New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-06
THE VERSAILLES PAGEANT.
cEI.EBRATING THE CENTENNIAL oE THE
FRENCH REVOLUTION.
xHE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC ATTENDS
THE MODEST CEREMoNIES-FEATURE
OF THR sPECTACLE-A STRIKING
MILITARY REvIEw-sCENEs
OF CONTRAST.
;BY CABLE TO THE TRIBUSE.l

General In 1889 MARKS, says mIohoINS
real date Of the birth of the French people Inc
real date, however, Of the opening ceremony was
yesterday, not to-day. The change now hiSue
may be partly because the 9Th falH on 0uuu"y,
always q good day for festival IN France' anu
Rrtiy because the great opening pasr"hC
hundred years ago was so largely eccle'i"S'ic"'
ard royal Nobody, or nobody in po"er' ho"
cares to remember either Of these characueris'ics
IN to-day's festival At Versailles as ELSEWHERE
tbrou pbout France IL is political, Republican and
Dcmocratic-to some extent National IL mas Ger
fainly nothing to do with either priest OF king.
II was intended as the Seine official organs told u.s.
In be entre " domestic This iudiclous resolution
WAS taken after the CT fef European Powers had
refused TO have any.hnr 20 30 with cele hrating
sho Centennial OF the French Revolution Ii
has been pretty strictly left alone 1t looked
throughout like family affair
II has been great day for Versailles. l doubt
whether people went in great numbers from Paris
There was of course, great crowd at the
81. Laxare Station, whence most persons start by
rail Others went by the line on the left bank
of the Seine: few by road, like the President
and his suite, ten-mile drive. But Paris is al
ways jealous Of Versailles with its $4,000 people
and it's innumerable historic memories, and the
patriotic sightseers who poured into the town
which Louis XIV created certainly did not equal
its own citizens. Its broad avenues were well
alls6, but not densely tlronged.
j As a mere spectacle the ceremony cannot be
compared with scores which 'he last score OF years
have witnessed in Paris in itself it was inter
estng rather than splendid the soldiers excepted,
who are both interesting and splendid. The
preparations ON the spot were simple enough. A
low pavilion, in cloth of broad red and gold
stripes, square, with two oblong wings, had been
srected in front of the old Sale des Menus now
destroyed, where the States General met. On
the Avenue de Paris was the central
pavilion, carpeted in red, ard furnished with
gilt chairs covered with red velvet. The town
was decorated elegantly, but not profusey. The
broad avenue. with its four rows Of trees blossom
ing and rich in their spring foliage is guarded by
troops and gendarmes Knots of them are here
and there. in front of and about the Presidential
pavilion. Opposite the pavilion, beyond the main
roadway. there was space for many thousands of
spectators. The police left most of it vigorously
vacant; why. was a mystery. for it was the only
good place for seeing what passed. and was never
occupied by the troops or anybody else. The side
pavilions and enclosures. for which tickets were
issued none too freely. were very good places for
people Who wished to be seen. but useless for
seeing.
The President was to arrive at Q Before
d, how long before 1 cannot say, the troops
were In position. Sundry official persons had ar
rived The enclosures were filing rapidly with
fsrsar. creatures who could only look across the
avenue atty yards away, where others, less
favored and also less forlorn, were grouped.
The police and the troops made raids on these
groups from time TO time. To wish to see the
ceremony was to the official and the military
;n4 alya
prevent it. ! quilted the pavilion, where my
card gave me the right to remain but no chance
of seeing, for a much more humble place opposite
where nobody seemed to have any right which the
soldiery were bound TO respect. A few Of US
were in the end. by help Of much diplomacy. al
lowed to stay there.
II happened that shortly before 2 / saw Pres-
dent Carnot arrive, He had come before his
time. and several great functionaries who should
have received him were not there. He drew up
20 the music of artillery. which his horses clearly
did not like nor his coachman A squadron or
two of cavalry escorted him. The troops.
tending far on either hand in the hedges. pre-
sented arms. The rain which had been falling
had not long before rained itself out The sun
appeared and shone iercely upon President Car
not's bare head, partly bald. and upon many other
heads more venerable than his and more bald
Isters, Counsellors, Senators, Deputies and the
rest were old to look at When the whol-
outer fringe Of humanity in and about
the pavilion was gray any man with black hair
or much of IL was an exception ant a conspicuous
exception. President Carnot is one of these.
His hair mustache, whiskers, and full, closc-cut
beard are all black.
He was well received. but with no great enthu-
siasxn. None of us knew then that a
pistol shot had been fired he left the Elysee or
tho reception would certainly have been warmer.
Hats came of, but they were not waved. 1t
was only President Carnot who, rather oddly
In acknowledging greetings as he sat in his landau,
waved his hat TO the cheering crowd. With
him were NJ Tirard, the Prime Minister, and
General Brugere, his military secretary.
The scene is striking, but presently will be
more striking still, and l will try to describe IL
d httle later. The President deScends from his
landau last Of all, and walks gently up to his
place in the central pavilion. gilt chair waits
yainly for him. He prefers, or etiquette ordains.
Sanding. The animation in the pavilion iSI
great DUE no doubt, TO the news which the by
ISLANDERS have heard Of the pistol shot Other
carriages came up with singular personages in red
gowns, and others still more singular in. elbow,
with Dat black yellow caps, and others stlll IN
erdinary evening dress. Others again, In swal-
low-tailed coats, adorned with transverse tri-
color scarfs, here thought TO lend dignity and
prestige TO the person Of the legislator or officer
pf state. Few, indeed, are they who wear no
decoration or ornament Of any kind. President
Carnot who is in evening dress, has
s very broad and very long blood
ed riband descending from his right
shoulder to his left hip. the ribond of Grand
Commander Of the Legion Of Honor. Such color
ss there Ia on the platform comes from such
military as this, or from the few other naval or
military people present The personages on the
Platform soon arrange themselves in decerOus
positions, and the speechmakiHg begins.
Not word Of these harangues did any one out |
side Of the pavilion hear. They. and those de- |
tvered later In the Palace Of Yersniles fill some