The Paris correspondents are curiously at variance in re- gard
to the Fête of the Republic, which was celebrated as usual on the 14th inst. The Times' telegrams describe the celebration as specially languid and perfunctory, while the Standard reporter remarks of the Fi'3te, that "it has been celebrated this year with a far greater spirit than on any previous occasion that I remember,"—a circumstance due, he believes, to the notion that a general outburst of enthusiasm would be an appropriate reply to the renewal of the Triple Alliance. A statue of Denton was unveiled at the corner of the Boulevard St. Germain and the Rue de l'Ecole de Medecine. Among the speeches was one made by M. Laffitte, a Positivist, who incidentally remarked that " Danton's memory should be honoured, even if it were true that he was the author of the September massacres. It was not, however, true that he was the author of those massacres." Denton is represented uttering his famous tag from Bacon : "De l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace." The more appropriate phrase for the pedestal, however, would have been his last words,—though not understood, perhaps, as he himself under- stood them,—" Oh ! it were better to be a poor fisherman than to meddle with the government of men."
Previous page
