Smyrna times., 1867-05-15
The Luxembourg Question.

By the treaties of 1915, dictated by the Holy
Alliance and forced upon France-and which
thle present Emperor of the French declared a
year ago, much to the CONSERVATION OF Eu-
rope, he cordially detested-the Fortress OF
Luxemburg was placed under the military
control of the German States and the civil au-
thority was given to the King OF Holland =
The duplex arrangement was insisted upon by
the Powers for a very grave reason. The title
of the town and province Of Luxemburg was
legally vested in the king of Holland, and no
purpose was entertained TO deprive him OF the
revenues derived from them but the Fortress
of LuXemburg possessed an Importance to all
| Europe. Its possession by the German Con
federation was considered guarantee, OF tu-
ture peace, a curb on Fren :h ambition, a bar
rier to French eXtentiOn eastward and because
it really proved so is why Napoleon Ill de-
tests the aty which established this " barrl-
er to the Rhine" The treaties Of 1915 were
violently annualled nearly year ago at Sado-
wa; the German Confederation was oblterated
at a blow; and it was believed that, by pre-
vious understanding with Prussia, arranged
between Napoleon and Blsmark at Blarrltz,
the domains of France would be quietly extend
ed to the Rhine, and that LuXem0urg would be
delivered to the French. But this scheme tor
gaining a lnng-cnveted Rhenish frontier has
proved one OF NapoleOns many late failures
! or mistakes For him the Z" deteSted treaties
still exist The weak German Confederation
has reorganzedintO the strong, consolidated en-
pire Of Northern Germany and the Fortress
of Luxembourg remains a still stronger barrier
to the Rhine. To Napoleon request for its
possession as the reward of his neutrality In
1866, Prussia, remembering that but tor his
intervention as peace maker IN Venice neI
armies would have entered Vienna, replied
with mild No" Disappointed In his an
ticipations of cheap and peaceful extension
to the Rhine, Napoleon lately offered to buy
it. Prussia replied by publishing the secret
treaties giving her military control over tine
one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers OF Ba
den, Wurtemburg, and Bavaria and still Ia
ter added clearly emphatic message to the
effect that the province of Luxemburg shal
not be sold, and the Fortress should not b(
evacuated.
Prussia is fully aware of the great import
ance of the post she holds. General Carnot
the engineer, he of whom it was said, Ihl
, is the man who has organized veto y, de
clared Luxembourg to be " the strongest Tor
tress in Europe, next to Glbrater. 1t nae
another not less important advantage IN Gar
not's eyes, and one not lost upon Napoleon.
ut is tho ony point of attack upon France
| from the direction of the Moselle that IS
from Germany. 1t is at once the gate to Parl
or to Berlin and this is the reason why Ma
f poleOn covets it, and why Prussia, on the hrs
sign Of danger reintOrceS her permanent gar
= rlson of several thousand troops, and ADDS t
r its armament and stores. The situation o
' Luxembourg, is very singular, the extent anC
. peculiar character of its Notifications desery'
: to be remarked. The upper town occupies
table-shaped lot Of ground level with the ad
t Joining country on the west side; but on TN
, north east, and south sides the rock descend
) in a precipice POO feet deep and opposite t.
il rise other lofty rocks equally preclpltous
1 connected with it by drawbrldges in the mar
: rowesr part, while between them lies the low
. er town, nesting in the gorge or ravlne, wa
d tered by two streams, the Petersburn and tn
n Alzette, with an isolated rock In the mddl
# which is called the Book or Goat, and whic
t is covered with ramparts of masonry, havln
IS loopholes and embrasures for the garrison, t
s fire through, while they are provided with am
l. pie shelter in the casemates, excavated In tn
e solid rock. There is a stone bridge of seVera
arches which crosses the valley, atfording CON
o munication between the town and the Rock
g but it is completely commanded by the gun
IS of the fortress. The town itself contains fe'
K buildings of much architectural interest. Th
n cathedral was built in the sixteenth century
&c The population of the town is about ii 600
II not including the 5000 Prussian soldiers, VIII
3 form the garrison.
rs The dispute over the possession of this foi
d tress and province was rapidly leading 70
5, war, when Queen Victoria proposed to NapC J"
leon and the King of Prussia o compr9mlse. .
l. the basis of the naturalization OF the dispute
territory by conference of the great Power ~eI
er of Europe. This was accepted BY Do1n pa. nM
l- ties, and it was announced at Lonaonl on ,ba
y % that the conference would be neiu IN 'Io tb
{ city on May 10, and that IN 11g h J;.mantled
Lively times reported in ,NIn'ias Montana to TG
aggreved people Of several ssTn orSounsS "Vr Y
neesSlSUI onea TOwmittees," whereupon the rogues,
ruuJ retaation, have organized society calling i
= I. seS seIf e Five to One, each member pledgin
I. him himself to murder FIVE "yigilants for ever
= VIZ al,a some interesting "episodes," as Artemr
h h Ward would call the conflicts thusfOreshadOwe'