The New York herald., 1870-08-22
FRENCH REPUBLICANS.
Appeal to the Opponents OF
Napoleon.
An American Pleads for AIT Frenehmcn TO De-
fend France In This Hour Of Peril.
To THE REPUBLICANS OF FRANCE -

Worid, ana the son OF on Irish patriot who was
forced to fee the political prescription which hal.
lows the memory of the lsmented Emmett az
martyr to the cause of liberty, venture to coun-
sci with you in a spirit Of fraterpal candor and
truth. II has been my lot to spend some years Of
a somewhat lengthened life in the civil and mill
tary service of my beloved country. have served
In the halls Of legislation, upon the field of battle
and am now serving her upon the bench of public
Justice; and, in whatsoever capacity I have
served, have been proud OF her growing great
ness and alive to the superior obligations of
patriotism Aside from our common humanity,
this is my ttle-my only title, to address you.
My abode is in the capital Of Illinois, the most
prosperous and promising State of the American
Union. From this standpoint, afar from you, In
the boundIess praires of the Western hemisphere,
and separated from Europe by vast ocean,
turn my eyes with ANXIOUS socitude upon the
terrible drama passing upon the stage OF imperial
France. The Franco-Prussian war is a stupend-
GUS event, rresstbly fixing the rapt attention of
the civilized world What the part you as repub-
licans propose to take in II? Will you seize
upon II as an opportunity to add the horrors Of
domestic revolution to the dangers and trials of
war with alien enemies? Will you seek to extort
a republic from the travail and distress of your
country, at the cost of her safety and honor?
This would be unworthy of you as republicans, as
Frenchmen, and you incapable Of it. Danish
the horrible thought from my Imagination. Your
part will be far different; you will swear upon
the altar of your country eternal resistance to her
invaders, and sink or swim, live or die with her
noble cause. Better to perish all freemen than to
survive all slaves.
The memories OF your fathers are kndling
glowing inspiration to heroic deeds and self
sacrificing devotion The republicans of revolu.
tionary France beat back the armed hosts Of
coalesced kings from her sacred hearth-stones and
homes. The shouts of victory at Jenappes,
Houdschoote, Wattiguies, Ourthe, Roer and Laon,
still rolling their reverberatons down the length
eDing stream of time, rouse you to courage and
action. Emulate outvie the constancy and valor
OF your ancestors, and your deeds, like theirs
will ring their swelling glory through the coming
ages Let all France resound as one stirring
warlike camp. Let the universal cry of French
men be, ITO arms, to arms ~ And when the
signal of battle shall be given seeking the
post of danger the post of honor, rush
| ye to the front and hurl the naughty invader
| from your violated SOIL In short, prove your
faith by your deeds DO this for the sake of
repubcanism, we'll IA for your country In
the same spirit OF devotion, quell every rebelous
passion, stife every resentu feeling, and, raising
yourselves to the full height Of duty frown down
every intrigue, cabal faction having for it's object
or tending by its effect, to divide the French peo
pie and weaken the common defence. The Jews
| 9uarrelled and wrangled among themselves while
Titus was batterlng down the walls Of Jerusalem,
their last refuge. Be warned by their fate. Teach
! tho world that republican sentiments are not an
impulsion to anarchy and vlolence--that republi-
| cansln Is the parent OF union, harmony self
denial, brotberly love and Christian forbearance
| that it is the promoter OF the highest sense OF
| honor and the most scrupulous sense of public
| duty and II the excesses and even atrocities o.
| the French republic Of the last century be citeC
| to the contrary, let it be answered that these
| alterations were produced, not by the natural ac
ton of republicaDsm, but by the fierce despera
| ton of a convusive struggle to preserve itself
| against the combined attacks of conspiripg kings
Nevertheless, il should be understood that history
teaches that the conditions of republcanism are
| OF slow growth and uncertain Development that
they necessarily consist in the virtue and intelli-
! gence of masses, that Is to say, in the capacity
and qualification of the people to govern them
selves, and imply advanced and fitting state of
society Void of these conditions republic cannot
endure. Void of them it must be a bot-bed growth
doomed to perish by the first chilling blast or
scorcbing sun-ray. Hence the rare occurrence and
nearly uniform miscarriage Of republics Even
the United States with all its peculiar advantages
OF isolation from the mOnarchical systems Of the
Old World, Of popular education and virgin fruit
fulness OF SOIL has had its rebellion and is yet but
hopeful experiment upon a large scale. If | am
| asked, why my concern for France in her present
struggle? answer it is not because have any
personal or national antipathy to Prussia for
have none With their relative contro versial po
AtioDs changed should sympathize with Prussia
and not with France. Emigrants from Prussia
and the States subject to her authority form
considerable portion Of our population and are all
worthy OF the care bestowed upon them, both by
our common and local governments Yet | SYM
pathize with France because think her cause is
just, and because thinking it so, there is nothing
to restrain the free expression OF my gratitude for
the timely and efficient aid she afforded in
the struggle OF infancy and obscurity
for national independence. If she had not
stretched forth her succoring arm in that hour
OF our need who can say that the American
States would not be to-day subject colonies
OF the British crown-that America would now be
an ocean bound republic worthy and capable to
influence the destiny of the world
sympathize with France because she leads the
van OF civilization upon the continent Of Europe
because her ingenuity, her arts her science and
her manners distinguish her as polished and re-
fined nation because her efforts and her care for
the last eighteen years has been to improve her
social condition and to develop her material re-
sources by peaceful means; because, during the
same period, under the able rule Of her Emperor,
she has been conciliatory and forbearDg. ln this
spirit, as often as she has taken up arms, IL has
only been to defend the weak against the strong,
as in the case of Turkey against the attack of
! Russia of Italy against the aggressions of Aus
tria; of the Pope against the hostile enterprises,
| in turn, of the Itaans and when she had sue
cesstully fulfilled the noble mission OF q defender
! she retired promptly from the stricken
| field, with no other aggrandzement than
| the glory Of her generosity and victories, and
these were enough. 1t is equally true that the
last eighteen years the Emperor Louis Napoleon
has been the chief, if not the sole surety OF the
| general peace of Europe. Without him, as the
| arch without its keystone, the political fabric of
| Europe would have been more than once tum-
! bled by the rude shock OF war into appalling
ruins
| 1t is these significant facts which, appealing
trumpet-tongued to the oppressed nationaities Of
| Europe--to the Danes, the Swedes, the Hun
| garians, the Turks, the Italians, the Hanoverians
! and IrIsh--rresstibly draw from them the warm
est expressions OF sympathy aud solictude for the
| welfare of France. Prussia, on the other hand,
has been equally turbulent and aggressive; in
| deed, for more than a century past what nation
| Of Europe has been more restlessly ambitious and
| coyetOus? Let facts speak for themselves. She