Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-20
APRIL IN FRANCE.
Some Novel HOaxes-France and the
Egyptian Troubles - The Military
Strength of the Germans and Gauls.
Correapondenee 81 tAe Morninq Neaos.

Some Novel HOaxes-France and the
Egyptian Troubles - The Military
Strength of the Germans and Gauls.
CorresDOndence Of the Morning Neaos
PARIS, April 3,-April, says Victor
Hugo, Is the month ''dear to poets; is the
break of day of summer, fresh as all
dawns, gay as all infancy; it cries oc-
casiOnally like a new born, which 1t is;
nature during April has some charming
glimmerings which come from the
heavens, the clouds, the trees, the flowers,
the fields, and pass into the heart of man.
Love is the April of humanity" Button
assures us that it is in this month the
birds commence to sing.
There is no word in the French Ian
guage so unsettled in its pronunciation as
April; there are no less than three differ
ent ways, and all equally orthodox, de-
spite the law and the prophets of the
academy. This may be coincidence of
its origin. ROmulus, desiring to honor
his father and mother, is believed to have
named March Mars and April Venus;
the Greeks designating this lady Aphro-
dite, from sea foam, out of which the
Goddess OF Beauty was made. ROmulus
gave to April, the second month of the
1Gdls LulA ~ QdNb NuLutNs perhaps W
crafty whim Of Egeria's, reduced the
number to tWenty-nine, till Cesar re-
established the original total. Though the
Romans dedicated April to Venus and
symbOlized their gallantry by a man dane
ing to the sound of an instru-
ment. April means, following Var
ron, to open. 1t is the epoch of the
year, when the earth, "a long time closed
by the cold Of winter, commenced to open
70 no mild iufnnnaOo Nxrhf ab 81 IL
1t is the month when farmers and gar
deners are most active. The proverb
says that he that does not SOW in
April Will not reap in Autumn. Ancient
astronomers concluded the sun entered
the zodiac sign of the Bull in April, and
the Bull typified labor and culture.
THE TOY AND SUGAR BAKER SHOPS
are full of ''ish.' THESE billingsgates are
a temporary halt for children who are good
before becoming recipients Of Easter gifts,
The fish embOdy a surprise called poisson
ddUrlI--that is to say, April fool. This is
an allusiOn to the simple and credulOus
people who went to fish on the LIST of April,
the period when even the most expert dis
ciple of Izaak Walton could not even
count upon bite. There are others who
claim that, as the sun during April quits
the sign of the zodiac of the fishes,
fOrefathers presented chronological sOuve-
Mrs Of an epoch whose departure they
were only too glad to forget The more
probable origin of this day of dupes may
be traced to 1864, when Charles IN, then
residing at ROussillOn, decreed that the
new year was hencefOrth to commence on
the first of January instead of, as then,
on the first of April. New years gifts
and compliments being thus ante-dated,
people adopted as a pleasantly the mock
presentation of both on the old new years
day, viz: the first of April. Only young
people are now yictimized. They are
sent on an errand to purchase cord to tie
the wind; to buy a bottle full of the lat
ter; some stirrup oil; a pike without
bones, or borrow stick without an end.
The ElectOr of Cologne, brother Of the
ElectOr OF Bavaria, arrived at Nalen-
ciennes on the first of April. and an
nOunced he would preach in the cathedral.
A crowded congregation was the result
The ElectOr assembled the pulpit, made
the sign Of the cross, exclaimed, april
FOOln' burst out laughing and decamped
His insanity atOned for the scandal. 1
think it was in 1916 that London even
ing journal, of the 3lst March, announced
the Ass ShoW'' would be inaugurated
next morning at the Agricultural Hall,
Islington. A crowd duly arrived only to
find they themselves were the exhibits.
In shooting two Pashas-p01tr encOHr-
metal to similar scOundrels. But it is
felt here that his walking-stick pro-
gramme must be Immediately fortified by
the dispatch of a few English regiments.
And even all that will be only patchwork
till England has the courage to proclaim
she will take Egypt under her direct con-
troll, and prove she is equal to the task of
governing her successfully. That will be
the best way to reply to the incessant
UibnG Of tho ErQnph VVhO n fOrUaf
they declined to act with England. They
rather preferred to risk all in Arab. and
lOst-hence, why the heather rage.
TREMENDOUS EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE
by NJ. de Lesseps and his friends to secure
the necessary adhesion OF tw0-thrds of
the shareholders to ratity the nomination
Of Englishmen on the Council Board, and
the appointment of some English pilots
and inspectors about the Suez canal. 1t
will be a bitter pill to swallow, but if not
taken the opposition canal will be made.
The French believe that by keeping an eX-
elusive grip on that cosmopolitan high
way they have still kind of domination.
an anti-British fOothold, in Egypt.
There are signs that the fever for CO.
lOnization schemes is abating. The be-
lief is becoming more general that Bis
marck is encouraging France in her cru
sadie for prOtectOrates the better to weak
en- her at home. The real cause is to be
sought in the financial position. France
is in tight place-a cOrner-iS living be-
yOnd her means; cannot impose new taxes
without killing the republic, and lacks
the courage to sacrifice her pride to re-
duce ''glOriOus'-that is to say. unpro-
ductive expenditure. The anarchists
and thee discontinued working classes
continue rather to augment than diminish
In their seething, and the hatred against
capital becomes daily more intense The
Orleanists are rapidly throwing off the
mask, land entering formally on a campaign
against the republic. The army organiza-
ton bill is at last before the Chamber;
it divides opinion. The points over
which the fighting will take place are.
abolition of the voluntary system and the
compulsory service during three years
without exception, of every able-bodied
citizen. The annual contingent CT con-
scripts drawn in Germany is 80, 600: in
France, 305, 900. OF the latter total $4,000
are rejected as physically disqualified,
$4,000 adjourned till more developed, a.
600 exempted by law for special eXcep-
tons, 10000 for auxiliary services. and
1000 drafted into the naYy-deductiOns
made, that would leave for active service
$4,000 cOnscripts yearly, or a standing
army of some 444, 200 men. The
effective peace footing' Of Germany
is 42I, 200 men. In Austria, Italy,
and even in Russia, though six years be
the time nominally in the latter country
under the flag, the average service for all
these nations is three years. But the
volunteer systemic superintend the ac-
tive service of three years, and so allow
young men to qualify for the liberal pro-
fessiOns--yaries from two months in Aus
tria to six IN Russia. In Germany, con-
scripts can graduate in the universities
while putting in their service as soldiers.
In Germany, also, the maintenance of a
soldier, as compared with France, is as
three to five in point Of expense.
THE MONARCHIAL JOURNALS
have been sympathetic in their expression
of coincidence with Queen Victoria on the
new and sudden bereavement which has
befallen her. The Republican press re-
manned as mute as a fish. In all the
churches feeling illusions were made to
the melancholy event, and none more
touching than by the American pastors.
One touch Of nature ought to make the
whole world kin.
Reference is frequently made Of late to