New-York tribune., 1870-08-19
ALSACE AND LORRAINE.

a.
sry Is the canton of Basle in Switzerland, while
toward the north it borders. Rhenish Bavaria. II
has belonged O the ernan Empire since S0 and formed
part Duchy Of suabia from s6Oto 1893 1Se French
have divided Il into two departments the g Bas-Rhin
with strasbours and the "Hautihin'' with colrnar as
. capitals. n ~ G. ~ ~
The Lorraine QIothrnger) is situated between the
Champagne" and Nsacc. and extends toward the north
to the Grand Duclnto OF Btxemhurg and TO the fruSs
Rhenish provinces in the south to the "Francheoo
II is divided into four departments-thoseo oil te
the NosgcS the Moselle and the Meuse. ..,l |
The conouests Of France during the last two ce"'
ard the cooperation and assistance OF Germans 'N
selves succeeded In alternating Asaee froin 'no
Ruirirc The Austrian possessions tsoo so'
with population at the present time OF over I1''V"
"a q, Iora,ee ,v the Westphalian treaty of peace
at tho ud Of the thrtyyears u64S the free ctes
in that part Of the German Empire tios colnnu"es'
with 22s inhabh ant) were forced lto SUBMISSION W
Ffopc rule by the aoealled Reunions; while the Repup
lie of strasborg and the bishop with hiseXtenslYe 40
ons ,eo communities with $4,000 inhabitaDS) vOlun-
triIy placed themselves under the protection OF the
French kings Through the acquisition of Lorraine aud
the transfer of few German principaltes In the Asa
tan province France, ~ communities with 4cOOin IN
lobtants were absorbed during the eighteenth century
while the rest of the country comprising several German
principaities and the Republic of Mihhouse t2SO com
munitios with $4,000 inhabtant) followed during tne
time of the French Revolution. Nevertheless, ana
although in possession of the country long before the
the French Government has found all its oppressive
measures TO secure the introduction and the predomm
ance OF the French language among the German popu
tion OF these departments TO he ineffective, ana al It's
efforts toward extnguishing the German idion nave
proyed futile Previous 10 the Revolution the nationality
and ORIGIN Of the people been questioned nay
the employees and officers Of the Government were com
pelled TO make themselves familiar with the language
of the country, which was then still spoken III
the couts of justice and taught in
% thaua laDar
outbreak of the revolution OF 1882 however the plan TO
Franconze the people conceived and the severest
measures Immediately resOrted TO in order to ece
all traces Of the language and OF the origin ana nato
ity OF the inhabitants The instruction in German hh
erto allowed and authorized. abandoned aud forbid
den the men OF the revolution look ngurou the diversity
of language as inheritance ana an emanation Of fe-
das. Since the revolution of lSS and during the sec
Empire up to the present day the French Govern
ent has added weight of the oppressive burden
new restrictive and prohbitOry measures The German
names of the cities their of the rivers hills and
valleys are longer recognized but are either franco
lied most absurd manner, or replaced by entirely
new French denominations, which sound strange TO the
ear OF the people, the Of which they have not
become accustomed to this day. Travellers through
these parts In traversng the of the country will
soon out their great annoyance that, whcnashing
for information to the direction they have TO take IN
order to reach given place, they will, in nine cases out
ten be understood by the peasantry while,
Of the streets, although they may be the
walls every house and the street lanterns
on the other hand they all know the old German names
by heart In cities like Mihhouse and Srasbourg. the
presence numerous French officials and Of whole reg
ents Of French soldiers drafted in the exclusive French
provinces Of the Empire, has doubt exercised mate
rial influence upon the language OF the people, naslnuch
as all traders and retail dealers see the advantage
to be derived from the knowledge Of the French Ian
guage-the only they make use of in their in
aaclaa oha
peope at home around the domestic hearth in their
social intercourse with those who spring from the same
root one astOnished to hear the French diom re-
placed by either the German paois the Ae0e idiom,
or as the among the higher and better educated
classes of citizens, by the pure German language This
indeed significant and goes far to that all the
restrictive and prOhibory measures have been aDorVe
The fact that the people, almost without exception,
make of the language OF their ancestors as soon as
they find themselves free from pressure euc
dates better official records the subject how
deeply rooted their attachment to their native Ian
guage And only in the use OF the language but IN
the silent yet eloquent observance of the customs man
ner of e and the cherished habits Of their foreathers
to which they cling with kind Of religious tenaety-dO
they show that they still Germans at heart just
much perhaps they were a century ago.
Even the commanding dictates Of fashion which are
atentivey listened TO in almost every nook and
ner civilized world received here with dis
trust One Of the resored TO by the present
Emperor of the French In his endeavors to make the
nation which he rules unit consists of the immediate
transfer OF all the young men drafted from this part of
the country either TO Paris to far distant de-
partmen French colony This is calculated TO esrange
the growing male generation from all home influence,
and make them oblvious of the language and habits
of their parents The OF the has far
been very doubtful at best and it is indeed surprising
that man as shrewd and intelligent Louis Napoleon,
who has lived the best and probably the happes part OF
his life in the heart Of Germany, should not have become
better acquainted with the characteristic German stub
bornnes and know the futty Of the policy 10 which he
80 strictly adheres. His entire education is essentially
German he not only perfectly familiar with the
guage but is known 10 be exceedingly wellinfomed in
German classical literature and ardent admrer of
their great poets and writers. Nevertheless, it is
doubtcdy that the systematic of humiliation
against all that is Enthusiastically German in the peo
pie and their habits, has never been waged with such
blind fury Of late and that 1t finds no parallel in
French history, unless ii be the formal against the
German nationality of the population of Lorraine toward
the middle Of the eighteenth century.
What the present Government has attained, does not
most assurcdly rebound to credit For instance
irrcfutable fact, although 1t not generally known
either Germany AlSace that in the great majority
OF school districts the pupils dismissed without
having learned to read write word in their mother
language and after having received but very ndler
ent instruction in French. 1t becomes painfully evident
that Government fully aware the superior intelligence
and better education of the German population
as compared with the generality of the French people,
and especially the French peasantTy throughout the
Empire has conceived the plan to reduce the former TO
the same level Of instruction and education with the
country people in the Vendee, the Auvergne &C. known
10 be the most bgoed supersous and ignorant people
the European continent. The disastrous consequences
OF such measure although not Immediately perceived
and but dmy seen still instinctively felt by the bulk
OF the people, while in those circles of society where
mental culture Is sl diligently nOurished and flourish