Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-09
THE FRENCH AND GERMANS.
Old Feuds and Grievances-Strik
ing Historical Passages-Why the
Germans Hate the Freneh.

For all those who have any proclivi-
ties in favor of the French, 1t is i'm
portant to remember few facts which,
If ever generally known, are now almost
universally forgotten. Nobody will de-
ny to the French the character OF
warlike people, or the quality. of mere
physical bravery. But who are these
French? Are they the original Gauls,
and do they derive their best and great
est characteristics through them? BY
no means. 1t was not until Caesar met
the Belgians, the Netherlanders, that
his corquering sword found work worthy
of the steel of the Roman legionary, II
was from this grand, heroic BelgicJ land
that the Franks issued to assist in
checking Attila, and afterward to de-
termine that Western Europe should not
worship Mahomet.E l.ArE AZ - 3 S~
1t was from these Franks-a German
Saxon not a Celtic race--that France
takes its name. Chlodowig, Clovis, or
Louis, are the same; and Louis the First
to the Eighteenth instead of bearing a
Gallo or Celtic name, proper, had a
Netherlandish name, Frenchifed. 1t is
said and admitted in the old chronicle,
that the shield Of the French Royal
Stem bore three frogs or toads, doubt
less, as was just and appropriate, to
signify that the conquerors of FRANCE
came up from the lowlands or marshes
of the Meuse and Schelde. Charlemagne
Karl der Crosse, the great "Karling, :. G.
Saxon was in reality Menapian. 20,
a Hollander, proper, born at Frenchified
Aix-la-C Chapelle, in reality AIKEN or
Aachen, % l.a- lalrel2al. = 'l ~ -,
He was not Emperor of France, but
Emperor of the West. with his capital in
yariably in a Netherlandish town, Lut-
itch (Leege, Luik), Heistal, Thionyllle,
Diedenbofen and Nymegen. All his an
cestors were Netherlanders, and the man
(Pepin) to whom the Pope owes the es-
tablishment of his temporal authority
was from Brabant. When Charlemagne s
emnire was divided at yerdnn in A. p.
s43 lsee Sprunsr's Deutschland, Map III,
the eastern lines OF France ran across
from Grayelines to Geneva, pretty much
where they were until Cardinals Rlche-
lieu and Mazarin began to steal and tack
on pieces of Germany. France always
had craving eye toward fiandars, ana
had il not been for the indomitabie ma
ture of the people--who withstood even
their great Kasl-yould doubtless have
annexed it just 10 the same way that they
got possession of Savoy and Nee. g =
In the sixteenth century Savoy wa, ~
the hands OF France, and it was said that
in the seventeenth century the rulers Of
Piedmont (now Kings Of RaFdinia) could
not sleep undisturbed in their palace al
Turin on account of the rattle OF the
French drums The roll OF the trencf
drums from the garrison of GRrmagnola,
hardly at one days march from his cap
ital, allowed Prince Of Savoy no rest
The astuteness of Louis Napolepn wrung
from the necessities Of Italy, Savoy siid
Nice. which had belonged to France
more than once in previous eras. Ihey
were won back by the Piedmontesei thS
/" men of Italy, and may yet be again;
Even so with their ep0FG9ebments toward
the north on Belgic soil; The arro
rance aud eytortions of the .FFepghi
these are the words of the Italian histo
rian, Gallenga, their deeds Of yandal
ism, were only equaied by their sack Of
the Palatinate." lt- lHt
France owes to subtlety, not force, her
acquisitions of German soil. In 1901
occurred what Sherer terms the rob,
berry of the bishoprics of Metz, Tall and
Verdun." AT the same time Charles
Will claimed then exactly what Louis
Napoleon claims now, that the boundary
of France was the left or west bank oi
the Rhine. Metz, ultra German, is nov
one Of the strong places of France, Yer
dun another, though less celebrated,
Toul, another. The first and last Of
these two are on the Moselle (MoeseD
Verdun on the Meuse (Maasl, Alsace
(Elsass) was betrayed to the French by
the Austrians. lois a long story, but
the same historian, Scherer, has set Il
forth clearly. sA~ ~l.A ~
Strasbourg (Straatsburg) was another
robbery. Ranke tells the tale how all the
German lands, now appertaining tC
France. came gradually into the hands
of the French-Franche Comte, Alsece
Lorraine (Lothriiigen). Their rape:
constitute one series of exhibitions o
the miserable weaknesses arising out o
the old division and subdivision of granc
old Germany, parceled out under soul
less princelings, who sold their subjects
or sold their country, TO crafty tneii
] lusts or fheir passions, 10 France, Away
on the watch for such chances; France