimore, and which had
mado their soiourn in New York agreeable, and
he mentions particularly that the Baltimore Ameri-
can published on the morning ailer their arrival
greetings for themselves and recalling the services
formerly rendered by France to the cause of
American liberty, and that its columns were filed
with pca'nn! anecdotes concerning their grand.
fathers ana themselves In order to measure the
PROGRESS or THE rREsS
in America, the AmericoH also issued that day
specimen copies Of itself as II appeared Il little over
one hundred years ago. 1t was then very modest
little sheet Published every eight days, and contain
ing nothing but amounCCmt ntS, among othcrS Il
notice dated from Mount Vernon, signed by George
g,1n 81 1,Nl .1,t,,,
10 him, and asking that II messenger be sent from
Baltimore to Philadelphia once II week with the
paper. This demaud had the effect when thescsr
mchS were distributed through The >trccts of Great
ing some confusion In the miud Of an unemployed
citizen who visited the Office of the ] .urnal that
evening to prnpo'c himself nr the position in que5.
ton. NJ. d'IlausSonvle speaks highly Of the
American press, and thinks it in many respects
VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THE FRENCH.
For instance, IL con aims more matter and Will D
the tone ofits polrncs bitter and injurious, and
while IL does not hesitate ~ grossly attack persons,
who donot invite public attention to their affairs.
A. the American press gives an account Of all that
transpirc', 1t does not, of course, fail to record
scnudalOns performances ordisreputable processes,
but one finds them in their place on the fourth
page, among the miscellaneous items or the judi
Cial news ana not bristling with strong commen-
tari,s on he first page of the Journal There does
exist In New York an abOminable little sheet
tons everything of n scandauus nature that can
be gathered by its scaYengcrs, but one does not
find IL on the table of ladies of fashion, and the
places. Indeed in order to read 1t one must have
discrimination to get IT, In word, hoR moral
point Of view, the American press
Is MORE DECENT
than the press in France, undoubtedly because
the reading public, and particularly the female
portion, is more severe. The French party while
III Baltimore attended concert given in their
honor by New York orchestra, and while it was
i'll progress NJ. d d'Haussonyie occupied himself in
inches Of him. THE faces seemed less fine, less
animated than those Of a French crowd and the
so well dressed. The little coquettish arrange
ment2 Of caps ribbons, and hair in which the
Par sian workwoman cxcels seemed to be unknown
among them, But rs n whole
AN AMERICAN CROWD
has something honest, seriou,, and decent about
it; il behaves with docilty and patience, and
act1ntcd hy some violent sentiment, IL knows
neither curb nor authority nor respect for law or
humanity. Every one has heard Of the law OF
Judge Lynch; but every one does not know that
those Aeizures Of convicted criminals of which we
hear aud their summary suspension Oh con-
veuient tree do not always takep place in these new
Territories where justice is yet powcrless to pro-
tect citizens, During the seven weeks that
paSsed i'm the United States there were no less than
four of these acts, one of which occurred at Gin
ciunati and Nnohcrat Chnrle ton. What is strange
is that among pcople which has so great n re.
6pect for the rights Of defense they do not create
more stir. One finds mention of them among the
explosions and railroad accidents on the fourth
page Of The newsplpcrs'
As TO THE CONCERT,
NJ dHuussOnyillc Thought there was trine toe
much brass ana confessed TINT a saxophoue sole
had little charm for him; but that young COrnet-
a.piSton disported himself upon his Instrument
with much agility and Obtained n much greater
success, he yenturcd To say, than that the French
delegation. The concert terminated with Curluu
little incident, "The orchestra played the nationu
air, Hnil COlumbia which had been during tn
late war the air OF the Federal Government III,
applause was reserved aud somewhat cold Pres
emily It started me dy not marked upon the pro
granme, which had been the air adopted
iGnd i 'Sf My Mayand SFmy III hts sGH1e lime nar Mpy
the crowd aprhgGed enthusiastically tn,
rest remain cold aud even show Uisp silion tc
trown. Then, suddenly, there bursts upon the eal
the true national air, dating from the War Of lHde.
pendencc: Yankee Doodle Now there was nc
division, thee were bn,vos stampings cries OF
'again,' in which all took part"
THE OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS
10 which the Frenchmcn were treated while in
Baltimore consisted OF "myStiC pageant visits
TO various points of interest in the city private
dinners, and finally grand bull given in their
honor ut one Of the theatres, If my readers re-.
member what ! said above Of the reputation of
Baltimore they will understand that we took care
not TO miss this ball But our expectations were
not realized, not only because the wives and
daughters of the members Of the committee who
Were present did not at all sustain the reputation
Tor beauty of their cOmpOtriOts but because a
Iakcn sand against attending We were tuld NJ
Inst that this was due to the reluctance Of the
ladies 10 appear in any but fresh toilets, but thi
seeming 10 US Il poor excuse for Americans In,
10 compromise themselves at ball necessarily
given by subscription, where the muOuy u
women present appeared 10 me 10 belong rather L
the class Of the sellers Of Charles street than The
complain OIL knowing that many Of our Partisan
women would never have consented TO attend d
subscription ball" The following day the dele
gutiOn look leave Of Baltimore, and In Two hour
Rg IA a. 4