The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-18 00:00:00

GERMANY AND ALSACE.

The Times continues to write in favour of pacific over-
tures, and discusses the terms. It is understood, it says,
there is a strong feeling that the safety of Germany re-
quires, as a material guarantee of future peace, that
Alsace should be brought within its borders. It need not
be said that we have no direct interest in the ques-
tion whether the Rhine or the line of the Vosges
should be the frontier dividing France and Ger-
many. We can only desire that the bounds should be
so set as to give the best provision ut a-slam,, cs.btao
ment, and if we deprecate the demand for Alsace it is
because we think its acquisition would be fatal to the
end for which it is sought. There is, without doubt,
much to be said in favour of uniting Alsace to Germany.
Its inhabitants are German in tongue and German in
manners and customs. A mountain boundary, such as
the Vosges offer, is again a far better line of division
between nations than a river, as is shewn in this very in-
stance by the fact that Alsatians speak German though
they have been incorporated in France for 200 years.
But a union of 200 years would itself be a consider-
able obstacle to the proposed cession, and an insurmount-
able difficulty is found in the fact that the men of Alsace
Itself would vehemently oppose it. Though they still
speak German and maintain their German habits, they
are more French than Frenchmen in their political iden-
tification with France. The fire of the Revolution fused
Alsace indissolubly with France. A province cannot nowa-
days be transferred when its inhabitants protest against
the transfer, and even if we couldsuppose the change form-
ally made, it would undo all the benefits of peace.
The Dahl News remarks that if Prussian arms are
successful to the end, it is not likely that she will with-
draw from the war without some compensation for the
expenses of the struggle which has been forced upon
her, and without some guarantee, not moral merely, but
material also, against similar attack. The contest
Is not likely to end until either the French army
has cleared French territory of every German
soldier, or that the army has been itself so weakened as
to be for =stay years powerless for aggression. It
is to this end apparently that German strategy is
directed. Its intention and designs may seem to some
persons to be foreshadowed in the proclamations of King
William 1., which have extended the Zollverein to that
portion of French soil which the German troops occupy,
and which have abolished the conscription therein. These
are something more than merely military regulations,
for the French conscription has of course ceased in prac-
tice wherever the German armies have penetrated ; and
Customs regulations cease of themselves in similar con-
ditions. But the question is not, will th 6 Germans take;
or, rather resume Alsace, but having taken it will they
give it back. It was stolen by Louis XIV. nearly two
centuries ago. Prescription may cover the theft but it
does no cover the right of re-conquest. Its population are
German in race, in language, and in ways of life. The
Alsatians themselves are indeed vehemently, if superficially
French—Gallis ipsis Galliores—but rather, it may be, by
way of hiding from themselves the inner consciousness
that they are not Frenchmen at ally than from any real
or deep feeling. As yet discussion of the projected re-
turn of Alsace to Germany may be premature. Famili-
arity with the idea cannot, however, be gained too soon.
Unless the fortunes of war change, and the conquerors
exhibit a moderation unknown in history, and scarcely
possible to human nature, it will have to be faced
and dealt with in one way or another before many weeks
are over.