Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-10
The War in Europe.

the Germans and frenchmen BY birth.
should each sympathire with their own
country in the war nov going on between
France and Prussia. These manifestations
of national sympathy only become offensive
and wrong to the country Of their adop-
ton when they lead to offensive and de-
fensive combinations on either side calcu.
lated to promote hostile factions, disturb
the public peace, and to be made instru.
mcnts in the hands of designing dema-
gogucs to influence the party politics of
this country. We see it is claimed by
some of the leading Republican papers at
the East that the Germans will, or should,
hereafter vote with the Republican party,
because that party sympathizcs with Prus-
STA against France. Every American cit
izen of forei On BIRTH under oath renowned
his allegiance to the government under
which he was born, and swore fidelity to
the Government of the United States,
thereby becoming entitled to all the rights,
privileges and immunities of the native
born citizen. Any combination of uatur-
allied citizens by nationalities for political
purposes, whether German, French, Irish
or English, is quite as offensive as like
combination of native Americans against
all citizens of foreign birth, and all are
alike reasonable to popular government in
which all are guaranteed equality before
the law and bound together by common
interests. Aside from national sympathies,
what sympathy has any American citizen
with the objects Of the war now being
waged between the King of Prussia and
the Emperor of France? 1t is war be.
tween dynastics for legitimacy and En-.
pire. If the King of Prussia succeeds,
he will become the Emperor of all Ger
many; his kingly prerogatives will be ex-
tended, his dynasty firmly established, and
the free cities and independent provinces
of Germany will have to surrender all their
municipal independence to the imperial
consolidation; France will be restored to
Bourbon rule or reduced to anarchy, to go
through another round of experiments in
government, each baptized in the blood of
its citizens. If France prevails, it gives
the Bonaparte dynasty another indefinite
lease of power, extending his empire to the
banks of the Nile. How are the people,
or the principles Of free government and
popular rights, to be advanced in this
war? Are the Republican Germans Of
America so Indifferent to the liberties
which they enjoy in free America that
they desire to see the increase Of imperial
power in their native country? Are the
American citizens of French birth so de-
voted to the fortunes Of the usurper of the
French throne as to forget that they are
republicans?
American citizens may honestly differ
do " thC dostiuCt uicTItS VI VIC CVutTONcTSy
between Louis Napoleon and the King of
Prussia Native citizens cannot forget
that France was the ally of their fathers
in the Revolutionary struggle, and has al.
most uniformly been the friend of Amcri-
ca in all its difficulties with foreign powers,
but this gives the adventurer who lately
occupied the French throne no claim to
their sympathy, or should be any cause of
offence to Germans who have honestly re-
nounced allegiance to the Kings, Dukes
and potentates who govern Germany. We
did not condemn citizens of Southern birth
for their natural sympathies with their
kindred in the late civil war, so long as
that sympathy was not manifested by any
reasonable act towards the Government
We do not condemn the Germans or
Frcnchmen for their national sympathies,
but we protest against their bringing their
sympathies with imperial power iutoparty
politics in Republican government.