National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-11-07
s p1pLoMAT AsrRAN-.


ChcvRIIer 10 ifaconit's Souvenirs OF
CID Time Rte Ia Washington.
N. lo ChIval.tr &c EGcouit was French
minister to tic United states during the adj
nihlstraiiohs Of Van buren,, Harrison, and
Tyler. His pul lie career during this period
is 8 Iait Of Diplomatic history, but his per-
scrGl imrrtssi, rs, as they erreGr in Tho
piivetc letters which lie sctt home, have an
interest Of very different sort. These let
ttrs, Which were edited 10y his riece, the
Countess Of Miralrau, were published about
thee years ago, ana arc now translated
ubter the tile Of "tuuvcn!rs OF II Dip!o-
th,ir appearance In America has been de-
lay cd 80 loig, for we have now got TO such
oiit IN the deveitl iGcbt Of our clvilza-
ton that some e. " at least can sec the
Humorous s.GC ui such reflections es these
,td still remain guud Americana Tho let.
tens date from 100 TO iSi2, aud he'd they
lCrErui lsr, d then tLe!r author would have
teen lcttcr-abusud NAN taan Charles
DitiCis was Il NCtr or two Inter, for they
tie 81. thirg hut ilg;tcring To this country
fEd lie Inhabitants. "My God ~ cxclMms
IL &c nacouit, "whet have | done to be
obliged to live anuEs such people ~ some
fritS Yeas have passcd since then, and
tncIcnrs can now AFFORD to read hs letters
calmly GLd extract from them abundant
LmLst mont.
NJ &c Pacourt seems to have been q de-
l!Chful specimen Of the French gentleman
of the old school. chad all the limitations
OF the diplomatic, the inonarclhst, and the
FrtnChmnn that lie was, but these very
limitations make of him very marked
character. A man Of his training and assoc
Citations wCs sure to be SO impressed with
TIE crude, Uniformed character of American
sCcitty as TO NC unable To sec lis bettersldo,
Gnd be wac anything hut reticeut In his ex-
picssiuIs of opinion upon what he saw. ~
fCuid 70 pleasure in the VOYAGE" Is the
melancholy strain In which his first letter
from these shores begins, and the succeed
ing letters carry us, In gloomy Cresccndo,
nlCrg TO the happy day of his release from
what he continually calls his exile, his
prison, bis pcnitcGtlary. In the letter
next TO the last nc gives some figures on
the subject Of emigration to America, and
ADDS: They must be very unhappy In
Europe " Then, In the last of them all, he
says, with sigh OF relief: ~ shall thank
heaven when | feel that | have placed the
ocean between me and this dreary aboden
The Americans impressed him every
wlefe as tlird.rate Englishmen. This lie
Fever tires ofrepcating. "Istill think that all
The distinguished men in this country would
he only second or even third class In Eng
land. They give themselves the airs OF i'm
portancc one secs in the brewers Of London,
with their vanity, vulgarity, and absurdity."
On one occasion he is speaking of the politi-
cal parties which he found in America, and
when the Wings came up for discussion he
Observes, parenthotically, that their party sis
called that Of the aristocracy-my God, what
aristocracy!" He also makes the discovery
that sin this country almost all the more dis
~ u1Iic CH mr. journalistic N
epidemic of suicide which breaks out during
his sojourn leads him to indulge in philo-
sophical reflection rs to its cause. His con-
illusions are thus expressed: "The victims Of
this unfortunate monomana all belong to
the higher classes and In easy circumstances,
thus no other motive for their melancholy
but mysterious ennui Ennul! That ia TO
say, the indifference, the egotlsm, which af
fCcts the American when he has everything to
make him happy. lie owes this terrible moral
plague to his education and to his domestic
and social habits.n
American society and social observances
cone in for u large amount of witty de-
scrption and amazed criticism. An even
ing party ut Washington is thus described /.
The party is given by Mr.. Gadsby, "an old
wretch who has made a fortune In the
slave trade, which does not prevent Wash
ington society from rushing to his house.
~ The gentleman's house is the
most beautiful in the city, very well fur
nished, and perfect in the distribution of
| the roOms-but what society, my God IL
made my hair stand on end to find myself
among these men and women rivaling each
| other In bad manners lhave never thought
| OF the great Importance of politeness In
social relations, but now l see that 1t is the
| fundamental basis and the most indispcnsa-
bic element. The women, ridiculously
| dressed, stood around the room hanging on
their husbands arms. Perhaps 1t was very
moral, hut | assure yon 1t was very gro
| tesque. There are no young people In the
| French province who have not better man
ners.n The dinner parties which our diplo-
mate had to attend were n source of much
| irritation. Here is description of one of
| them ~ bad the most stupid dinner In the
world at NJ. Bodisco's, and probably pre-
scented the most ludicrous figure. Invited
| ut I O'Clock, We sat down TO dinner at 8, af-
| ter having seen the master of the house run
| in and out several times as though he was
| preparing this eXecrable repast which he
| had the goodness to offer us. lie then
| crowded us, thirty-sX IN number, into q
very small dining room, where We suffocated
| until II O'Clock. | was seated between
Mrs. Forsyth, who talked to mo in Eng
| lish, and her daughter, Mrs. Sbaaf, who
| Gpoke French, both talking at the same
| time. l was too uncomfortable to speak
ticn of the ridiculous-the table loaded
with china, glass, and bronges of no VALUE
| and in bad taste, spread out for ornament
not for use. The guests laughed at thei
host in the most open manner and every
one pltied the unhappy child who had be
come the wife Of this villainous old man.
These sad experiences were not confined
to the dinners of others, for when NJ. d,
Bacourt acted as host his sensbilities wer,
equally outraged. lie gives us this descrlp
tion Of what befell him In his own house
~ gave dinner yesterday. Among m.
guests was Mr.. Calhoun, who Is opposed Il
the present administration. He has bette
manners than his colleagues in the Senate
and has the merit of being q declared enemy
Of high tariff on our silks and wines. Mr.
Hunster was also one OF my guests. lie ha
great influence in Virginia, where just nov
there Is q great cry against France on nc
count of the monopoly of tobacco, which
they say, will diminish the consumption.
tried to prove to Mr. Hunster that this wa
not so, and, although he seemed satisfied
with my explanations, found him yer,
vulgar person. Another of my guests wa
an Influential member Of Congress. Th
agreeable and distinguished man blew hi
nose in his napkin constantly during dinner
1t is necessary to be civil to these savages
for they are the leaders on whom depend II
great measure the commercial interests
have to defend.n The necessity thusimposet
upon this fine gentleman gone astray among
the Philistines led him into strange situa
lions. The following account is very anus
ng: ~ was present at a scene lately whlcl
merits being told. went to see the Secre
tary Of the Treasury, and was shown Int
an anteroom where ragged beggar asked
me for aims. After quarter of an hour II
his company | went into Mr. Ewing's room
He excused himself very politely for having
kept me waiting, which is the more remark
able as he is a self-made man. At eighteen
he could neither read nor write, and his ma
ture must be very superior one that, frog
such starting point, he should hay,
reached the post he now occupies. He hat