The National Festival, as it is called, of July 14th,—the
anniversary of the taking of the Bastille,—passed off on Monday in France with but one sinister incident. Among the flags flying on the Hotel Continental, the German flag was perceived by the crowd which had just been groaning over the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine ; the windows of the hotel were broken, the German flag was seized, and was carried off to be burned at the base of the Strasburg statue. The French Government, of course, at once explained to the German Government their regret for this outbreak of popular anger ; and it is said that the Com- missary of Police, who failed to repress the mob, has been superseded and punished ; though it is probable enough that he, poor fellow, could not, without better arrangements, have prevented the silly violence of the mob. The German papers grumble a good deal at the ostentatious hatred of Germany displayed by the Paris mob ; but there is no real danger that Germany will make more of the matter than the triviality of it justifies.
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