The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-24
Tho Christmas Season aud tho Cry for
Peace.

which commentaries the Saviour's nativity at
the door we are not surprised to find that
while all thoughts here at home, among us, are
turned to religious celebrations of the day,
family gatherings and pleasant greetings, de-
spatches and mails alike from the Old World
necessarily betray the yearning, even OF the
fierce belligerents there, for an honorable ces-
press and private messages constantly re-
ceived in our city by wire and post are full OF
this prevailing sentiment. Even the humorous
papers of the German cities lay aside mere
testing for moment to express this earnest,
heartfelt wish. The Berlin Kladderdd0tsch,
for instance, which is the ablest and most
widely circulated comic paper in Germany,
gives utterance to the WEAKNESS OF war that IS
universally felt among its subscribers in most
lugubrious illustration. representing couple
of graves, each surmounted by rude wooden
crucifx. Upon one of the latter is the inscrip-
ton, ''Meyer, riheman," and on the other,
''Lemaire, Zouave." Other graves roughen
the plain, which stretches away into the gloom.
''Friede Friede !" (peace peaceD
The text and the moral are self-evident.
There sleep the gallant antagonists, side by
side, in the desolate fields, and thousands
upon thousands of their brethren moulder in
almost every meadow from the Rhine to the
Seine. while thousands more sink daily to re-
Join them. Yet the resistance of France, far
from being extinguished, is only gathering into
fiercer fame, because the quarrel begun in
July against aggression and between armies
has become scheme Of conquest-a life and
death struggle between two whole races. AS
the circular of the existing French govern
ment Justly says now that the empire and the
regular forces of France have been cast down,
the invaders are contending against armed
citizens only who are defending their firesides.
their property and their nationality, and so
battling in a sacred cause.
Moreover, the struggle which was at first
purely POLITICAL is gradually assuming that most
terrible of all forms of human contention-re-
ligioas warfare. The higher clergy of France,
who held comparatively aloof from the con-
flict until very recently, are now urging their
people to rise en- nasse and leave all things
the plough in the furrow, the wagon in the
rutland rush to the field Of the nations de-
fence. The Bishop Of Anglers has called even
the young students Of theology to arms; Car
dinal Bonnet, archbishop Of Bordeaux, has
followed this example with soul-stirring ex-
hortations, and the famous Dupanloup has
uttered summons that still rings throughout
the OrleanSais and Central France like
trumpet in the night. The Southern Depart
ments, lukewarm or over-confdent for months,
are at last alive with mastering armies, while
all Brittany and La Vendee echo to the fiery
zeal of crusade en- nasse. Yet, withal, this
angry enthusiasm is more the pressure Of
national life necessity than any real wish for
combat. The people are sick of burning, pill
lage and bloodshed. When tho damage sus-
tanned at Strasbourg alone in direct destruc-
ton Of material is computed by even the
Germans at twelve million dollars, what must
not the aggregate of all kinds of loss be to the
entire invaded east OF France? Nor can we
believe that in Germany, far poorer and
more frugal land than its great neighbor, the
drain of blood labor, treasure and Material has
not been sufficient to appall the saving Teutons,
vastly increased as their burdens are by the
enormous numbers Of captured Frenchmen,
whose necessities are added to those of their
own sick and wounded soldiers.
OF the lamentation and bereavement among
SO domestic people, SO fond'y attached to
home and family ties and customs, who shall
speak? The rudest German one may meet
cannot talk of it without his voice choking and
his eyes filing with tears. The German
troops, officers and men alike anticipated the
victory at Sedan, or, at latest, after
the surrender of Metz. They came
across the Rhine to punish invasion and to
vindicate their country's honor against
Napoleonic dictation. Napoleon has fallen,
his armies are gone and the republic-that is
to say, the French people-only confronts
them. The perils and uncertainties of the wal
are greater at the close Of December than
they were in the pleasant days Of early
autumn. Paris is not taken, the landwehr Of
Germany is all on the march, and behind but
the landsturm remains, which, including the
married men at home, is the last resource
Where are the merry Christmas greetings; the
pride and JOY Of the returning soldier thc
embraces of parent, wife and child; the re
wards, the honor and the glory Of the yilag,
scene?
No people on Earth so heartily enjoy or s,
fully celebrate, religiously and civilly, tn,
hals0wsa Christmas season ns, as DO the Germans
pens Of William and Mary Hewitt have de
scribed for rs in English all their touchin,
holiday legends, ceremonies and customs
some of which are embalmed in Hebel's ex
quisite poem Of the christmas Tree Christ