The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-06-21
THE FRENCH ELYSEE.

H
n. Grsvy at Home-What Was Seem
by Visitor at the French Elysee.-
) President Crews Way OF Life
Famous Occupants Of the Executive
Mansion.
Paris Correspondent Phil. Press.
A lunatic awoke in the night recently
and, climbing out upon the balcony Of
the house in which he lives in this city,
lighted sundry Chinese lanterns which
he had carefully prepared during the
day: Then he set Dip. Tremendous
hew]ing: ''The king has come! the
king has arrivedl'' His sleepy fellow.
tenants; when they put their heads out
at windows, contented themselves With
laughing and applauding.x It seemed to
them natural that q: crazy man should
be expecting the arrival of the ''king,"
but If a sane man should venture to pre-
diet such thing people would lose their
tempers. and would have him dragged
off to prison for disturb
ing the public peace. The
discredit into which all royalists and i'm
perialist enterprises have fallen within
TIE last three months is quite remark
able. The comte de Chambord has been
confined to his room for weeks by Sc
we're illness; the duke d. Anmole has
contented himself with luxurious re-
tirement amid his Siscilian vineyards,
varied now and then by trip to Etna
or to some ancient ruin; and no one
seems to know exactly where the count
of Paris IS presently to be found.
Prince Napoleon gives dinner parties
and amuses himself in other ways in
the capital without attracting any atten-
ton, save from one or two mi!d-eyed
spies, who watch him more because
because they have the smallest idea
that he can do anything dangerous.
Royalty is an empty dream helceforth
- At Tie Elysee, the presidential rest?
aence, democratic manners, tempered
by the excellent taste: and traditional
politeness of France, are the rule. NJ.
Grew has long been accustomed to pubs
lie life, and the constant publicity to
which his position subjects him does
not appear at alto wear upon his easy
temperament. The Elysee is an old
fashioned, rambling building. full of
arrow corridors and diminutive ante
rooms. and parlors hung with tapestries
and paintings Of merit. 1t looks upon
lovely gardens which opens out on the
and fronts on the noisy and busting
Faubourg Saint Honore. Bya lofty porte
cochere on side street one enters, If
he has Il reason for visiting the place, a
modest courtya ri, and, passing up
flight Of steps. finds himself in small
passage. Here are two or three SER
wants in decorous black liv ry, and here
assemblies daily the kind of crowd
which gathers to wait upon our presi-
dent at the White House. Over one of
the servants tables is white annun-
clator, with three discs and bells,
S Seere sasn a 1"f WisSn rh tns
belle nhouice the arrival and depar-
ture of delegations all the morning long,
from the very early hour at which
French public mer. begin to receive un-
til hal fpast> twelve. In the passage
ways and tiny rooms opening out Of it
are seated old and young ladies in black,
deputies and senators who have sent in
their cards, delegations from the PROV
inces and literary and artistic celebri-
ties. The adroit servants have q VERT
able genius for tucking away these widely
different lots of people in separate
tience as they can SUMMON, the bell
which calls them. The most perfect
courtesy is shown to the humblest Wis
itor. The servants are considerate an6
faithful, and if you have come by APP
pointment your hour and minute are
registered on little book in the morn
ing and an attendant comes for you just
at the moment agreed on.
, Ii you are to see the president, you
are conducted from your ante-room
through Il small labyrinth of parlors into
one where you are received by two or
three officers in uniform, and these gen.
tlemen salute you and generally con-
verse for two or three minutes with you.
Here is General Pittie, who is one OF
the officers chosen to represent France
Moscow; here are other we'll known
functi nnaries, all of whom step briskly
aside when the door of the rpesident's
cabinet opens, and he comes forward to
~ receive you. M. Grevy occupies hand
some selni-circular room, we'll stocked
with books and with comfortable Office
furniture. He at once make s his visitor
quite at home, and listens with marked
attention. Now and then he takes note
with care and deliberation, and he ex-
presses his opinion slowly and with en-
phasis. He has nice sense of dignitie =,
and that profound knowledge of mems
characters which comes from political
life Of more than halt a century: So lie
never fails to "bring each visitor out, and
make him tell all his story. The ptesi-
and who could readily endure the hard
work of q second term. He enters with
interest into the discussion of all public
affairs, and is completely informed about
all that is going on in the outside world.
He is usually dressed in plain. dark
clothes, and does not make the slightest
attempt at "posing." His manners are
unaffected, and his kindness is genuine:
There is singular resemblance in the
lower part of his face to that of General
Grant. In fact, the French president,
with his hat on, might readily be mis-
taken for our famous general. From the
windows the cabinet you catch glimpses
Of green lawns and ancient trees; and
not far away is the conservatory. in
which, in breathing spaces of official life
the president and his son-in-law receive
distinguished company at fencing bouts
The Elysee Palace will, doubtless con-
tinue to be the official residence for
long time to come. It is handy to the
ministries, most of which are within easy
walking distance of the Palais Bourbon
across the Place de ia Concorde, on
the bank of the Seine. The old palace
has many interesting historical associa-
tons, especially as "Presidence." 1t
was there that Louis Napoleon Matched
his conspiracy; there, even, that, in the
very midst of a fashionable assembly,
he informed one of the generals in his
confidence that ''it was to be for that
night" NJ. Grevy probably feels GER
tain amount of honest pride in dwelling
as an incorrIptible president in the halls
in which the Emperor" compromised
with his conscience and yielded to the
temptation to grasp at supreme power.
Some one said OF the Elysee that it was
the point OF departure for dynasties, but
this has been said of nearly all the Par
isian palaces. The Bourbons of the
elder branch started from the Louvre;
Bonaparte, the Great, from the Luxem-
bourg; the d'Orleans from the Palais
Royal, and Napoleon III, as we have
seen, from the Elysee.
The first master of the palace, which
now serves as presidential residence,
was the Count d'Evreux, of the house of
Bouillon. He had made what the socie-
ty of his time considered mesalliance,
in marrying the daughter of the rich
financier Crozat, and the result was that
he had an immense fortune with which
he liked to astonish those who sneered
at him. One of his caprices was the con-
structiOn Of the vast mansion now known
as the Elysee. When its foundations
were laid, its site was some distance