Parisian Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 36, 28 December 1888, Page 3

Parisian Notes.

Tyro notable members of the Parisian clergy have recently died. The oue was the Abbe Petit, Vicar-General, wbohad gone for bis health on a journey to ihe Holy Land, but who had barely time to visit one or two of the holy places at Jerusalem before he became so ill as to be obliged to enter the French hospital, where in a few days he breathed his last. AmoDg the events of Father Petit'fl career bad been a cruel experience under the Commune, when he Bhared in the imprisonment of Archbishop Darboy and the other hostages. Although, for some reasons never explained, he escaped sharing in their death, his sufferings in prison were terrible, and although be was not privileged to win tbe martyr's crown he gave full evidence of possessing the martyr's spirit. — The other priest was the well-known Abbe Crozes, who, fjr more than 30 years and up to the age of 80, had been chaj - lain of the prison of La Roquette. During all that time it fell to tbe lot of the Abbe Crczts to prepare for death aud attend at then last moments the murderers condemned to the guillotine. His success in bringing these unfortunate creatures to repentance was most remarkable, and was in a great degree attributed to the sympathetic pity and unfeigned love he felt for them. The disposition of this good and saintly man towards them might, perhaps, be looked upon as a foretaste of the mercy awaiting them at the Throne ol Morcy. His death, at the age of 82, wae due to a chill caught by him while attending at Notre Dame a Itequiem Mass celebrated for his old friend, the Abbe Petit.

The Comtcsse de Paris has established an order in the interests of the Orleamst monarchy. She has named it the "Order of the Rose of. France," and appeals to the women of the country to rally to its support, as capable of advancing their dearest and most vital interests. She promises that she will herself hod in perpetual memory every individual that is so enrolled. We shall see how consistently a lady, who is identified with a fowling piece and an unerring slaughter of game in one country, can be identified with the harmless and fragrant rose in another. The smell at least of gunpowder and blood-stained feathers assorts rather badly with that of the queenjof flowers. Perhaps, however, it doeß so as well as the odour of the House of Orleaus assorts with the incense t&at should arise from the throne of St. Louis, and the crown that Joan of Arc waa inspired to save.

M. Jules Simon has been speaking a few wholesome words to the powers that be, but it is to be feared they have fallen on deal ears — none so deaf, we know, as those who will not hear. He contrasts their efforts to destroy Christianity with those of the men of the great Revolution. If the efforts made in '93 failed, he asks, what hope of success have those much feebler ones now made ? Some measure ot success, however, he predicts, such as the oveithrow of weak mind?, and the setting of the criminal at bis ease While they imagine they are at war with religion it is virtue they attack. The disposition they are trying to form, he concludes, is oue that would bo guided by interest only, but would despise sacrifice

And self-devotion as mere folly. Every laicisation made, therefore, ie, for instance, equivalent to a battle lost.

A daughter of General Boulanger'u has been married in a very sensational manner, and amidst quite a storm of public interes;. The young lady, nevertheless, has not made a very brilliant match, her bridegroom being only a captain who has acted as aide-de-camp to her father. But the magnanimity of the General in bestowing her hand so humbly is loudly recounted to his praise. The position of son-in-law to the possible arbiter of the fortunes of France, meantime, if we may judge by the experiences of M. Wilson, is not a wholly unsuspicious one, The memory of how the fate of M. Grevy >as affected by the conduct of his daughter's husband-his "dauphin," as they called him, isßtill fresh in the public mind and might exercise some influence there should Boulanger's cause seem likely to prevail. The hangers-on of tbe man iv chief authority will probably in future be sharply watched.

The authorities seem anxious to propitiate the Emperor William. His Majesty's prejudices against the publication of anything that appears to him derogatory to his dignity aie well known, and have even led to the expulsion from Germany of French journalists. It, however, seems an extremity of compliance, for .example, to prevent the circnlation.of an ordinary caricature in whichhis Majesty occupies a place. Such a picture, representing him, more or less ludicrously, as receiving gifts from Signor Crispi, has just been seized on the boulevards, wher eenterpnsing hawkers were engaged in disposing of it. Le ridicule ttie. But who would have thought that it would have been deemed in Paris so advantageous to preserve the German Emperor alive and kicking ?

A scufflle took ploce the other night at Bordeaux, where the red flag had been hoisted over the platform at a workingmen's congress. The anarchist Boule, who presided, refused the demand of the police that it should be taken down, and made a comparison between it and the tricolour, which was not flattering to the latter. This led to a row, which terminated in the hall'd being cleared by the police. Possibly, however, the red flag is still destined to have a part in some demonstrations that the police will not fiud it so easy to subdue. This seems quite as probable as any other movement under existing circumstances.

The ancient chateau of tbe Dnguesclins at Montmurran, in Bretagne, has been burned down. The last prominent event in which this noble name figured was about some twenty-two or twenty-three years ago, when a couple of young Englishmen, students of Oxford University, abroad for a holiday, insulted the statue of the most famouß son of the house in one of the French towns. Their excuse was that they had not known of his celebrity and honourable place in the history of France. The reply drew forth from the Bench before which the offenders were cited some sharp remarks as to the historical training respecting foreign countries given at Oxford. People, nevertheless, who like the French make it their boast that they are for themselves " suffisants' as they say, and have no need of lelations with their neighbours cannot consistently complain as to ignorance of anything beyond the borders of the Fatherland. That it exists to a great degree in their own country, even witn respect to contemporary matters, is, for example, continually proved by the ludicrous blunders made by writers in their press.

The navy of France, like that of Eogland, is at present an objpet of much consideration. The Minister ot Marine who was interrogated on the subject, the other day, expressed himself extremely hopeful. Additional ironclad cruisers, and torpedoes he acknowledges to be a want ; but he still believes the navy in a condition to stand against even the whole world with honour to the country, and so as to make the victory finally gained over it a dearly bought one. He places great confidence in the spirit of the sailors, and declares that he has no fears for the future. Even a possible alliance between Italy and England does not alarm him.