The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-20

terisically German in the people and their
habits has never been waged with such blind
fury as Of late, and that it finds no parallel in
French history unless it he the formal war
against the German nationality of the popu-
laiiUn of Lorraine, towards the middle of the
eighteenth century.
What the present Government has attained
does not, most assuredly, rebound to its
credit. For instance it is an irrefutable fact,
although it is not generally known either in
Germany or Alsace, that in the great majority
of the school districts the pupils are dis
missed without having learned to read or
write word in their mother language, and
after having received but very Indifferent
instruction in French. 1t becomes painfully
evident that the Government. fully aware
of the superior intelligence and better
education of the German population of Alsace
as compared with the generality of the French
PEOPLE and especially the French peasantry
throughout the empire has conceived the
plan TO reduce the former to he same level of
instruction and education with the country
people in the Vendee, the Auvergne, etc
known to be the most bigoted, superstitous,
and ignorant people on the European CONT
nent. The disastrous consequences of such q
measure, although not Immediately perceived
and but dimly SEEK are still instinctively felt
by the bulk of the people, while in those cir
cles of society where mental culture is still
diligently nourished and fourishing, its far
reaching and pernicious bearing is only too
well understood by the Government. One of
the most eminent clergymen in Alsace, in
speaking of the increase of vice aud the
gradual Generalization spreading among the
people, attributes them in the main to the
hostile position assumed by the Government
against the language of the country and
comes to the logical conclusion that 'this
war against the German idiom is a direct and
most despicable attack upon the religion the
morals, and the civilization of Alsace.'
An eminent writer and statesmen, who has
but recently had occasion to sojourn among
and observe the Germans throughout Alsace,
very pertinently remarks
''The system of gradual suppression of the German
language to the benefit and for the exclusive intro
duction OF the French, has evidently created NOR
bid feeling of disgust among all classes Of the popu
laton yea 1t is not even approved of by that portion
Of the French, who, having come hither from other
part sol the empire many years ago. have settled in
the midst OF the Germans here, and, while abstain
ing from almost all intercourse during the first years
after their arrival have gradually become acquainted
with and have been reluctantly forced to acknOw-
ledge the honesty integrity and sterling qualities of
their German ntighbors.'
In the beginning of this century the re-
nowned warrior, poet, and patriot, Schenken-
dorf, while standing on the citadel of his
castle, looked over into Alsace, into the old
Allemanic country, stretching from near the
limits of the German Black Forest up to the
foot of the Vosges Mountains, and exclaimed
but there near the Vosges lies a lost
jewel; let us recover it, and thus save German
blood from hells oppression" This enthu-
siastic and patriotic outcry of the German poet
found no echo in the hearts of the diplomats
and German sovereigns, who afterward became
parties to and signed the first and second
treaties of peace at Paris. Here a favorable
occasion was presented for readjustment of
the boundary lines between Germany and
France for the release from foreign rule of
over thirteen hundred thousand Germans. and
for the recovery of a fertile and well-culti-
waited country, extending over an area of
about 5000 square miles But in spite of the
admonitions of the celebrated statesman and
statistician, Hoffman,, they let the occasion
pass by. Since then, the want of unity and
the impossibiity of bringing all the sub-divi
sions of Germany into harmonious and COM
bined action, precluded all idea of realizing
the hopes of the Germans for the recovery of
these provinces.
Since the year 1866, however, affairs in
Germany have materially changed, the for
nation of the North German Confederation,
and its treaties of alliance with the govern
ments of the South German States, forming a
nucleus for the final unity of the German
nation, and the re-establishment of the Ger
man empire one and undivided.
Some interesting remarks on the feeling Of
the Alsatlans were made shortly before the
outbreak of the war, in a German Demo-
cratic newspaper established in Muhlhouse
in Alsace, in March; 1870, under the title
The S0cereign ElectOr, and with the motto
''Help yourselves" The paper is thoroughly
German, and breathes genuine German sem
timent. In the prospectus Tile S0oereign
Elector answers the question, ''Why
publish new paper in the Ger
man language?" in the following
curt and pertinent way Simply for the
reason that the majority, yes, the overwhelm-
ing majority of the Alsatian people are Ger
man in thought, in feeling, in language, and
in habit. They are taught the lessons of
Christianity in that idiom, and do all they can
not to become oblivious of it. We know that
many of us have been instructed to speak,
read, and write French, and that is undoubt-
edly very fine; but the same citizens, who
are fully familiar with and conversant in
French, will not cease to think, feel and
speak German. And that is why we come to
them in the language of their mothers, in
the language of their infancy, the same in
which they educate and cherish their children;
the language of love to their wives and con-
ISOLATION to their dying parents"
To show the extent of the territory of the
German language in Alsace and Lorraine, We
have recourse to an excellent and interesting
statistical work written by Mr.. Richard
| Bockh, from which we have already obtained
much valuable information. The book has
been published in Berlin this year under the
| title, ''Der Deutschen Volkszahl und Sprach-
gebiet in den europaischen Staten" (The
numerical strength of the German people an6
the territory of their language in European
States.) 1t gives the following figures con
cerning theIterritory of the German language
In the Department Bas-Rhin the entire popu