Final answer:
The general impression of Paris in the historical excerpts presents a city in the midst of turbulent transformation, with differing perspectives on its redevelopment and the societal impacts of such changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The general impression of Paris throughout the examined excerpts hints at a city undergoing tumultuous change, often viewed through different lenses of disdain and admiration. From the urban renewal project initiated by Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann, which transformed Paris significantly, making it the emblem of modernism for the Impressionists, to the controversial reception of the Eiffel Tower, viewed by some as a 'gigantic black smokestack' overshadowing historic monuments. Compounded by references to political strife and societal changes, we can infer that the general impression of Paris during these periods is one of dynamic transformation, both physically and ideologically. While the September Massacres are not directly referenced, the sense of violence is implicit in the depictions of a 'people starved and stabbed' and a 'Senate, Time's worst statute unrepealed,' suggesting a general disapproval or concern over the handling of unrest and violence as well as an indication of overall distress by the Parisian society.