The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-10-14
GERMAN
The Arrest OF NJ. JRcObY, the PruS sian
LeRder-Its Cause.


LeRder-Its Cause.
lie Nord, of Sept. 20, says: The most
important news of to-day comes not from
Berlin nor from the headquarters of the
King of Prussia; it arrives from Konigs-
berg. The Prussian Republican leader has
been arrested by order of the council of
In order that u readers may form
a precise estimate of the motives of this
proceeding, we will place before them the
translation of a speech which he delivered
before a meeting which he had convened
the 14th, at Konlgsberg. Here is the
speech:
The principal question of the present
moment is this Has Prussia n right to
appropriate to herself Alsaee and Lorraine?
We hear it said that Lorraine belonged in
times past to the German Empire, and
that france got possession of them by
guile and by force. Now that we have
beaten the French, it is but Just that We
should take back from them that which
they once took away from US.
"Do not allow yourselves, gentlemen, to
be led INTO error by these plausible argu-
ments. If all the empires of the world
were the inducements, guard yourselves
against being brought to worship the idol
Of force. Look into the high sounding
language, and you see that 1t is nothing
more than the old right of the cannon in
O new dress. 'AlsaOO and Lorraine say
they, were German property, and ought
once more to be German
what, we ask, have Alsace and Lor-
raine, then, no inhabitants? or are the
people of these provinces mere soulless
chattels, of which one may take possession
without form or ceremony Has war de-
prived them of their rights? Are they
become slaves, and may the victor decide
their fate according to his own caprice I
Why. even the most thorough of the an
nexationists acknowledge hat the people
of Alsace and Lorraine are French, body
and soul, and wish to remain French
Then I say that even had they committed
the greatest of crimes against us, it would
be contrary to every right of humanity tc
endeavor to incorporate them with Prussia
or any other German State.
''Sirs, there is an old saying, DO not tC
others that which you would not have
them do to YOU What should we say
what would our national Liberals say
one day a victorious Poland, resting its
claim on the right of the cannon should
demand the restoration of Posen anC
Western Prussia? And yet she would
bring to bear the identical argument!
which we are now using to Justify the
annexation of Alsace and Lorraine. 1t il
our duty to set ourselves in opposition t.
these tendencies of national ambition
Let US firmly maintain the principles o
right, as much in political as in priVati
life. Let us proclaim that any annexa
ton of foreign territory, against the will
of the inhabitants, is a violation of tn
right Of the free disposition of the people
Without allowing ourselves to be troubled
by the momentary intoxication Of victory
let US protest against any VIOLENCE which
may be done to the people of Alsace anC
Lorraine. Those only who respect tn,
liberties of others are themselves worthy
of liberty"
The meeting assembled by NJ. Jacoby
carried, unanimously, a resolution EN-
bodying the above sentiments,
Certainly the Republican party, o
which M. Jacoby is the leader, is neithe
very numerous nor powerful in Prussia
At the same time, the rigorous measure o
which this person has been the object will
tend to raise the suppositIon that the Gov
eminent is not without fear regarding tn.
propagation of the ideas which he ha
made himself the organ. By the annexa
ten of Alsace and Lorraine, Prussia would
therefore, be preparing for herself, amonI
her own population, difficulties in add
ton to those which will occur in the prov
inces incorporated against their will will
Germany. On the other hand the Pruss
ian Government now fear, lest in giving
way upon this matter to the Republican
party, they should give to it a moral fore
and prestige which It is far from possessin,
at present. 1t is, however, evident tina
this last apprehension only reposes upoI
a simple hypothesis, while the materia
difficulties which would result from tn,
forced annexation of Alsace and Lorrain,
belong to the domain of absolute certainty