Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-20
IN rHE FRENCH CQsoSESy.
Psn-Piesures Of Nsssd ssatesnass-Ths 0ppor.
suussts end The Tessbiicans.
fPnIf-Maii Gaae<tel


sunista end the Republicans.
fPait-Maii GasetteI
." La consdic VA corsmencer." cried NJ.
Baudry d'Asson ~ N. 1e Roger took the
chair on the opening day. There Isalways
a theatrical element 10 the opening OF q
parliament. but IN France u Is, though
now unaccompanied with pageantry, more
apparent than IN other countries. Not
only are the French IN public les comediens
du bon Dieu. but there "a In France some
hidden influence nj work which casts his
torjcal events In d. amatic form. The $50
lated Freuchman Is in nj! things sober.
He studiously avoids eccentriciiy Of speech,
dress, and bearing. II he has original
ideas Of hobbies, be ~ careful to express
them in neat and tame language. Tue
number OF persons who seem cast In the
same mould il greater IN French than IN
English middle class lie. But wien they
are drawn together and made to feel that
the eyes OF the world are upon them. and
that great prizes are To be competed for,
individual qualities come out. and they
lose all dread OF making fools Of them.
selves. A collective frenzy takes bold Of
men who. when isolated, are tame, prosaic
bourgeois. The consequence OF this
n oral epidemic Is 10 bring out the
essential qualities of each. Variety re-
places monotony. Passions and hobbies
which have been kept in the shade are
brought into the sun. The dullness Of the
Due de Bisaccia, which Is In the Jockey
Club card-room OF piece with that Of the
Prince de Leon, or any other famous and
empty headed nobleman. becomes sui gene
rus. Colonel" Langlois is In private life
q rietir borhomme, sharply alive 10 the in.
terests Of number one. In parliamentary
assembly he Is aragipg Iunatic. The gently
dignified Nader de Montiau, whose noble
looking head Ia covered when he walks in
the streets with q melon hat, and whose
eyes beam with kindness, assumes in the
tribune the attitude OF prophet stlnding
On rock OF Mount Sinai.
At home NJ. Jules Ferry Is g0od-natured
and plsin-mannered; In the Congress he Is
dic,atorial TO the extent OF arrogance. He
does not seek to initiate Louise Quatorze
in holding ridiDg-whip in his hand. but
he conducts himself as though he were
prepared to saw: L'etdt c'est moi" In
the lobby he tells the majority exactly
what they are to do. On the opening day
Of the Congress he had printed n lis. OF the
members he wanted to be aced on the
committee which was to report on his re-
vision bill, TO be distributed by his friends
in the lobby and by the ushcrs
in the assembly. An impression
was given me by deputy. Not a
single name was altered. Mr.. Leon Re-
nault. the chief promoter OF the Tunis eX-
redition, who is burning for an oppor-
tunity TO posture rs supple statesman.
wanted 10 be made reporter on the bill.
But he propOs ed, and NJ. jules Ferry dis
posed. A mulaitO who speaks with negro
accent and was educated IN the same PEN
sion with Daude's " Jack" was thought
the best agent to draw up the report. II
NM. Leon Say, Renault, or any Of the
shame faced 0rlcanists who are on the
committee were given prominence, t1e
Government might be suspected q in
uiguing with the Due de Brogle. The
Opportunist did not want to figure as
Wallets tout fare.
The OppOItunists and semi-Orleanists
enjoy the idea that in getting the dusky
law reporter elected deputy for Guadeloupe
d. Clemenceau cut rod which they now
try 90 lay across the shoulders OF the RIdi.
cal leader. The position he conquered at
tie close Of the opening day, and the effect
his speech made have intensified the ami
mostly OF those sections OF the assembly
on " hich the Government counts. Gle
menccau, in protesting against the ready
made list and the attempt to lay the revision
bill on the table and supDortit in the tribune
before bureau Of the assembly. was
named and standing rules agreed upon,
asked nobody to adopt his opinions. All
he claimed was respect for appearance.
IL aefa1 Ifkn eaI.fie N a,
sluggish sore. 4 deputy was asked by q
journalist, who could not get in. what
Clemenceau said. "llc only entreated the
majority not to produce the effect OF an
archy in the country; and during five
minutes flogged them with such fine art.
and yet such perfect irankness, rs TO mike
them ashamed OF themselves. 'Cet homme
trotue tOtgOurS moyen detre intereS-
SAINT" An actor who keeps the ver-
ssilles play from growing dull is NJ. An
drieux. who in drawing.rooms speaks in an
undertone, brides his irony, wells his ma
tive wit, and is there never above respect
able concert pitch. In the assembly he Is
aggressive, provoking, intolerable. and
contrives TO transport with delight the
greater number OF hi' colleagues. With
out being eloquent, he is ready and a
discovering "raws" and hitting them
hard. One should not look for the perfec-
ton OF the ten commandments IN him. He
likes amusement; but he lolthes seryility,
and nothing could bring him TO stand To
any statesman in the relation Of col lar
wearing dog to bis master. Andrieux's
tongue is sharper than razor.
OF the Republicans OF 1S4s, so great by
fhair moral 1nripn thn apnr.ira
there are now only in the Congress Victor
Hugo. sch9lcher. Nader de Montiau, and
the ex-stonemason Nadaud, who was in
London friend Of the author OF tom
Browns Schooldays," and has written Il
history Of the English working-classes.
SchGlcher. who groans over the apostacy
OF the mulatto Reacbe, is thin. bowed.
pale-faced, has profile like Mile.
RachePs, dresses like clergyman,
and Is one OF the greatest charac.
ttrs perhaps OF the century. Though an
unbelieveI in all theories, he is deeply reli-
gious, and has for sixty years devoted heart,
soul. mind. strength, and purse to works
OF his goodness and mercy- and to the de-
fence OF bis principles. This assembly Is
much poorer than the one Of 1870 in emf
nent men. OF the Theirs set only Jules
Simon and Barthelemy st. Hilare remain.
All the able Bonapartists, except NJ. Len
gle. have disappeared. Ferry has great
business qualities. but is not far.sighted
statesman; Brisson il growing rusty; lie
pere's health has broken down. There
is ruck Of ambitious GambettIsts in the
prime Of life; but they want, with excep-
ton Of Spuller, the fate that carries away
the multitude. The best men OF the right
are still De Broglie and Buffet. In the
centre there are men OF average cleverness,
but not man OF character. Clemenceau Is
above the diapason OF Congress. But there
is feeling that he gains ground outside.
On the morrow Of the first sitting it was
impossible to obtain at any OF the kiosks
near the Madeleine or at Versailles copy
Of the justice containing his short and tell
ing speech.