Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-09-16
..ne xyar-17oa and 1899.

g,Ila x.ar-G7aa Rra 1880.
We stated on Yesterday that the further
resistance OF the French people to their
invaders depends upon the possibility OF
reviviug among them the spirit ana en-
thugiasln Of 1892. Is this to be expected
or not ?
When these same Prussiana invaded
Trance in 1892 and al the powers OF
Europe Joined them in their attacks IN
1893. France was entirely dlsorganlzea
and almost without means OF resistance.
Worse than all, treason and rebellion rent
the nation. Toulon had revolted and
given herself to the English. Lyons, the
second city in France. vas IN open reoei-
lion. and La Vcrdee was able TO keep
armies in the field and to wage success
sui war against the Revolutionary govern
7nent. In that day Of darkest Peril the
National Convention declared the country
in danger, and IN a few weeks fourteen
armies, amounting to l 200, 600 men, drove
Austriaug, Prussians, Sardinians and Span
iards from the soil Of the hepubl1c ana
carried invasion and republican Ideas into
the countries which had threatened her
independence.
What cause produced this result
No modern nation ever suffered from
such incredible tyranny as the french
before their great revolution. AS Sismondl
remarks. the crown added all the tyranny
Of despotism to all the expressions Of the
feudal system. Every petty lord, every
noble, every government C1ncer was an
IRRESPONSIBLE tyrant. All honorable po-
sitions were open to the mobiles alone.
Five hundred thousand persons, who COM
posed the nobility and the high clergy,
possessed two thirds Of al the property IN
France and were exempt from all taxation.
While the twenty eight millions, who
formed the rest Of the nation and possessed
but one-third of the property, had to bear
all the burdens. Kings, mobiles and pre-
Iates. claiming to rule by Divine right
alone, made the yoke still moro intolerable
by all the personal indignities for which O
plebeian had no redress.
Then came the great revolution, whose
excuses are easily explained by the pre-
vious intolerabie tyranny. It gave to the
French people that which they have re
tanned ever since under all forms OF gov
ernment-eGrr} hof0re the law and pro-
motion for ell Mon in every career, accord
ing to merit--Dot birth or wealth alone.
1t after the French people had began
to realize the benefits Of such u mOmon-
tous change that the European Coalition
invaded France with the avowed object OF
reducing her people to their former state
of slavery.
Such @ declaration was enough to fill
the nation with perfect phrenzy. There
was but one feeling among republicans OF
that day-to exterminate every traitor at
home and 20 drive every invader from the
soil. Every one not belonging to the
privileged classes was ready to die mot as c
figure OF speech, but ir ~oality,) before he
would again be the slave Of insolent mobiles
This explains the maddened fury of the
French of that day. They were the cham
pions of liberty, and right we'll did the,
fight the battle for themselves and for tn
world.
But prodigious is the change between
1893 and 1870. The question is no longe
people know very we'll that they viii EMO
lust as much freedom and equality unde
an Orleans as a Napoleon-probably niue
more than under Republic, complicated
as it will be, with the fatal theories c
Socialism. The worst that can happen t
them is national bumiIiation-the loss Q
o part of their territory, and the compn
sorry payment Of very large pccuniary il
demnity. These are bad enough, bu
they are not such incentives to resistanc
to the death as the dread alternative {
1893.
It is true that the voice of the Frenc
people just now is for "war to the knife,
and in this they are no doubt 81 ucer'
But we know that such resolutions are nc
irre7ocable, and that O moment come
when the most determined perceive tbs
for whole people submission is prefers
BILE to destruction. Leaving out of vie
the Partisan mob whose vociferations al
''vox ct preterea nihil," France we b.
lieve will fight on at least for q time
spite of her terrible losses in men and WI
material, rather than submit to extravi
CANT conditions. But we think that pea
is attainabie if the King of Prussia W
stand by his early declarations, that
fights not against France, but against N
poleon. IF he was sincere in speaking thu
his object is attained far beyond any re
sonable expectation he might have forl
ed, II no VIII mako peace upon the co