New-York tribune., 1884-12-07
PARISIAN VIRTUE.
AND NJ PAILLERONs ATTACK UPON "THE
FOREIGN RABBLE"

was glad, very glad indeed, 10 tbnk tnas
virtue was its own reward. There was DIS
tribution there Of Montyon prizes for yirno OF the
sclf-sacrfcing kind and for literary worth NJ.
Palllcron. the fortunate author of " A Monde on
ron . Ennu.' was tho reporter. and did bis best 10
render the sitting amusing 10 the wealthy lulcrs
of both sexes who camo to bn present NJ n, Mont
yon was an opulcnt miscr born ia vac o'Rht"'n'"
century. and lmbucd with It's sentimental ideas
which he did not by any means practice. ""
squeezed his tcnanl, starved hts fcw servants, os-
clcd false hopes In the breasts OF relatives
who. because he did 80. put no with his
curmudgcon ways, aud left tho for
tuno which he Inherited aud saved 10 bc dis
trbutcd IN prizes. to be- gwen Annually AMI
bi-annually to heroes and hcrones In humble liic.
and To the authors Of works calculated 10 promote
morality historical enlightenment and taste Tor
poetry. The heroes aud hcrolncs were granted
the smallest part OF the cake and the moral authors
did not come in for much bigger slice bHt tho
historians aud the poets were very hanhsomey
treated 1t Is not possible to suppose that beneVo-
lence is the motive which urged the mlsery Mont
Won to make the will he did. Judging from his
life we are bound TO suppose that he was rather
urred by a desire to keep his memory green
IN tho minds Of future generations. Every
wear he il euogised by an Acitenclan IN the
presence of the whole Institute OF Franco AM OF
tho 6ne flower of Parsian society On the single
occasion on which Alexandra Dumas MS reported
on the qualifications of the variols candidates for
prizes, he pulled NJ. Montyon to pieces and
threw into relief his mean qualities l
think on tn, whole should prefer to be killed as
q Christian by wild beasts in Roman amphithea-
tre than landed by an Acade nici4n proper per-
son TO receive a Montyon prize Of vrtdc, for the
diversion of a lot of frivolous and pretentions
peoplc who had come to see what new changes
could be rung on an often harped'on
theme.
NJ. Pailleron only bestowed short para
praph on Montyon, and made it rs duh and
formal as he could to throw into relief what was
TO follow Instead of landing Virtue he laid himi-
self out to show that 1t was od-tashIoncd ana al
most ridiculous 1t is pretty common to be unctuous
in France Bnt nobody any longer desires 10 DO
thought virtuous. VI. Pailleron would not now
dare to spea of lady he esteemed as MS Nrtuo"s
friend r-particulary if she were young. No mem-
her of the Academy would be hattered if styled by
him my yir,uous colleague" and were he old
would be douby offended. Since Robesplerre
and ST. Just. Frenchmen have had no
mora ambition to shine through virtue,
and French ladies' prefer to be thought worse than
they really are. The brilliant Academcian, who
read like an actor UNDERLYING often, declaiming
here smiling there, speaking at ono moment In
grave tones from his chest and anon throwing the
words out from the teeth, gave 1t as MS opihlon
that the French were curious people iio
adapted. to illustrate what he meant, story OF
Perrault and the sketch which the Ddchess OK
reans nee Princess Palatinel gave OF hei son ,ne
Regent of France. All the fairleS were 10 haVo
hnen invited to the christening 0l IN" ffench
nation to heap gifts upon 1t. one.
however, was forgotten, anu det9IIn'heu ~ 70
thn
a.ed she advanced tlward the infant ad
was 80 glotesque ana redoubtable that she w.
lived its guardians by the Ear ana tie r a,rv
of Ridirne. winch inspires the dread oi D'ihs
lauahnd at Because | have been foig 'tten Nv
your parents y"ni my % Won viii e always
| thinking about me and fearing me-. ypn wil hle
carefully the qualities when you are ch"o"t" WIN M
! lam, tn Won. yon are easy going; but
! ihe ulea that you may appear SO WI hiiye YOU
| into seeming violent You are Hl' nli nV, wv, w,
| ara ,elirltn of tastei but not 10
| sepm az Won will he indecent l'h love the beai-
| ufnl, but YOU viii pasture ~ ah inrIrs,innis,;
| ion love what - honest aud ni tnnl icnnli any
yuu will give ~ your punhdenrr tn intriguing p".
nirnna iuu viii call schsibiliiN. Whlth vow ais
th.ntini,m Nui ir hp tho dug ~ tuni arnti-
mnnia tnn vii laugh ~ thpm \ helinf"i 20 t.Nd,
inn wa Nili aiinni iu hn spuplir, iVn VII rlnsn
~ a,luin iui heppusp tun ln nnl 7r' lihl hn,l ma'
aim ,nao nf "a Whnm lnH snn ini nn'h Hnl ~ Nlini
,nt, win utku Noui IDOLS lui to liss 'ih over hhh
sol up ntneIs in thuif plttr, bl ,Niht hAihi",
,nu vii ,inny ths mower nf love, dnd hrlnin va
world tieal u 80 a mnie pay si"'4lttl hr'raallI
u,hil, iu vnuf heart 1T hearts You VIII hIhni anu
oheN # fur love IL the religion nl lhh ,'l"iltf ~
lranchmon, and they All pia' 1876 ll''i l'l'',
Finally, goa VIII give women pi', III" ~, ""s
occupy in any other county W. You WI WNo
children nlro than the men of any olhrr lhhu' ion
will nav your taxes Wlth glralei IrShl'illY, 'hi'
any other people, aud you VIII lhilh A9ui3'l III
,uteI # II Wed A good cltlIrn, sonh hh'bdi'l' u
good father even though THIS praise were ohy 10
figure III an epltaph' II I'll,
'TLe mnledictlon of the grOte5quc and awlui
fairy was need not say 10 ihe taste 0i most o tno
haarer, NJ PailleTOn, after laudlng his cohlpa-
trioIs made an attack on foreigners ms Wa VoIy
unrr1feful What would become ot the lneairo
Francais and Mr. Pailleron's lnsy albeit sparkling
nI1vs If tle foreigners did not hl the balcony ana
the boxes nightly lie made some hits on divers
prominent members of the American colony; LOT
which am not sorry, their only ann Just now beng
apnarentIy TO dis Amerlcanze them,elycs aud shcy
tba;r contempt for republican institutions. VI.
tl'II w. H., dppmanaed in we-ailccted ac-
cents of indignation, who it was fur-
nIshed Parsians with topics Tor taple
talk and scandalOus gossip inSplIeI rehen pay
wrIghts fed the newspaper chronicles domihated
the fashions made France a langhDg-S,ock' ana
passed for beng the of French society IN mo
eyes of the worldi 1t was toreign rARoe' Win WIN,
out country race, creed or religion; when knew
nothing of French duties, was ABOVE an rcncn
preiudlces and settled down IN fren'h cites ior
their amusement or their interests. lhey were eA-
otic mIOnnalres, gentry from "'rI tnc s''s, ' ~.
epic adventures ab,urdly bl9 fortunes I'dsh
habits. and hld nothing except tuer olIgln:
Their existence here was a race after display
and pleasure. Their triumphs on fr'nch race
conrses were given by them the Importance OF
national victories. and their gambling losses tho
proportions of public mlSiort9nes. lhey were
brainless oilers VINO avenged the tedlhn OF thelr
nnimteIcctuaI lives by cynical savings noisy tnr-
bnirnt fatIgulng nulsances who were bitten with
the rae TO bc. if not celebrated, notorious VINO
were always in view, lending themselves 10 mo
most unhealthy curiosity and making use ot every
means. scandal0us or otherN Use, to glatIiy thrir
mad vanity and their exasUerated amDilloh', euon.
acrordmr TO NJ Pallleron, was the guided and exotic
r,bhIc which by the noise they made brought
France INTO discredit IN the world.
But behind this mob of mlllonhalies rom ~ acr9ss
,ha seas he said there was the true French people,
among whom still vigorously germina'ed the nora
o,,I .r,,n eantmpu and hOWcly virtues,