Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-10-01
VICTOR HUGO TO THE GERMANS.
'sAn Orderly Nation Become Savage,
Abolishlng the City OF
Nations"
An Extraordinary Appeal.

tracts from which have been published
in this country
GERMANS He who speaks to you is a
friend.
Three years ago, from exile, | well
coined you to the Exposition of 1867, IN
your city.
What city?
Parisl
For Paris belongs not alone to us.
Paris is as much yours as it is ours.
Berlin, Vienna, Dresden, Munich, Stutt-
gardt are your capitals. Paris is your
center 1t is only at Paris that we can
feel the heart Of Europe palpitating,
Paris is the city of cities-the city OF
mankind. Athens and Rome were
Paris is.
Paris is nothing more than an i'm
mense hospitality
You return there to-day.
How2
AS brothers2 as you came three years
ago?
No. AS enemies.
Why?
What is this sinister misunderstood
ing?
Twonations have made Europe. These
two nations are France and Germany.
Germany is for the West what India is
for the East kind of dignifed grand
mother We venerate her. But what is
passing, and what is to be said? To-day
this Europe which Germany has con-
structed by her expansion and France by
her divergence, Germany wishes to over
turn.
Is it possible?
Would Germany overturn Europe in
destroying Paris?
Reflect
Wherefore this invasion? Wherefore
this savage effort against a brotherly
people?
What have we done to you2
Does this war proceed from us? 1t
was the Empire which desired it; the
Empire which made it. The Empire is
dead 1t is well
We have nothing in common with that
corpse.
1t is of the past; we are of the future.
1t was hate we are sympathy.
1t was treason; we are loyalty.
1t was Capua and Gomorrah; we are
France.
We are the French Republic, and have
for our device Liberty, Equality, Frater-
nifty; we write on our flag United States
of Europe. We are the same people as
yourselves. We had Vercingetorix as
you had Arminius. The same fraternal
ray, the same sublime bond of union
joins the German heart and the French
soul.
This is so true that we shall say here:
II, unfortunately, by your. fatal error,
you proceed to extreme violence if you
come to attack us in this august city con-
fided in some manner by Europe to
France; if you assault Paris, we shall
defend it to the last extremity; we shall
fight with all our strength against
you; but we declare we shall con-
tinue to be your brothers; and your
wounded-do you know where we shall
place them? in the palace Of the nation.
We shall assign the Tnileries in advance
as q hospital for wounded Prussians.
There will be the field hospital of your
brave imprisoned soldiers, and it is there
our women shall go to care for and sue
cor them Your wounded shall be our
guests; we will treat them Loyalty, and
Paris will receive them into her Louvre.
1t is with this fraternity in our heart
that we shall accept your war.
But, Germans, what means this war;
II is ended since the Empire is at an
end. You have killed your enemy who
was also oursi what more do You desire2
You come to take Paris by forcel But
we have already offered it to you with
love. Do not make a people close their
doors who have always held out their
hands to you Be not deluded about
Paris. Paris loves you, but Paris will
fight you. Paris will fight you with all
the formidable majesty of her glory and
her mourning.
Paris, menaced by this brutal assault,
may become terrible.
Jules Favre has told you eloquently,
and we all repeat it, expect desperate
resistance.
You may take the fortress, you will
find the rampant. You may take the
rampant, You will find the barricade.
You may take the barricade, and then
who knows the resources of patriotism
in distress2-you will find in the sewers
mines Of powder ready to blow whole
streets into the air This will be the
terrible sentence you must expect. To
take Paris stone by stone, 70 slaughter |
Europe on the spot to kill France in |
detail; in each street, in each house that |
great light must be extinguished soul by
soul.
Germans, hold back Paris is formid |
able Think a while before her walls |
All transformations are possible for her |
Her Incidence gives you the measure of
her energy. She seems to sleep. She |
will awaken. Her thought will leap |
from its scabbard like sword; and this
city, which yesterday was Sybaris, to-
morrog may be Sarragossa.
Do we say this to intimidate your No,
certainly not. Germans, FqE are not to
be intimidated. You had Galgacus
against Rome and Kerner against Ma
polaop. We are the people of the Mar
seillaise, but yoH are the people of the
Martial Sonnets and tho Song of the |
Sword. You are a nation Of thinkers
Who have come TO meet legion of he
roes. Your ssldiers are worthy of ours; |
our soldiers have unsurpassable bravery |
yours have intrepid coolness.
Hear. nevertheless. You had able and |
skillful generals; we had incompetent
ones; you made the war clever rather
than brilliant; your generals have pre-
ferred the useful to the grand; it was
their right; you took us by surprise; you
came ten 10 one; our soldiers stoically |
allowed themselves to be massacred by |
you who had wisely placed all the
chances on your side; consequently from
that day in this dreadful war Prussia has
the victory, but France has the glory.
At present you believe you have last
blow TO strike. You rush upon Paris,
and take advantage Of our noble army,
deceived and betrayed, nearly all
stretched dead upon the battlefield, to
throw your 100, 600 soldiers. with all your
machinery Of Ear-youF mitraillenses,
your steel cannon, your Krupp bullets,
your Dreyse guns, your innumerable
cavalry, your terrible artillery-orf 300,-
600 citizens standing on their Famparts,
on fathers defending their fresides, on a
city full Of trembling families, where
there are wives, sisters and mothers, and
u-hera AZ this kour I who sneak 70 vou