The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-10-27
WHY JACOBI WAS ARRESTED.

The arrest of jacob, German lib
eral has already been announced. It
was probably owing to the following
speech reported by the London Standard
correspondent:
A meeting has been held in Konigs-
berg, which has had very important
effect, if not on Germany, at least on one
of the individuals who took part in it.
The principal speaker was Dr. johann
jacob. He said:
THE principal question which we are
to discuss is, has Prussia or Germany a
right to annex Alsace or Lorraine to
itself? We are told Alsace and Lorraine
belonged formerly to Germany; France
gained possession Of them by fraud and
force. Now, when we have conquered
the French, it is no more than right and
proper that we should take back the
prize-that we should ask tor the restor-
alton OF our stolen property. Gentlemen,
90 not be led ast1ay by such fine sound
ing words. And, even if you were to be
offered all the riches of the world, do not
bow down to the idol of Force Test
these fine sounding words, and you will
find that they are nothing but cloak for
the old barbarian law Of Right. Alsace
and Lorraine, VIC are told were German
| property and must again become Ger
man. What! we ask, have Alsace and
Lorraine, then, no inhabitants, or are the
dwellers in these provinces so many
senseless things, of which you can with
out more ado take possession, and which
you can push hither and thither Just as
you will? Have they, by war forfeited
rights? Have they become slaves, whose
fate the conquerer can arbitrarily decide !?
Even the most jealous, the most thorough
going advocates of annexation, admits
that Alsatians and Lorrainers are, body
and soul, French, and wish to re
main so. And even had they as bit
terly as possible offended against
us, it would be still contrary to all human
rights that we should by force make
them Germans-that we should against
their will incorporate them into Prussia
or any other German state.
Gentlemen, there is an old proverb,
which, on account of its truth, has become
a universally admitted principle of NOR
ality: What you would not like to be
done to yourself, do not to hers How
would we--how would our national lib
erals-like a victorious Pole, on the
ground of light, to demand back and an
mex the provinces of Posen and West
Prussia? And yet the very same reasons
could be validity advanced in favor of such
ton of Alsace aud Lorraine now bring
forward No, gentlemen, it is our duty
to oppose such movements of national
self-seeking. Let us hold firmly to the
dictates of right-as in private, SO let it
be in public life. Let us proclaim it as
our deep, firm conviction, that every in.
corporation of foreign territory against
the will of it's inhabitants is the violation
of the rights of people to decide for
itself, and therefore as blamable as it is
dangerous. Unblinded by the intoxica-
ting success of the moment, let us raise
our protest against every violence to the
inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine He
alone who respects the freedom of OF hers
IS himself worthy of freedom"
At the conclusion of this very energetic
speech, the meeting which was, believe,
very small in numbers, passed the follow
ing resolution: "The members Of the
popular party, here assembled, express
their conviction that neither the declars-
ton of war by Napoleon, nor the German
feat of arms, give the conquerer right
to dispose OF the political fate of the in
habitants of Alsace and Lorraine On
the ground of the right of nation to de-
eide for it's If in the interests of freedom
and Of peace, we protest against every
torcible annexation of French territory"
HOW WE GET THE WAI2 NEwc