Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-14
MAX O'RELL'S LETTER.

1KR. All tt1gnCS keSerVeQ.
 LONDON, Oct. 31.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER: The publication of the latest Blue book is not likely to cheer moralists and philanthro
 pists for it clearly proves that suitability is at discount in diplomacy. M de Giers, the Russian prime minister, who treated Lord
 Granville in rather off hand manner, was cemplaisance itself to Lord Salisbury. The government of the Czar took advantage of this good nature of the Gladstone adminis
 tration and played upon their fears and scru- pies, and refused to listen to an argument till the word lay with Lerd Salisbury, who has
 never pretended to regard Museovite. diplo- macy with any particular admiration or good will. The attitude of the Russian statesmen in presence of Lord Granville's overtures, and their prompt adhesion to those of Lord Salisbury is lesson that will shock people of sentimental turn of mind, but which is none the less to be laid to heart.
 It is great many years since France wit messed such festivities as were held at the castles of Chantilly and Flu on the occasion of the marriage of Prince V1ademar of Den mark with Princess Marie of Orleans. These festivities have naturally given umbrage to the republican government, and the talk of the expulsion of the Orleans family is once more renewed. Nothing could be more un- wise. Out of seven millions of electors who went to the poll on the 4th and the 18th of this month, about three millions have re- turned monarchists, and these will have to be reckoned with. To expel the Princes of Orleans would be to exasperate their follow CTS and increase the chance of restoration, by crowning the pretender with the halo of a martyr. I may be called bad republican, but should like to see republican France open the gates of her hospitality to all alike, grant freedom to all parties and sects and cease religious as well political presecu- tions In my mind the church should be free, universities should be free, natreds should be forgotten and opinions of all sorts should be respected, but I am afraid that twelve years of residence in England have made bad republican of me. The French ought to wish for many such festivities as those of Chantilly on account of the severe depression of their trade. As to talking of expelling from their territory the richest of l their countrymen, it is mere folly. They ! should sum up the position by joke, which ! suits their character best, initiating the Cha ! rivari, who referred to the proceedings at the
 princes are gstting trodbfesoms, is font tTop parler d'Eu." Have you got ita
 ! The French people ought not to fear the Orleans princes. They are not, like the Bon l apartes, adventurers; they are the richest gentlemen in the land, not likely to put their immense fortunes into the scales against their small chance of regaining power. Their very fortune is the cause of their unpopularity. Just when France was grooming under the tremendous burden of the German war in- ! demnity of two hundred million of pounds I sterling the Orleans princes demanded the value of their estates, which Napoleon III. | had confscated. To pay them off was the ! first act of their old servant, NJ. Thiers, ] when he was made first President of the ' third republic; but the fact of their having \ made their demand at such a time dealt l them their death-blow, politically speaking, ! and Thiers knew it.
 The penuriousness of the Orleans family is almost proverbial in France. I remember, when quite small boy, an anecdote which l cannot vouch for as true, but which shows | the popular feeling towards them. On the ! Chantilly road, leading from the station to ! the Duke of Aumale's castle, a blind begga1 used to stand and solicit aims. If you gave l him a penny he would say simply, "Thank 1 you" But when his sense of touch told him l that the coin presented was half-penny he infallibly said, "Thank you, your royal high ! ness"
 1 King Thebau of Burmah will soon see his realm invaded by the British troops from India Whether his territory is to be an
 nexed or only protected by England does
 not appear to me to be of great moment, put | the suppression of the drunken and murder l ous fiend who sits throne at Mandalay as the lord of elephants will be great boon tc mankind.
 The ladies of old England are coming out of their shells. And who is it that draws
 them outa Why, Lady Randolph Churchill 1 who has set herself the task of arouslng then from their indifference to political topics After making her husband the most promi | nent member of tine Conservative party, this sprightly American lady has founded the
 Primrose League for Ladies. choosing fol
 emblem the favorite flower of Lord Beacons field. The first demonstration of this assocl
 ation was held at the Albert Palace, new
 rival building to the Crystal Palace situated
 at Battersea The proceedings were opened
 by some speech-making of gentlemen. Whe1 this was over the ladies arrived. Lady Ran
 dolph Churchill, as president of the league
 occupied the central place, supported by
 many influential ladies of the aristocracy As long concert programmes have alway
 been pronounced @ bore, only half dozer ! songs were given. These with encores, ano
 choruses in which the audience joined, fllet | the time allotted to the musical part of thu 1 demonstration The vocalists were Viscoun | 1 celebrities in the amateur musical world. Tn
 latter, who is the wife of the well-known au 1 thor of "Bartholozzi and his Works" pos
 sesses one of the finest contralto voices in th
 world. Most of the songs chosen were of | I patriotic character Then little girl of fiv years of age, dressed in frock of primros
 satin, with the largest Directoire bonnet eve | mounted on so small head, presented Lad,
 Randolph Churchill with a huge bouquet o | yellow flowers measuring sixteen inches il
 diameter, which had cost fifty pounds ster ling, The ladies of the Primrose league ol
 these grand occasions wear the badges of tn 1 order These are of two kinds, great badg l of gold in relief on 8 silver ground, with tn l monogram 'tP. L." in the center and tin, , china primrose brooches. AS rule thes badges are worn on the bonnet strings. Tn
 yellow color being in France the emblem o infidelity in marriage, my countrymen are in | dulping in no end of jokes at the expense o the husbands of the Primrose league ladies
 Lady Randolph Churchill, who is great ia
 yorite at the British court, is walking in tn steps of her husbands celebrated ancestress , Sarah Jennings, Duchess of Marlborough. Merry old King Ludwig of Bavaria is at
 again. He finds that to hear an opera o z Wagner, played out in a theater empty ex cept for his royal presence, is dull sport an' 3 1 getting stale, and he has been looking flo , l something new. He has resolved to sleigh i , 1 the dead hours of winter darkness, and a the risk of straining the resources of scisnc he has chosen to have the electric light lai 3 on his sledges He has ordered close
 sledge with all the fittings in blue velvet
 with group of fairies supporting a canop
 | of golden crowns So profuse is the gildin that only three panels are left free, and O \ these panels the merry monarch will hay 3 mytho1ogical subjects. What pity he is :, l travel by nighti It is said that nowaday monarchs make themselves too cheap
 statement which is not generally supporte by taxpayers), but the King of Bavari @ makes himself scarce Thackeray once aG - mitted that George W. brought out ne 7, fashion of shoe buckle, but this s'was in th 5 prime vigor of his invention" King Lut !. wig has surpassed the English mon F an l is 7splaying at Louis XIV" He i -ese