New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-03
THE FRENCH FOURTH
rr, vneArtSG aLA sAINTE BAsTLLE' IN
PARIS

sIhts utCN KIM OF u N'F""'''
no thc Fourth OF Jaly - war tho indlsn"nt o''
80, ~ a ANAL American gfl on th" ln"f",'s ~
a., ann,yefsary Of tho Declaration OF ln''p'"''
-, i.. f,,nd tlat Paris proposed 10 f'n''" F",
on that dav Bat ten days later iain '''''''9
demonstrated the fefy0g aud sincerity ~ VI"
Iiean princtpes II flags aud illnhinAlon5 "u" "''
wo,k, are conclusive evidence Ia" N'''"'
ou,rter which had the Fourth sh'"u ''''
American and French days, now ON the t"nr'o'"'n
.howed the French and American; ana tne S'n'"
,,..c,o eurl and numerous small American boys
- En- have discovered that France might DC e
rr..tv GOOD Republic. after all even II 10 a'"n
car, a great deal about the Fourth OF Juy' AZ al
event, they made then preparations To cc"ol%'0
tho Fourteenth i'm the American manner anu "I,""
zeal that led one sadly to the conclusion '"' CIV"
vonld have done Just the same II the ou' ".'''-
had been the fete day Of monarchy anu
and NOT the celebration of the do"niau OF Tue ""S
IL aud the beginning OF the tumblng OF crowns
- rr,,co In fact it seems useless 90 look Tor hNed
noltcal principles under niue years oil age even III
Americans
To o,e who has never seen it before and who was
used to tn, proslic aud sober American FOURTH Tue
great French Republican fete Was exceedingly IN
terestiug. II seemed to be generally agreed that
the decorations and Examinations were less
brilliant and the crowd less great, than IN some
previous years. This was probably due to the fear
Tint the cholera might be brought TO Paris by the
great crowds that have streamed IN every year since
the fate was established. The medical societies
generally opposed the holding of the ete this year
as a menace 10 the health of Paris and OF Europe
and almost up 20 the last moment there were olcIal
consultations whether it should not be postponed
and conflicting rum0rs that no doubt kept many
thousands of people at home. Perhaps the same
fear had something to do with thinning the crowds
of the Parsians themselves But the spectacle
was brilliant and fascinating enough to stranger
and II was pleasure and not hardship 20 ma IL
possible TO move III comparative comfort through
streets which we were told were usually packed
with a dense mass of people. 1t was literally
through the streets that the crowds moved Aitcr
O'clock on the evening of the great fete all things
on wheels whether trans, Omnlbuses, hacks or prI-
vate carriages. rigidly excluded from all the
streets aud squares where there special illunna
tons. and q merry. good -humOrod crowd takes
possession of the without fear of horse or
driver-whieh last in Paris is usually hend in
red vest and glazed hat. rushing about seeking
whom he may run over.
The illumInatIOus ar night, however, were the
final act of the play. First came the universal
decoration of the city with days, which can
be apprec ated only during the day. This en-
Enlistment was almost lost At night except when
bright glare Of light happened to fall in the right
place. b. day this display was a surprise and a
great pleasure in itself In all the business quarters
Of the CITY the streets were fairy respeudeut with
the national coors. the flags of other countries,
notably the Stars and Stripes being mingled here
and there Pertains il would he unpatriotic to say
that the tricolor il the most beautiful OF all the
great flags of tho world. II seems to he part Of
patriotic duty To believe in the greater artistic
heanty of ones flag as compared with all other
faps lust a. II ia 20 believe that the God NJ battles
is always on our side though there is but ono God
of battles and there at least two sides to every
fight But putting aside The question OF the arts
tic merits of tho Stars and StIipos-whrh certainly
ranks high ma bciuty-uu Que viii object to the
statement that the iIooior with its broad equal
bands OF blue. white aud red IL peculiarly effective
IN decoration, The stfert' IA aioat every direction
scanned like lanes of cnlot. aud the speotaoa was
mote picturesque than anything We av"f 500 ~
hrnr A Tow t'turapn nasr wotn noted bet" aud
thofe Tho incident az the Hotel Continental
whore two of tLrsr hntod ohhIsuH vrtr torn down
tom thru places tY Che crowd, ahl rent O." Tags,
spat upou aud tToddru under foot aomr 81 th'
hotel Windows bong smlahod tt the sauo u"r
shaved how httor thr old toollns still Ia among
soin. ,l,-sss. al least 10 make The tpisOdo com
pleteiy French all tho bits OF broken glass and the
shrrds ot tAc ilgs we're carried away 90 Souvenirs
IsaVa number uf Irus'iau flags ia other parts of
the cts. however, which seen TO have passed an
noticed by the mob The hotel affair wa the only
UNPLEASANT incident Il the day. Tha decorations OF
quart.r,. were very marked one hears q good deal
sad here at the dscontent among workngmon be-
cause the Republic does not give them A. much
work o. do as the Empire did But they are. as
class strongly republican. / set an old coachnan
70 talking politics the other evening aud tins was
his philosophy of the situation " The good work
igrucu" sad he with the most delicious earnest
ne, and sincerity. don't like the Republic; odt
the bad WoI6ngmcn all want IT, because they can
I @ It.4N flI
workinc1nen have the majorityT 20. very large
majority" SAID be sadly. This Bourbon OF the box
seat took a real cOachmans view OF the blessings
of the Empire = All" said he, " there were parties.
balls receptions all the time, with two, three or
four hundred guests" Evidently plenty of bust
ness for carriages in those days. Everybody
spent his money. Nowadays the arstOcracy keeps
its money in it's pocket
During the day the streets presented in spite Of
the exceptional heat, seen. ~ interesting hustle
and nerry-making all marked by the utmost good
bnmor The programme arranged by the Govern
n,ept for the amusement Of the masses and an
nounced by posters on the walls about the city,
WAS faithfully carried out In the early morning
the review Of the troops took place followed later
by the exhibition drill Of the batalOns scoLltres-the
school boys who are now being drilled IN military
exercises and form. some of the papers rather
RraudiOquenty express Il. " the future nope 81
France" During tue day the new statue OF the re
public was dedcatei ia the Place de la Republque.
Al | o'clock the theatres receiving ad from the
Government, including the Grand Opera and the
Theatre Francais. gave free performances, which
We're attended bv great audiences The largest
crowd surrounded the Grand Opera. and The sklu
AMI polteness with which Il was managed would
have been an excellent lesson 10 our poH.e III sni
lar emergencies. There was a sufficient force OF
police 10 control all the space about the theatre,
which u surrounded by streets on every sde. ne