Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-10-29

It is certainly one of the greatest
curiosities in history, that exactly one
thousand years ago, in the year of our
Lord $40, the people of. France and
Germany fought under their kings
upon the same soil, that of Lorraine,
for very nearly the same reasons, and
with the same result. This happened
as follows: The empire of Charlie
magne, and that of his son who sue
ceeded him, Ludwig |. called Pious,
was divided by bis three sons, the
srandsons of Charlemagne, in 843, at
the Congress Of Verdun, between them
selves in such manner that Lothaire
received. besides the title Ct Emperor,
Italy, and what wos then called Middle
Franconia, strip of land running from
the North Sea to the Mediterranean,
and there joined Upper Italy, a broad
strip of land containing modern Hol
land, Belgium, the Lorraine and AL
SAGE, and all that part Of Southern
France lying between the Rhone aud
Soane and the Alps on the east.
Ludwig received Eastern Franconia,
which was from that time called Ger
mania, or Germany, and from which
he, as Germany's first king, was called
Ludwig the German.
Carl, who was called the Bald, from
his bald head, received Western Fran
coma, from that time called Franconia,
or France Lothairc died ir 855, and
again subdiyided his empire among his
three sons. The oldest. Ludwig, he
gave Italy and the crown and the title
OF Emperor to the second, Ludwig,
the northern part of his dominion, com
prislng part of modern Holland, Bel
GUM, and the province called up to
this day Lorraine or Lotharingen the
Alsace, and the land ext ending down
to the Soane To the youngest, Carl,
he gave all the land south OF the Soanc
TO the iierranean, under the title OF
Kingdom of Provence
Ia $50 Lothaire died without heirs,
after he had become previously pos
sasscd also OF his brother Carl's King
dou of Provence, aud it was then that
Carl, the Bald, King of France, stepped
forward to take sole possession of his
nephew's kingdom, comprising all the
eastern part of modern France, and
extending from the Meuse to the
Rhine, and from the Rhone to the
Alps, and from the Nosth Sea way
down to the Mediterranean. He was
completely successful, for his nephew,
Ludwig, the Emperor in Italy, aud bis
brother, Ludwig, King of Germany.
had both their hands too full to claim
their share Of the Inheritance
But year later, in $40, just one
thousand years ago, suddenly large
aud well appointed German army
crossed the Rhine, broke fnto France,
aud defeated Carl the Bald and his
armies at once, and so completely, that
he was compelled to sign treaty of
peace in the same year, by which he
ceded to his brother Ludwig, the Ger
man, all tue eastern part of those lands
which he had appropriated from his
nephew, and comprising the modern
provinces of Alsace, Eastern Lorraine,
and the territories around the cities OF
Trier, or Treves, Cologne Mastricht
and Utrecht, down to the mouth Of the
river Rhine.
The first grand fight for the Rhine
provinces on the part Of France, and
the Alsace and Lorraine on thct of
Germany, which is, after all. if not the
sole cause, certainly one of the princi.
pal causes Of the present war of 1870,
took place consequently just one thous-l
and years ago, in $40, with the same
result Weekly Register.