NEWS FROM PARIS 353 changing my hope to confidence. Of course, abundant abuses remain, numerous obstacles have been rather avoided than overcome, and many dangers are masked not removed: but the peasants, the upper classes, and the bourgeoisie are thus far decidedly hostile to violent revolutionary action-public opinion is as decided for pacific revolution as against the violent means of the red radicals: the violence of these last, now that the press is so nearly free, goes far to correct its own dangerousness. A Coup d'Etat is as good as out of the possibilities. L. N. B. is behaving better and Ollivier with more politic ability than could have been fairly expected. The social question, the Church question, and the possible revival at any moment of the war question, are always formidable but not immediately pressing. It is odd to note that at present the most fractious party in the Corps Législatif is made up of the old Imperialist puros. The most oneasy opposition paper, among the daily prints that you used to read, is the Pays! The old sitting hens at the Luxembourg don't like to have the spoiled constitutional eggs - from which they never could hatch anything - plucked from under them, but even their cackle over the operation will not be very loud nor long. With a difference, they are like Dupanloup & Co., who protest against the Infallibility dogma (because it weakens the bishops' authority over the priests); if it is voted they will accept it and damn all the protestants and freethinkers who (quite foolishly) are taking their part in the present resistance. Yours truly My dear Sir: SIR HENRY BULWER TO BIGELOW CANNES, March 28, 1870. A thousand thanks for your letter1 & I shall accept Mr. Lippincott's offer with pleasure and send him the proofs in time. It will do when I send them to fix on which of ye 2 alternatives we settled upon. I am quite satisfied that I am dealing with an honorable straightforward gentleman & that is sufficient. I think ye book 'In compliance with request of Sept. 16, 1869, page 100 ante. will be interesting. The first part is in fact a history of Palmerston himself1 & ye times he was living in from his own letters & journal up to 1830 with much personal narrative, anecdote &c. The second is his career of Foreign Minister - and as from 1835 to 1851 I was employed by him on ye most important posts I can say much that no one else can. The latter part takes in his duties as Prime Minister, leader, & Premier, with such correspondence as I think characteristic. What are you about besides your Journal, which is in itself a life & power. How can you contrive to live in ye country? Nothing is done or likely to be done in respect to our differences because ye 2 Foreign Offices have only to make out their cases. The thing to do wd be to make out a case against both Foreign Offices over whose Demolition ye countries might shake hands. But one gets lazy in these times about laboring for great objects. Every ant is busy with rolling on his small bit of millet seed & is careless about storms or earthquakes. The wretched weather, the immense majority in favor of Government, & other small causes, have kept me up to this time in the South & I shall not go up for Parliament till after Easter. We are doing a good deal for Ireland, but not in my opinion in ye right way—but representative governments must always be between ye wrong & ye right, for such is ye case with opinion in general, & it is no use having a better opinion than the opinion in general. The Emperor in this country has been playing a great game. If he keeps his present cards in his hands he may win it — if not, Tell me your do abouts, yr where abouts- & intend abouts. Place me at Mrs. Bigelow's feet. Ever yrs Address always - Athenæum Club, Pall Mall, or British Embassy, Paris. B. 'The history of the real Palmerston from Baron Dalling and Bulwer's point of view. Dear Mrs. Bigelow: April 4, 1870. I thank you very heartily for your letter and the definite and satisfactory information it contained about the Marquise1 and my fiancée. You did not remember her name, but that is not important - Nous allons changer tout cela. I am awaiting a great pleasure. Mrs. Sam. Hooper of Boston will be here in a day or two. The first friend I have seen for a year. She will tell me great heaps of gossip, and I will repay her by repeating verbatim your last letter, and we will be merry over our tea cups as in old times at Washington. Did you ever know Mrs. Hooper? She is very well worth while. I like her better than any of my Aunts. "If this be treason make the most of it." Do you remember (of course you don't) a young lady named Wilson from Indiana who came to Paris to study art, during your reign? She is here now, with Mrs. Butterfield (sister-in-law to ours), and a Miss Dart. They are devoted to art and the Protestant propaganda. What is the matter in America? A half dozen Major-generals have recently died. A young lady in Boston went to a party with His Satanic Majesty and coming back, suicided herself with a brand-new pearl-handled pen-knife. George Wilkes has received personal correction on the street from Bill Leland - the first debt William ever paid. And to add a new element of disorder Prince Pierre Bonaparte has sailed for New York. He is greatly disgusted with France — says he is going to the only country in the world where a gentleman can enjoy himself with a revolver. You know the jury found him innocent and fined him 25,000 francs & costs, to teach him not be be so innocent the next time he kills a man. Who will give him the first dinner and the first ball? He makes rather a better figure dining than dancing. His appetite is sprightly, but his feet are gouty. 'La Marquise de San Carlos. Ogden Haggerty passed through here a few days ago. His daughter Mrs. Crafts is in Paris. The climate of Ithaca is bad for her health. So the Professor stays and Madame Clementine pines in necessary exile in Paris. I hear Mr. Washburne is suffering from a severe attack of conscientiousness. Mr. Fish ordered all the Ministers to dismiss their attachés, and Washburne was forced to cast off Wurtz, which he did with cracking heart strings. But Jay and We &c., who are older and wiser, have as many as we can cram into the Chancellerie, and cheerful youths they are. One is a blooming young Knickerbocker of military antecedents, who on great occasions wears so many corps badges that he looks as if he had been insured against fire in several expensive companies; and another who is our bard, a young poet who goes to the English Chapel for the sins of all of us and attracts eyes of favor from the pious and gigantic Mrs. Layard. And another, our fast man, who is the greatest authority in Spain on sky blue cravats. The General's daughter is greatly admired by the downy hidalgos. They call her Mees Seekless and ask me in strict confidence what is the state of the General's bank account. These idiots in Europe will never learn what Américaines are. They are received civilly and they think in five minutes that the fair Yankee is in love with them. They carry this pleasing delusion about for a day or two, until led by a feeling of compassion, they propose and are declined with thanks. Then they are savage, and la belle Américaine is denounced as a heartless flirt. I have seen this a hundred times in the last few years. Good night. My regards to Mr. Bigelow and the young people. Please write once more and when I answer I will say Au revoir. Ο VISIT TO EUROPE VI RESEARCHES ON BEAUMARCHAIS N THE 30th of April, 1870, I embarked with my whole family in the steamer Brooklyn. After a very pleasant voyage we found ourselves in comfortable quarters at Waterloo Hotel, Liverpool, on the 10th of May. On the morning of the 12th we took the train at nine o'clock for London, and pretty promptly after our arrival, repaired to the residence of Mr. Hargreaves. I there learned that the condition of John Bright was anything but promising. They told me he could not lean forward and write a note, however short, without the blood coming into his head, though he could write and read some, if he sat up straight with his head back. His physician thinks he requires rest for a twelve-month. That means abandonment of public life and the Cabinet, as I interpret it. From London we went to Berlin. After spending a few days in that capital and paying our respects to Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft and the American Consul, we set out, all our family, and visited during the succeeding months the principal cities of Prussia in quest, primarily, of the most eligible place for the education of our children, and a temporary home. FATHER HYACINTHE TO BIGELOW Translation Dear Mr. Bigelow: BOULEVARD DE NEUILLY, 95. I have been much touched that one of your first thoughts in approaching Europe was for me. I rejoice very much to know 357 |