Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-17
'espoadencs Of tie Morning Ae,rs.

3 :
of the equal division OF unequal earnings
school, humbly confessed he had no pana-
cea. But he made an important admis-
! sion, that it was necessary to recognize
| governing classes or, in other words.
/ superior capacity to guide and control in
4 feriOr intelligences. The debates have
thrown the ''tierce light of truth" on the
| inanity Of the systems, the utopias, the
/ chimeras dire, that are mOuthed at the re-
! unions IN Paris, and trumpeted by a gid
/ dy and irresponsible press.
I Nj. Jules Ferry, in a sensible and
! plucky speech, pierced all the wind
i bagism. He invited the representative
/ of socialism to eschew words and grapple
/ with realities-to frame their remedies In
| the form of a bill-so that practical, seri-
1 Gus and kindly-disposed legislators could
( have before them something tangible and
1 substantial. He asserted the Industrial
] crisis was Partisan. not national. The
/ building trade had over speculated. the
city had streets of inlet palaces, while
! the artiZans were in want of humble and
! reasonable rented homes. The Poor's
Relief Bureau indicated no important
augmentation of misery, the pawn offices
had no marked increase of business.
treaties of commerce were fixed for nine
years still, and if France was beaten in
the foreign. as well as in the home
| market, such was chiefly due to the
higher rate of wages eXacted by French
wOrkmen, to the more elevated profits de-
manded by manufacturers, and to the
neglect of lubricants keeping their plant
and their intelligence abreast with the
march of inventions and the discoveries
of scientific industry.
He reminded the Chamber also that in
| many arts, where France has had a
monopoly artificial flowers for example
she has been outriyalled by competitors,
whom by education have been able to
tread on her kibes. The exclusion Of
foreign products, the expulsion of foreign
workmen, would bring no remedy, as the
nations affected had reprisals to fall back
upon.
THE FRENCH DO NOT SEE CLEAR
into Chinese G0rdon's mission. They begin
to smell rat, that he purposes forming a
federation of states in Soudan under the
protection of England, and so enable her
to tap the commerce OF the upper Nile
and control the trade Of Central Africa.
The government continues actively its
eXerti0n to spread education 1t now or
ganlzes popular conferences, under the
direction Of inspectors. 1t is about estab-
fishing in the local colleges and chief
schools art museums, where would be
placed copies of sculpture, Of celebrated
paintings, ETC., all to keep before the
MINDS eye OF the pupils the ideas Of the
history Of harmonious forms. MANY of
the subjects, while illustrating the schools
OF the beautiful, will recall at the same
time the duties of patriotism. The exist
ence of the republic depends upon unIver-
sal suffrage, and the latter in France at
all events, is two edged sword. 1t was
voted IN 1S4S when its advocates least ex-
pected it, or perhaps desired for the ma
ton was unprepared for the exercise Of
that weapon, which gave plebiscites to
Napoleon Ill, and majorities to the Third
Republic.
Universal suffrage has then to be edu-
Gated and trained. BY the constitution,
as it at present stands, a majority of one
in the united chambers can undo the re-
public, as a majority of one has created it.
Then the existing regime is still largely
worked on the old monarchial lines, the
chief being the intense system of centrali-
cation. which places each of the eighty
SIX departments under Project, or Vice
roy, responsible only to the Home Minis
ter at Paris, who makes his subalterns
dance as he pulls the strings. In the
United States, that France aims to imi-
tate, this danger does not exist, since
each State has its autonomy. Were France
similarly federated, her h6megeneity
would be destroyed. But France has, in
the thrift, sobriety and proverbial indus
existence, of vitality and progress as
almost to defy dynasties or governments
to do their worst to destroy her.
The educational world has been very
occupied these few days past keeping the
fete of st. Charlemagne. He is the patron
of learning for France, as Francois /. was
called the "Father of Letters,r though he
hanged not few printers and publishers
to dissemble, perhaps, his love.
Formerly the national teachers, on the
anniversary of st. Charlemagne, had mass
celebrated at the church of st. Geneyieye,
when a collection was made for their sick
and needy. Now the colleges, etc,
stand banquet to the professors and
ushers, and, the wags say, it IS the occa-
sion for getting off stocks of artificial
champagne. GuiZOt called Charlemagne
" the first Intellectual minister" How
ever, it was from the beginning of the
reign Of Chariemagn2-SShsoo oi@@ht6 cen.
tury-that the mind Of the West reawak-
ened; that decadenee vas stopped and
barbarism was thrown back.
Like Louis Philippe, Chariemagne was
a schoOl-master: he taught in a school he
had in his own palace, hence, to this fact
is traced the origin of the University OF
France. He died learning, and he had mo-
tions of eloquence, astronomy, poetry,
arithmetic and music. But 1t is said he
mark" with the point of his sword like
Norman Baron. He initiated Solomon by
the number of his cOncublnes, and Henry
VIII by getting rid of his wives. He had
twenty legitimate children, several Of
whom were daughters; few of the girls
turned out bad. There is legend that
Charlemagne fell in love with a beautiful
German, 'White lady," and neglected
everything to devote himself to her, and
when she was dead, he became enam0red
with the corpse. Charlemagne had an
idea that canal-makers ignore, he pro-
posed to make ship canal connecting
the German ocean with the Black sea. NJ.
de Lesseps please note.
THE ELECTION OF NJ. EDMOND ABOUT
as a member of the French Academy, at
last, is not an ordinary election. He has
been kind of perpetual candidate, and
no writer ever ridiculed that Olympus
more unscathingly than did About. AS
publicist and critic he is best known; his
dramas and novels are not in the first
line. Usually ranked by the Bonapartists
as friend of the family of the second de-
gree, he rallied to the Republic after the
sinking of the Second Empire; he then es-
tablished a newspaper, which made
money by supporting Thiers and CON-
batting MacMahOn. Since he has been
able to live like the mouse in the Dutch
cheese, his writings display less acerbity.
He has been voted new Voltaire; if so,
it is the greatness of the dwarf when on
the shoulders of the giant.
The French Academy will henceforth
cease to be a close borough. Owing to the
recent elections the axis of the majority
is changed. 1t will be modernized, and
perhaps may be able to complete its die
tionary commenced $50 years ago, and
which is always Gin press.' The academy
was first founded by few literary men
who met in secret. Cardinal Richelieu,
hearing of their ability, offered them his
protection, thrust-up0n greatness not to
be refused, and the result was the consti-
tuition Of the academy by royal patent
in 1885. 1t took its name from the suburb
at Athens of that name, near to Plato's
villa residence. and where he came to
teach his philosophy during half a GEN.
fury. The original site was a free gift
from a citizen, Academus; but Cimon
drained and planted the ground, and the
groves contained the tOmbs of celebrities.
Sylla cut down the trees to convert them
into battering rams when besieging
Athens. 1t was at an opposite end of the
city that Aristotle had his Lyceum, and
his pupils, from drinking in knowledge
while perambulating, were called peripa-