New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-11-09
FRANCE AND PRUSSfA-A CONTRAST

| FRANCE AND PRUSSfA-A CONTRAST
France, after entering, with the avOwed pur-
pose of selling and annexing the Rhenlsh
Provinces of Prussia, upon an aggressive war
which has been followed 10y most crushing
and humiliating defeat, has heretofore repudi-
ated any condition of peace implying the
cession of any portion of the frontier which
she originally took from Germany, and by the
possession of which she has especially imposed
upon Prussia the necessity for more than
half a century of remaining in q state of armed
preparation to resist the very kind of invasion
which has resulted 30 disastrOusly. Now, after
the strongholds OF StrasbOurg and Metz have
capitulated, the people of France have con-
tinued their cry of not one inch of French
territory" with as much vigor and pertInac
ity as if they had the means to prevent it..
| This resolve to preserve their territory inviO-
| late would be entitled to respectful sympathy
| if France had been hitherto noted for
respecting among other people similar right
to nationality but no nation has more thor
| oughly ignored it., when it stood in the way
of her thirst for conquest or insane passion
for military glory. True, she bewailed the
conquest of Poland by Russia, and favored
have weakened the strength of Austria. upon
the same principle Of policy that she assisted
our Colonies in their struggle for independence,
as a means of Gripping England. But the
history of the reign of Louis XIV. and the
career of the First Napoleon show what little
regard she has paid to the rights of nationality
when the ACKNOWLEDGMENT or absorption of a
people could add to the power or the glory Of
France.
1t il obvious that the possession OF Alsace
and Lorraine is essential to Germany AZ
guarantee against future assaults. She
is now pursuing the war to conquer such
a peace as is indispensable to her security, and
has shown great moderation by limiting her
demands to the expense of the war and the
possession of these frontier and mountain
provinces for ten years with the right on the
part of their inhabitants, at the expiration OF
that period, to decide by popular vote
whether they will continue with their original
German stock or be restored to France. The
Germans have shown in this recognition OF
the right of a people to their nationality, ana.
great in military point of view as the adj
vantage might be, an indspostion to incorpO-
rate with Germany a people continuously and
deliberately hostile.
When we hear i'm answer the cry that the
yielding of an inch of her territory would dis
honor France, and that she refuses to enter
into any negotiation which has that for its
basis. it may be well to recall the terms which
she imposed upon Prussia sixty-three years
ago, when that kingdom was relatively to
France in the same PROSTATE position that
France is now to Germany. In fact, the COM
parison of that war with the present one, the
position of the parties being exactly reversed,
is much closer than might be supposed. When
Napoleon, after defeating the Prussians at
Jena, entered Berlin in triumph, William ILL.,.
(the father Of the present King), whose pos
sessions were reduced to such territory IA re-
manned to Prussia beyond the Oder, sent to
know upon what terms he might be permitted
to treat for peace, and received the imperious
answer that not even TEMPORARY armlstlce