The Athenvon has commenced the publication of a series of
letters from Edmond About, the first of which has ap- peared, but has been spoiled in the writing by a duel with M. Herve. We notice the letters, because we believe almost the one great defect of the English Press is the absence of communications from foreigners stating, and stating strongly, their views of the course of politics, literature, and what not, in their own countries. The Press is ably served, in Europe at least, by its correspondents, but readers are never sure that they have caught the native idea as to the motive of the act which has been done. This is especially the ease as to foreign Parliamentary proceedings, the most important debates and official statements being constantly overlooked. The English correspondents, moreover, confine themselves too exclusively to politics and gossip, and -never or very rarely touch upon the life which must be lived outside both Court and Parliament. The Berlin cor- respondent of the Times is an exception to this rule, he being interested in theology, but even he gives no idea to the public of the prospects of the war between -the Hohenzollerns and the Ultramontanes. The difficulty of obtaining unprejudiced corre- spondents is, we know, great, but there must be in every country in Europe one attainable Prevost-Paradol.
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