South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1870-08-05
Tho war and its Causes.

Napoleon sud Bismarck could not agree
hs Oh tnc division rf tic countries along the
lli-c-low much should be- seized and
corp'ra'ei into France, aud bow much
should 70 seized aud absorbed 10y Prussia.
j lis comes out IN Two ways-frst, by the
Tatiicn'icn in he London Times Of what
rurroris to p, sketch q a secret treaty
proposed lr Furce a. Prussia Tor a division
ai tte lii0ni-h country between them and,
tsrri % tls disclosure &c tho substance
.i r'nrersaiioo sail - have been held re-
Gently between the French Emperor end
ihe Paris correspondent Il the London TtE-
tynaFA, in which Prussia j. charged with
askinf 100 much and TOO soon" The al
legged secret treaty b. pat forth as a PROPOSE
600 q Francs o. Prussia, in which the
fulr agrcc7 o. recognize the recent &C.
.Iai.iIou of Prussia, and 70 acquiescc in
ih. as.liaiirn of he States Of South
Germany VAL fle North German Union,
HAlsi l'fuss "a is O. agree 20 the acquisition
~ l.1Aemb'urg by France, aud 90 lend her
resistance OBJ France IN tLe absorption Of
gum Another article &C this alleged
-t.f.' proposition Is an alliance, offensive
a1l defensive, between France and Prus-
Na Tbs, although 10 comes before the
eyes rf tle world through the leading Eng.
ii,h jlurual, is probably the Berlin version
~ what occurred in these ncuoiiaiinns.-
The treuch version, which is that given by
o., London Telegraph. admits that Napol-
con demanlcl Luxembourg in lSC6 as an
equivalent fur French neutrality in tie war
between lruss ia aui Austria, but that Bis
uatck demanded Holland as further c.
quiyal.nt i.r Prussia This tho French
EnFor r, according TO the TdgropRs cor
respondent, refused, with tho declaration
that De wouil cou,ilcr any attack upon
ilo Independence Of Holland by Prussia as
"a declaration or war The fac. If this in
terv.cw hy the Ttyrupi's correspondent
seems % lc as well youchcd rs tho Secret
Treaty D. by the London Times
Here ;bcn wc have tho two ablcst, most
crafty and most powerful scbcmcrs Of Eu-
rope charged with negotiations looking to an
agreement % Tlludcr and onuihi.atc two
uncileuiiug u,ichboriug nations, and the
sharing ol thoir territory between them 1;
aud each ~ them, gfir tho plot failed, tax
ing the high moral ground e having rejected
the scheme. The truth Is most likely to
boz found midway between these two stale
mcnts. 10 one who Is familiar with the
French Emperor, the ambition and tradi-
iioas q his family, and the aucien; and con-
slant claim OF the French people Tor the
Rhine as their northeastern fr.u;icr-anl
10 oDo who understands the grand and far.
sweeping policy marked ont Tor PRUSSIA by
Bismarck and who remembers how remorsc-
irs.ly It has thus far been carried out in
practice, by tie absorption and auniLi'a-
ton &C The feeble States jIat stood IN tic
way of bis poll y--o-n De- deceived by The
I.ut. 'l,ilLs on either side, because Nag0
.eon teit outraged by the threat aguinst The
independence or Holland, OF lcoauso Bis
marck refused on account II regard FOR Bel
GUM. That such negotiations were on foot.
AMI that there was a great deal Of consil
crlti)l Of them, Is more than likely and
% iscqually probable that hey fallthrough
lsoauso "the high contracting parties" could
not agree upon a mutually satisfactory di-
vision OF the spoils.
Under rho light of these disclosures.
what wrctchcd stuff was al tho fuss and
indignation and virtue aud national dignity
affected on both sides as growing out oftho
caudidaiurc of the poor little IIohouzpllcrn
prince, and the slight offered 20 Count Ben
eiei'ti in the garden 20 Ems, and the nice
distinctions drawn by King William be-
tween his duty to disevow tie Iiohcnz,llcrn
affair as head of The family and bis refusal
90 lo 10 as King Of PRUSSIA What mi.cra-
bly, petty preicxts for the gigantic var they
knew they were about 10 WACO on other
grounds Oneof them, in pursuance ofIong
cherished ambition and tradition going
back far beyond the time Of the Bonapartcs.
desired 10 move It's frontier to tlc Rhine
by the seizure Of the territory Of al least
three friendly nations and The other, in the
promotion ola now and aggrandizing policy,
desired 90 absorb al Che territory ofauoth
or friendly power Sing between iis present
frontier and the North Sea. Holland and
belgium, wcrc 90 bee the two principal vic.
Tins Whilst they were quietly pursuing
their usual course devoted % industry.
commerce and the ciyi.izjng influences Of
orr day, abstaining from my mcddle,.me
Interference with their ncichbors, content
60 D., peaceful anI useful, with mo- improper
ambitions, two emiuonuy useful, worthy
and inclausivc nations, those two master
in'rigucrs, Napoleon aud Bismarck were
plotting their aunihiauon as nations oud
their reduction to mere m1kc-weigbts "in
tho balance of power PhH L.Iyer.
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