, 1870-07-29
A home OF Contention


In the present contest between Franco and
Prussia the Grand Duchy Of Lu1emburg is 20
situated, With reference to the territory ct the
two co1nbatants, that it can hardly fail to be-
come the theatrB Of war, should war bc waCed
On great scale. 4 wsrl.ke occupation Of this
little territory might involve very grayc roliti-
cal consequences, i1asmuch IS its neutrality
las teen solemnly guaranteed By ENGLAND.
France, RuEeia, Austria, and Prussia, Each
party is, therefore, interested to provoke yio-
lation Of the neutrality Of Luxemb,1rg, ii, or
der to claim tho intervention OF Russia and
England. powers Which at present seem to de-
sire to be neutral
Lu1emauEg las a population Of lcsa than
zoo, 600, and belongs 10 Holland, though com
pieteiy separated from other Dutch territory.
1t lies on the left bank Of the No=clle, and ie
wedgct1 in between Franco on the south. The
Rhs nish provinces Of Fruseia on the northeast,
End Belgium On the northwest It's frontier il
not more than thirty miles from Metz and
saaEb1uck, where the war is likely to begin, il
it Las not tegun already, aud the once re-
nonned fortrees Of Lu1emburg is not more
than ten miirs over the border II is in d.
rect line irom Paris to Cobleasz, opposite
which is Ehrenb1citsteia, the strongest Of the
pTussian foftresses m the 1lhi:e
f1i1r to the French revolution Luxembourg
Was one Of the catholic provinces of the
Netherlands, Which, being G part Of the patn-
mony Of the Emperor Charles the Fifth. hid
pA3GEA EAEEEfo&hC4t lUG AQfQIQlQQ OF
Spain and Austria By Austr1a it was ceded to
France in 1881, and At the close OF the war in
ISIS, was assigned to Holland in the distribu-
ton OF territory made by allied powers. After
the Belgian revolution Of 1850, the territory Of
Lnxemhug was divided between Holland and
th4 sS of the fo%s5 aarr fes'Tng pr, Gf ns The
to the north. on the river Meu.c, in eI-
change for tho portion OF Luxembourg thus
transferred from her allegiance. This arrange
ment WIS not contaminated till 1859, and then
on1y by the interference Of the five allied
powers. Luxembourg had before been, and
continued after this treaty to be, > member OF
the German Confederation and its capital city
vas federal fortress OF great strength. At
the time Of tho German wa1 Of 1866 it WIS
ga11isoned by p1ussiau troops. and Prussia re-
mained in possession Of it - the represents
London in May. 1867. Hartng no attachment
to Prussia, the people OF Luxembourg did
not deeiTe to enter the new North
German ConfederacS. France was jeal-
Gus of the further occupation OF the
fortress Of Lu1enburg b. the Prussan
aisinc1ined to cede the duchy to her. Prussia
herself did not desire to have any foreign SOW
ercign = member OF the new confederscv,
otherwise subordinate to herself. Accordingly
the Eve great powers which hAd ratified the
convention Of 1889, met again in I,oudon in
A4fs ACO1S &lA al GUQJA4IEA@uu "&Lu Ot1E1IEl
| and Holland. determined anew tie status Of
| the ducby. Its re11tions. With Germany were
dissolved, and it was 10 bc theteafterwArt
dependency Of the CROWN Of Holland, and
perpct,1ally neutral S!Ate, under the ~ co1Iec-
| tire guaranty" Of the Ave powers, To this
as eooE Us the treaty should be ratified, and
the King Of Holland agreed to dismantle and
demolish the fortress, 70 as to render it inca
rable Of serving ~ work of military de-
Tense. He nlso stipulated th the forhdca-
I tons should not be reetored iu future, aud
that no uititary establishment SHOULD be there
maintained OF crested.
An Interestingly discussion took place in tho
British I11liameut on the reception Of this
| tzeatE. Anxiety WAS expressed BY the liberal
memhe1s lest the guarantee Of ned
rtaii.y should, It some future time, in
vo,ye England in war; for, in ca4e the terri
| tory OF the duchy should be violated. England
would te bound to interfere by force Of arms.
| Lord Stanley, the Foreign Minister, defended
| the treaty II necessary to tho maintenance Of
peace 1t that time, and insisted that no new
| obligation had been Assumed, since the treaty
ever, vas not = fair statement, for. though 1
| guaranty had previously existed, it WAS Of =
| lar less difficult and delscste character. In
1889 the allies only guaranteed the title Of
| Holland; in 1861 they guaranteed the neutra1-
I vsded By one Of H. belEgelents, IN cue of :
var between France and Prussia.
Lord Russell stated the issue which is IkEly
now to z1ise with great distinctuess when be
said, If one cf the rowess-elther France or
rTrseiA-yiol1ted the neutrality Of Lu1em-
burg, and the othez Of them called oo the rest
OF the powers to enforce it, there would be 3
moral, though it might not BE- technical, OBJ
llgstion on them to do 80. Europe would never
believe that stipulation. insisted upon With
70 much tenacity b ore power. and aeeeaed
10 60 reluctantly By another, was tnero piece
Of waite paper" ...,
The latest reports are thst both France and
P7ussix express determination to respect the
neutrality Of the duchE. We shall see whether
the syowal is sincere, and whether it sill not
great struggle, and thus to secure to either
pa1ty active allies among nations who would
otherwise bo neutral