The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-09-29
A Thousand Years Ago.

1t is certainly one of the greatest curl.
osities in history that exactly one thou
sand years ago, m the year Of our Lord
so, the people of France and Germany
fought under their kings upon the same
soil, that of Lorraine, for very nearly the
same reasons, and with the same result.
This happened as follows:
The empire of CEarlemagne and that
of his son who succeeded him, Ludwig /.
called Pious, was divided by his three
sons, the grandsons of Charlemaene, i'm
$40, at the Congress of Yerdun, between
themselves In sueh manner that Lo-
thai:e received, besides the title of En-
peror, Italy and what was then called
Middle Franconia, q strip of land running
from the North Sea TO the Mediterranean,
and there joining Upper Italy, broad
strip OF land containing modern Holland,
Belgium, the Lorraine, the Alsaee and
all that part of Southern France living
between the Rhine and Saone and the Alps
on the east. Ludwig received Eastern
Franconia- which was from that time
called Germania, and from which he, as
Germany's first king, was called Ludwig
the German.
Cart, who was called the Bald. from
his bald head, received western Franco
MIA, from that time called Franconia or
France. Lothaire died in S53, and again
su5diVlded his empire amongst his three
sons. To the oldest, Ludwig, he gave
Italy and the crown and title Of emperor
to the second, Lothaire, the northern part
OF his dominion. comprising part of
modern Holland, Belgium, and the prov
ince called up to this day Lorraine or
LotlIaringen. the Alsace, and all the land
extending down TO the Saone To the
youngest, Carl, he gave all The land
south of the Saone to the Mediterranean,
under the title of Kingdom Province.
In 500 Lothaire died without heirs.
after he had previously become possessed
also of his brother Carts kingdom of
Province, and it was then that Carl the
Bald, King of France, stepped forward to
take possession of his nephew's kingdom.
comprising all the eastern part of modern
Franco, and extending from the Meuse
TO the Rhine, and from the Rhone TO the
Alps, and from the North Sea way down
to the Mediterranean. He was complete
ly successful. for his nephew Ludwig, The
Emperor in Italy, and his brother Ludwig,
the KING of Germany, had both their
hands too full to claim their share of the
rich inheritance
But year later, in $40, just one thous-
and years ago, suddenly large and we'll
appointed German army crossed the
Rhine, broke into France, and defeated
Carl the Bald and his armies at once, and
so completely, that he was compelled to
sign treaty of peace in the same year
(870l, by which he ceded 10 his brother
Ludwig, the German, all the eastern
part of those lands which he had appro-
priated from his nephew, and comprising
the modern provinces of Alsace, Eastern
Lorraine and the territories around the
cities of Trier, or Treves, Cologne, Mas
tricht, and Utrecht, down to the mouth
of the river Rhine
The first grand fight for The Rhine
provinces on the part Of France, aud the
Alsace and Lorraine on that of Germany.
which is, after all, if not the sole cause.
certainly one of the principal causes of
the present war of 1870, took place con~
sequently just one thousand years ago, In
$40, and with the same result