Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-11-17
From the New York Ob.eryer.l
THE FRENCH AND PRUS-
. SLAMS.
BY HON. j. r HEADLEY.

! notice in my article oflast week
mistake in the French quotation,
which suppose, must be owing to
my own carelessness. An "U'
slipped in where there should be
none. This, however, is Of small
consequence, as the sentiment, not
the phraseology, was what occu-
pied my attention.
In that article, | cndeayored to
show by incontestible proof that
the present war in Europe was not
precipitated so suddenly as it, seem
ed to be, and that the ostensible
cause Of it was not the real one
War was necessary to Napoleon to
maintain his power and prolong
his dynasty, 1t was acceptable to
Prussia in order to concenha ate
Germany and establish new from
tier; but God was bringing about
results that neither anticipated
And now the question comes up
Why do we not have peace p
France needs it; her vine-clad hills
and wales lie desolate; her towns
are in ruins; and her people i'm
Ipoverished and suffering. Prussia
needs it, for she is fast being drain
ed Of her young men and her treas
ures. European governments de-
sire It, for commerce is suffering,
and new and dangerous complica-
tions may arise; and yet peace
seems farther off to-day than ever.
The ostensible reasoms-those pro-
Imulgated-are not the only ones.
To day it is stated that the stub,
bornness Of France, in refusing to
yield Alsace and Lorraine, stand in
the way, and that Prussia is not to
blame in insisting on holding them
as guarantees for the future. To-
morrow we are told that Bismarck
will not take them from the pres
ent provisional government, be-
cause it is no government at all,
and, therefore, has NO power to
make a treaty on any basis. There
is unquestionably much truth in
this, FOR the present provisional
government is as much an usurpa
lion as was the famous coup d etat
Of Louis Napoleon. But does the
fear that a treaty made by it will be
repudiatoe hereafter control him
Bismarck knows that if France
should constitute herself a republic,
a treaty made by it would be quite
as evanescent as one made by the /
provisional goyernment-tOr no
.one believes the former would last .
year. Besides, war can be bro't
about at any time, and that puts an
end to all treaties. 1t is plain,
therefore, that Prussia is looking
for a more stable power than eth
er a provisional government or a
republic to- treat with, and that Eu-
ropcan governments see the same
necessity, This brings MS to the
real cause Of the present complica
tions and perpleXity-a REPUBLIC is
casting its baleful shadow over the
continent | may, indeed, pass
away like a structure of mist, but,
alas! not before it has sent reyolu- |.
tions rolling through Europe, 1t
is not the outward form, but the il
ward principle-the doctrine of
personal freedom and rights that
nonarchs are afraid Of This is
never mentioned but in whispers
not even alluded to in diplomacy;
but it is the key that unlocks the
tangled, complicated machinery Of
OF European politics So, too, :
while monarchies are loud in their
denunciations of acts Of aggression
committed by neighboring States,
they never complain Of the most
aggressive nation on earth-the
Republic Of Me United States
The charter of human rights we
hold up to the world has the same
effect on the oppressed nationali-
ties Of Europe that the cry Of a free
Eagle has on his chained and cap
tive companions beIow--mokes
them strain on their tetters. The .
embodied in our own
government are encroaching stead
lily, though insidiously, on every
monarchy of Europe. The distin-
guished historian, Froude, seems
this in England, and prophesies
coming evil. 1t is not as many
and as is often uttered
in fourth of July orations-the
spectacle OF strong and prosper
ons republic that eXcites the admi'
ration or,fear of Europe; it is the
priaciples we assert-the declara- I
ton of human rights we set forth,
To. day Germany is being permeat-
ed with the rinciples and wo king ,
of our Government through the
private correspondence carried on {
between the cmigrants here and {
their friends in the fatherland.
Every mail carries loads of lett ers
and German papers, printed here
that are burdened with utterances G
of mans rights, and the happiness s
the enjoyment of them conters on |
the possessor. This silent subtle
influence is slowly undermining
the structure of teudalism. The
,o1 10 ,o+ mara s