The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-09-22
Opinions OF French Journals.

he uecu ls done. France Is broken
hearted One month has suffced to parali
ize her, if not to annihilate the living for
ces of the most grand and powerful people
upon the earth, aud at the same time to
dlspacc the political axis of the earth.
1t is useless to dissimulate. The army
which has surrendered was the very flower
OF the military people. McA1ahon do
stroyed Bazalne powerlcss For the rest,
France Is but huge mass, tanatical and
patriotic, ready enough to strike its hero
against the mouths OF the prussian cannon.
There Is no more for us al enemy Tho
masses, now so full of faith, can do nothing
against military science, against new armies.
Formerly II was men who made war, and
vaor supplied numbers, and enthusiasm
made heroes. To day it is rifcd cannon and
perfected guns which conquer. The man
only the servant OF iron. He counts in with
but unit, and courage without numbers
makes no victims Entire France, her
three millions of young men from twenty
to thirty years of age improvised soldiers,
hurled against the sold mass of well armed
Well-disclplined victorious Prussians, were
prccipitated into the slaughter, and not
Withdrawn one step from the iron wall that
was erected before them.
1t is not to be doubted, in the meantime,
of indignant rage, the news of the capitula-
ton signed In her name, and that the first
movement Will be general rising in mass
tor new combats. But this first frenzy passed
cool reflection vii come to throw sheet
Of ice upon this heroism, and we doubt that
few will be found to take the initiative in
the new fight, that is to say, the RESPONSE
blllty of new disasters.
1t may be that the people of Paris, that
the commandants Of besicged towns, that
all the b.aVe hearts whose hands grasp the,
national standard, will refuse to be humblod.
aud die sooner than permit the Prussian
c3lors to be planted upon their ramparts /; :;
out no enc will be found to organize this
resistance, which would be mere suicide.
No political party would play this game;
no one who understands that France has
not the right to commit national suicide :;
that she belongs to tho world, to civiliza-
ton to humanity, and that there must be .
at least chance Of salvation to warrant
tho Lo--o~- .t~-. --->-la ~ ont.i.Sd py slAU
continuance of war that would prove but an
uninterrupted succession OF ravage devas-
satlon and ruin.
All, no ones heart mistakes that If il were,
possible that Success could be achieved BY
the hardest tests; or in the honor Of France,
in the default of her interest, there existed |
an luiueuSo oaCIluec u pay al linMeuso
But happily, it is nothing. France has :,
been mado 10 tleed but she has not hu-
inflated. Still Sic bears proud front,
and she can look fcrcely in the face of her
enemies and of all tho world. All her
wounds have been received in the front,
and our soldiers are hailed Us giants by the
very troops before whose superior numbers
they have succombed.
From lie Messengers Franco-American.
lie MEssAGER FRANCO AMERICAN ex-
claims over the news
The empire! Let us hope that tho
present Is the last time we shall have to
speak OF the detestcd thing. The E,npre
has fallen The Empire has capitulated,
but France is erect. France never capitu--
lates. Let the defenders of Bonapartism.
and his government now behold their work
and their triumphs. Let the poor dupcs Of
the Plcbiscitic Government and Of i'm perial
glory contemplate the abyss of shame in
which they have plunged the Empire for
three times in sixty years. If Bonaparte
had the least wish to die, he had the op..
portunity to do SO while wearing Casariau.
toggs. If his crimes would have been par
doned; and if the second had followed tho
example OF the brave Gen. Dousy, and had
been shot by Prussian ball, France would
nave accepted the explatlOn. But, in
stead OF this, he has surrendered bis sword;
to the King of Prussia. and yielded it to.
the enemy he had provoked, and capi,u--
lated the army that accompanied him.
1t is not upon McMahon that this in
fanny falls. He defended himself with,
lion bravery to the last, and when his
wounds prevented further action, Wimp.
fen took the command after McMahon--
W!mpffon, who conducted the unfortunate,
Of Marco and who wished to.
make the disasters pass for victories. Ttis
Wlmpffen who has surrendered to Prus-
sia and who shares with Napoleon LII the
glory of capituatlon."
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