The Opelousas courier., 1870-10-01
a Arr;val Of French Prisoners at
Berlin.

. correspondent of the n. Y. Post
-;tes. "A German crowd waiting for
sonae coming event is sight to behold,
"J an example to the world not only of
satsnce but of quietness and of good
lamner. You must use your imagin alton
,;ttle. for doubt if you ever saw in
1merica. and particularly i'll New York,
crowd of at least five thousand people
~nnd uerhaps three times that nunber)
vt an entire afternoon without moving
s."n, m" their places and without one single
nu,;ll" to relieve the monotony of this
urbroken peace. Policemen are present,
thaf ia true, not, however, for the sake
"f nreserving order, but rather to pre-
W Oant this over curious people from sacri-
so;no themselves under the wheels of the
.rsin in their anxiety to see the coming
heroes.
,.,,a announcements as to the arrival of
Iha Ia.9 train. finally towards evening the
nno,cb nrisoners Of war from the battle
aa,1a arrived, and were drawn into the
"nord of chattering, smoking, knitting,
,suGhing and singing Teutons. The Chief
Of Police had caused a placard to be
nosted requesting the people to show
themselves to their unfortunate foes for
tive educated and elevated people which
thew are. This was scarcely necessary,
h,r however barbarous the aboriginal
Germans may have been, the present
nonuation is about the mosts civilized,
ppniet and sympathizing on the earth.
1,,.e arrival of the train was hailed with
a shout of Joy, and followed by IL rush
towards the open doors of the box cars
in which the captured warriors were
onarded. by two or three Prussun sol
diers at each doer.
1.-THE peculiar cut of the French uni
form and the bright colors Of the zouave
dress rendered the prisoners at once dis
tinguishable. No insults were offered
them, and a few half spoken allusions to
their invasion of Prussia were immedi-
stely hushed. AS car after car, however,
passed through this happy crowd, and
the exteat of the captures became evil
dent TO these fathers and mothers whose
sops are on the distant battle-ficlds, a cry
Of welcome greeted the Prussian guards,
and presently swelled into vast out
burst of Joy and congratulation. The
guards were almost dragged from their
posts by the eager multitude and loaded
with welcome burdens of eatables and
cigars. The prisoners themselves were
not forgotten in the overfiowing good
humor Of the hour, and so in fact their
reception was more of q welcome than it
would have been had they entered the
city, according to the empty boast of Ma.
poieon, as victors. =.
'Only when the swarthy sons Of Alge-
ria, the ..Tureos,' came in sight, with
their bosom friends the cats, did the peo-
pie manifest any ill-feeling; and this not
60 much against them personally, but in
utterances of horror for the Emperor OF
France, who could send such beastly
looking wretches to shoot their sons and
brothers.
..sAnd so for full honr, while this huge
train wound along at snail-like pace and
with many halts, this vast multitude
sung itself into good spirits and shouted
itself hoarse, and then slowly thinnet
away and separated once more into its
individual life. And who shall say how
many apFivate sorrow or selfish ambition
was forgotten in these hours of enthusi
asm for the Fatherland aud the nationa
honor?
The FIRST welcome Of the guests o
war; as the prisoners are styled, since
the new agreement between Prussia ane
France in regard to their humane treat
ment, will probably repeat itself ON
smaller scale as each new detachmen
arrives; and at the present rate goot
portion of the French army will befor.
long be quartered in Prussian fortresses.