Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-07-31
THE PER1PATETIc PHILOSOPHER.

THE PERIPATETIC PHILOSOPHER.
In view of the Inspiring sight Of
i Fighting Joe Wheeler, of the Old South
Il cheering on to victory his hordes of
charging "Yanks' it can hardly be
called great stretch of the imagina-
ton to picture Admiral Pasqual de
Cervera. citizen of the United States
by adoption, treading the quarter
deck of an American battleship in a
| possible war of the not far distant fu-
ture.
Uncle Sam is giving the nations oi
the world an object lesson in the
: science of government that might wei
put to shame the boasted statecraft Of
European Kingdoms. There are nc
Carlists among us seeking an oppor-
tunity to embroil our Union while we
are fighting a foreign enemy. There
are no Communists within our borders
to divide our strength and give the foe
an easy gateway for invasion. There
are no Nihilists undermining the
foundations of our government and
ready to hoist the red flag whenever
the hand that is needed to subdue them
is engaged in desperate conflict.
North and South, East and West are
one in patriotism in the hour of need,
and that mighty fact is one which
may well cause the divided mon
arches of Europe to tremble as they
witness our growing power.
Don't swear, boys shoot" 1t was
bravely spoken and good advice even
in the wild whirlwind of battle and
Colonel Woods words to his Rough
Riders will live among the immortal
epigrams of war We need a Colonel
Wood in times of peace when fighting
is not necessary. We need him in our
own city, where as is too frequently
the case, profanity is regarded as a
manly accomplishment. Experts in
this art have been in the habit of max
ing Muskingum Park their Sunday
headquarters for a long time past, and
their loud, oath interlarded conversa-
tion has been anything but agreeable
to refined ears within the circle of
hearing. Language is not strength
ened by curse, and it is high time
hot a,-ly
this point in speech.
In his salad days" the philosopher
spent many months in the capital of
beautiful France, Paris, the wicked
and the joyous. During his residence
there he had many opportunities for
observing the national French char
notwithstanding One notable !
instance of this trait was exhibited in |
what are known as the "Lohengrin /
riots which occurred in the year 1891 |
and of which the writer was a wit |
ness. 1t happened in this wise. The
Directors of the National Opera House |
which, by the way, is partly supported !.
by the government, decided to give a .
series of Wagnerian operas, and Sc
lected "Lohengrin" for the initial per-
formance. Upon the announcement of |
this programme the Partisan temper
rose to white heat. and there were
wild threats from Montmartre and the
Quarter Latin that BODIED no good for
the plans. The march of the Ger
mans through the Archie de Triomphe
and the fate of Alsace-Lorraine had
not been forgotten by the bourgeosie
at least, and there were signs of
storms to come should "Lohengrin's"
golden strains ever echo within the
walls of the Opera. But the Directors
were determined, and preparations
and rehearsals went on, although on
one occasion the leader of the orches-
ira, quelled, pistol in hand, his rebel
lious musicians.
On the day before the date of the
representation, infammatory posters
were distributed about Paris, denounc-
ing the proposed affair as an insult to
France and calling upon all patriotic |
citizens to be present in front or the
Opera House at eight the following
evening.
Thousands accepted the invitation. !
Anger at the authorities and fierce
hatred of Germany urged on the out
break. Transferred by quick stages
from an inactive state of excited dis
cussion to the white heat of mob vio-
lence, the tumult began. 1t was a
wildnight they made of it, those an
gered citizens of Paris, and one could
see in that surging, shrieking multi
tude shadowed pictures of the long
gone days of the bloody Terror. Time
and again fierce waves of rioters
swept up the boulevards that center at
the Opera, only to be thrust back
roughly by platoons of mounted gend-
armes. The German Embassy was be-
seiged, but the police were there in too
prpat Strpnpth Tho mob hoUavar