The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-12-31
Written for the P. Q. Advertiser.
The Rhine.

against the power OF Rome, and made the hhine nc
strain her limit of conquest, the Germans, present u
remarkable instance Of vitality and progressiveness-
From the time the legions Of varus fell before the
united German tribes. under Herman, (Arminius) in
the Teutoberger wald. in every vicissitude Of war
fare and carnage, they have arisen with renewed
strength and vigor. They possess a recuperative
energy that belongs to no other people. They alone. OF
all the barbarian nations that appeared upon the stage
of earth's history in the great drama Of the Roman
Conquest, and contended with that power, since
Julius Caesar first crossed the Rhine, now exist asa
nation ,-mOre powerful and in n more compact form
than they ever did in the past. The ScythiaD and
the Hun have passed away, and have left no trace OF
either people, language or laws. The German ele-
ment has either conquered or predominated over the
Gaul, so that he can only be traced as the fragment
airy part Of a nationality. The Sarmatae have been
absorbed by the German and Sclavonian, 30 that
there are now but two dominant races in Europe, tho
Teutonic and Sclayonic.
The Germanic race eventually caused the downfall
of the Roman Empire of the west. Alarich and
Theoderich the great. only paved the way for a VIDE
German Empire, which arose on its ruins. A con-
federate portion of the German tribes, under the
name of Franks, following the leadership of Chlodwig.
CONQUERED Gaul and laid the foundation Of the en-
pire of Charlemague.
The vast Ennis, L-iis up Dy the genius Of that
great man fell TO pieces on the death OF his SUCCESSOR
Louis-le-D ebOnnaire, which occurred in $40. inherit
ing nothing of the 6rmness and ability Of Charlemagne,
and pursuing q policy inconsistent with the unity OF
empire, Inc left his SON Lothaire as Emperor while his
remaining sons, Lou~is-le-Germanique and Charies-ie-
Chauve, reigued under him as Kings,-Louis over
the eastern or thoroughly German portion OF the En-
pire. and Charles in central and northern France
The actual government of Lothaire was connheu 10
-. r. nr a .t,nob nnTaulnn lis tEA@
ditional policy, was in favor Of m undivided empire
under the rule of Lothairc /; but the German element,
ISunder Louis, desired Independence and a separa1c
XII nrdom. u Men who had always been governed "
their chiefs or adelings, and q counsel Of MehrnSn'
or LED to battle by q leader whom they eo0~a
raising on. n shield, could not consent TO q aesPouA~'
harles-le-ChRAye actusted by am6aaous M..s'
sided with his brotl ier Louis, against Lotnaire' nv
civil war was the necessary result Inc m"O
Empire, aud indee.il of continental Europe wa
cided on the 18th Of June, Sal, on the sangui""'y
battle field Of FOnte ,naye. On that day Oh 0Afs-e1'
Lothaire was defeate ID, the Empire WIS destroyeu, =
cons,rss WINS afterw ,ds. held at CoblentE, In e4Z, IN
Which a n,ermanept d ,,ision Of the Empire took place
Lothaire, with the tit 10 Of Emperor august C"sAr)
retained Rome and II ally, with AK Ia ChaPehe' the
capital Of Charlemagn 9 and in order 70 cOnho0' |"
latter place with his l Italian dominions' Lothar'ns'A'
a long narrow strip of territory, was conceueu 70 nm
arrtchinc from the Me aaerranean, between the Rhone
and Moselle ON the ", est, and the Rhine on 'ne oAS.'
50 as to include AK In Chapelle, a portion on "n'on -
now known as Lorraine and In which are si1AHN
Thionvile, Metz, Nancy and .Luneville- 10 LOUIS
was assigned oil the Germ. anic country east OF tno
Rhine. Charles had Nuestril y, Brittany and Aqui-
tame, which, by subsequent acq ~-uisitions, became th'
kingdom Of France. This was the dnal 'narauonO
Eranca and Germany. IL is true thu
lie Gros, there was q temporary except
have remained independent since that time,
orally IN q hostile attitude. a
The German Franks, who conquered Gaul,
the downfall of the Roman Empire, constituted b
small portion Of the population, and with the exec
ton, perhaps. of the ruling classes, they were soon
absorbed in the Celtic element, which was Romnnizcd.
and the German language soon gave way to the
French branch Of the modern Latin languages. The
free spirit of the Germans, which could not brook
tyranny long, was the cause of their divisions into
many, small states. Until recently, they exhibited
the same want of unity that in their more barbarian
days prevented them from crushing the power Of
Rome, long before its decrepitude or It's overthrow By
Alarich. grrtrr 1gEW
A. thousand years OF rivalry ana frequent hostility,
have produced a bitter feeling Of national antipathX,
not. to say hatred, between the Germans and the
] L CuS - - AhAAAotD ~ ~eS teNN~
upon the former without any adequate or ~justifable
cause. The Germans feel as if they had a thousand
years. of wrong TO settle, and they also desire that ter
ritory which once constituted Lotharingia and Aisace,
which were settled by people of purely German blood,
and where the German language is still spoken.
Looking back through the past, among many hrght
and glorious victories, a cloud appears over jena and
Auerstadt, lost. not by their want Of proves or
bravery, but by a divided army and unskinful com
manders. This is already cleared away, and the sky
of their glory was never more brilliant. France may
be desolated, ruin may drive her ploughshare over
her fairest provinces. Should the world mourn over
that which is inevitable 2 Retribution cometh slow,
but sure. Looking back through the telescope Of
history, we can trace the finger Of God pointing Ut
the day Of ST. Bartholomew
Lorraine has been for centuries the subject Of dis
pute between France and Germany. 1t was not till
1910, that France took a decided part In the affairs Of
that province, and that was occasioned by q collateral
branch of the house Of the Dukes Of Lorraine, spread
ing in that Kingdom. Bat France never got FINAL
. possession OF the country till the peace Of Vienna,
Nov. 8, 1881 Frankenstein was excepted In that
Treaty, and by the Treaty Of 1876, Saarlouis was
. ceded to Germany, and now belongs 70 the Prussian
province Of the Lower Rhine 1th 3Aoit"
Alsace was a German ducby till I26s, when il was
parcelled out TO several members OF the German
Empire. By the Treaty Of Munster Of le4S, tho
a portion belonging to austria, and several free cities
of the Empire was Oeded to France The remaining
! portion still preserved its connection with the German
Empire. BY the Treaty Of Ryswick, in 1897. the
city Of StrasbOurg and all the cities occupied BY the
! French troops on the left bank Of the Rhine. was
. ceded to France. Several States Of the Empire had
E still important possessions in t. The revolutionary
b Government Of France claimed the whole Of the ter
. ritory, and this was one Of the principal causes Of the
war between France and Germany, which succeeded
: shortly after. By the peace Of Paris, Nov. 20, 1916.
! Landau, o portion of Alsace, was separated frsm
e France and reunited to Germany. The present war
has again placed both Lorraine and Alsace in the
military possession Of Germany.
{. Whatever may be the form Of political Government
in Germany, her people possess q moral freedom, en-.