Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-04-13


an intelligence. Reason spreading every
where, and overstepping the frontiers of ma
tons, has created that intellectual nationality
which will be the achievement of the French
Revolution, and the constitution of interna-
tional fraternity all over the globe.
In short, in 1892 liberty was a novelty,
equality was scandal, and thesrepublic was
problem.-The title of nations, which had on
Iy just been discovered by Fenelon, Monies
quleu and Rosseau, was so completely forgot
ten, buried. profaned by old feudal dynastc,
and sacerdotal traditions, that the most legiti-
mate Intervention of the people in its affairs
appeared montrosity TO the statesmen of the
old school. Democracy made the monarchs,
and at the same time the foundations of socie-
ty tremble. To-day thrones and the people are
accust stoned TO the word, to the forms, and to
the regular agitations of liberty, exercised in
nearly different proportions in all states, and
even in monarchies. They will accustom
themselves to the Republic, which is It's COM
pete form In all the rlpest of nations. They
will acknowledge that there may be in the re-
public not only better order, but that there
may be more real order in that government of
all for all, than in the government of the few
for the few.
But besides these disinterested considera-
lions, the sole interest Of the consolidation and
duration of the republic would inspire il. the
statesmen of France the thoughts of peace. 1t
is not the country that runs the greatest danger
in the war; it is the liberty War is almost
always dictatorship. Soldiers forget institu-
tons for men. Thrones tempt the ambitious
Glory dazzles patriotism. The prestige of a
glorious name wells the attack upon the sover-
eighty OF the nation. The republic desires
glory, without douet, but it wishes it for it.
self and not for Caesars or Napoleons.
Do not deceive yourselves, nevertheless
Those ideas which the Provisional Government
charges you to present to the powers, as a
pledge of European safery, have not for their
object to obtain forgiveness to the republic for
having had the boldness TO create itself, and
still less to ask humbly the place ola great right
and great people in Europe. They have a
more noble object: to make sovereigns and ma
tions reflect, and not to allow them TO deceive
themselves involuntariy as to the character of
our revolution; to give its true light and its
just character of the event; in short, to give
pledges to humanity, before giving them to
our right and to our honor, if they should be
unacknowledged or threatened.
| The French Republic will, then, not make
ysr on any one. 1t has no occasion TO say that
if con- Iiticns Of war are laid down to the French
people it viii accept them. The thoughts of the
men who at the present moment govern France
are these: twill be fortunate for France if war
be declared against it, and if it be constrained
thus to increase it's strength and glory in spite
| of its moderation. 1t will be terrible respon-
sibilty for France fthe Republic itself declares
war without being provoked to It, In the first
case, its martial genius, its Iinpatlence OF ac-
ton, its strength, accumulated during SO many
years of peace, will render it invinclbIe with
in its own territory, and redoubtabte, perhaps:
10, ODD T., h.
would turn against itself the recollection of It's
conquests, which diminish the affections of
nations, and it would compromise the first and
most universal alliance, the spirit of nations
and the genius of civilization.
According to these principles, sir, which
are the cool principles of France principles
she can present without fear, as without
suspicion, TO her friends and to her enemies
you will have The goodness to impress
upon yourself the following declarations:
The treaties of 1918 exist no longer as law
in the eyes of the Frenchrepublc; nevertheless
the territorial circumscrptionso of these treaties
are fact which it admits as basis, and as
point de depart in its relations with other
nations.
j But if the treaties of 1915 do not exist any
longer excepting as facts TO modify common
understanding, and if the Republic declare:
openly that It's right and It's mission is TO arrive
regularly and practically at these modification
the good sense, the moderation, the conscience
! the prudence of the Republic exist, and are 70
Europe better and more honorable guarantee
than the letter of those treaties, so often VIC
/ lated and modified by Europe itself.
5 Endeavor, sir, to make this emancipation
l of the Republic from the treaties of 1917
be clearly understood. and try to show tina
e that freedom has nothing in it which i
| Ill - a. Of
I Thus we declare itopenly. If the hour of tn
f reconstruction of some nationalities, of op
? pressed in Europe or elsewhere, should appea
2 to US to have sounded in the DEGREES of Provi
dence, if Switzerland our faithful ally since tn
time of Francis |, were constrained or threat
: ened in the advance which she is effecting il
/ her government, in order TO lend additions
n strength to the facine of Democratic govern
J ments-if the Independent states of Italy wer
: invaded-if any limits or obstacles were i'm
posed on their internal transformations-ift tn
: right of alliance among themselves, in order t
\ consolidate an Italian nation, were conteste
D by main force-the French Republic would be
lieve itself entitled to arm itself in order t
g protect these legitimate movements of tn
! greatness and nationality of states.
e The Republic, you see, by Its first step, re
S pudiates the era of prescriptions and of dicta
t tions She is decided never to veil liberty a
/ home. She is equally decided never to veil it
e democratic principle abroad. She will neve
If permit any one to interpose between the pa
), cific radiation of its liberty and the regard c
+ nations. She proclaims herself the intellectu
/, al and cordial ally of every right of every pre-
+ gress, of every Legitimate development of tn
2 Institutions of nations which wish to live o
n the same principle as herself. She will ne
o endeavor any immoderate or incendiary prop;
= gandism amongst her neighbors. She know
It that there is no durable freedom but thu
e which grows of itself on its own soil. But
will exercise by the light of its ideas, by tn
o spectacle of order and of peace which
It hopes to give to the world, the sole an
I honest proselytism of esteem and OF syn
If pathy.
IS That is not war, it is nature. That is nj
1t the agitation of Europe, it is life. That ISM
d to embroil the world, it is to shine from i
a place the horizon of nations, to advant
lie them and to guide them at the same time. W
lel desire, for humanity, that the peace be pr
4 served We even hope it. One only questio