New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-01


hundred years ago, that Paris is the world and
that I'll other countries are the provinces. lhey
raise foods they barteI and piOd; they arc is-
norant, stupid. remote III WIN require aho,n ',a
century to open the ports of France 20 the visions
NJ thp Great globe Their Eyp0siticns have only
confirmed their preudces. Their sense OF style,
seymeating everything they say and all they %,
they find nowhere else, at least IN comparable
degree. Their own colonies in Africa and Asia
present better exhibits in Paris to-day than the
United States or England. with the execution IN
the case of the latter of textiles and pottery. To
The typical cultivated French woman or man
the English type Is heavy, hagghng rnblcund,
stumbling good at bargain ana Dad at eveiy-
tbng else Madame Mohl still speaks for the
English type Z" They have no savoir-vivre; /
cannot abide them: with their lnorgue. their
awllwardness their inability TO hold Their tongues
or 10 converse or to listen, they have no place In
trawing-rOom.r The typical American is a
thin dyspeptc, sallOw, eager, assumptlYe, all
mighty knOw-all but, in fact, know nothing, SPEND
thrift who is easy in bargnin and hGrd III every
thing else Hitherto the notions about Americans
entertained at Versailles when the ,G2vernment
sat there, or in the salons OF inrls "heh me
Government was distributed IN their chimney
corners and boudOrs were not such as the gay
Gouverncur Morris lent to one period OF Partisan
frivolity. nor those the quaint humor ana shreWd
philosophy of Franklin shed upon another: 10
the Paris OF STYLE the Republic Of the United
States is wealth without style.
But the change has set in and must go on.
More books and magazines in English are read now
i'm Paris than at any previous period in the history
OF the country. If within hundred years french
was the language OF diplomacy, Paris is beginning
to acknowledge what Voltaire to his death deniea
that English can be the language Of thought; a
few years ago it would have been as impossible to
hear English spoken in the high precincts or
Partisan cultivation as for Sir Thomas More and
Erasmus TO have conversed in German instead OF
LATIN Now English may be heard everywhere
i'm Paris; and Madame CarnOt entertalnS Lady
Lytton in her guests vernacular. The dinners
given at the Pal0 e are spoken OF everywhere as
worthy Of the nation Of cooks in their own style,
and il less registering than some Gouvcrneur Nor
rS describes in his letters, worthy OF the nation
which places conversation at least on par with
cooking
mand the homage of science, art and literature.
The superficial bigotry against the French-that
they are merely hippant shallow, polished ana
Observation-Disclosures inherit from English
jealousy. If one wants to know what has been
accomplished in a decade in science, he must give
much attention TO French progress. If one wants
to know the furthest outward advance OF specu-
lative thought, he must seek the frontiers IN
French metaphysics. If one asks the highest ~
achievement in fine art, the question must be
answered in France II commerce demands new
dye. new pattern new fabric, new DESIGN
applying beauty to use, it goes 70 France The
best and the worst Of tho world gravitates TO
Paris The Republic has been sneered at a. in
competent TO sustain the splendid traditions OF the
mOnGrchieS and the glow Of the hectic Empire.
To-day the Exposition, the most glorious mani
festatOn of human advancement in all arts and IN
all sciences, demonstrates the stability and the
intellect Of democratic France. The most accom-
plishpd scholar who visits IFS marvellous aislcs
will find if guest 1t the Presidents Palace. a
home worthy the most cultivated Of democratic
peoples What wonld he find in the highest Gov
eminent circles of England? I'm Madame Carnot
France Possesses host whose Intelligence and
grace are equally worthy Of her station; and their
combination is one Of the actual forces at work
to make republicanSm fashionable in Europe.