Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-09-14
THE IMPERIAL PRISONER

nOunced the declaration m the Prus
sian Parliament amid the cheers o.
the members. On the 22d the En-
peror was received in the Corps Leg
islatif To the speech of NJ Schnei
der, in which be said, "behind you, be
hind our army is the nation" the En-
peror made reply; ~ experience
great satisfaction, on the eve of my
departure for the army, in being able
to thank you for the patriotic co-ope
ration you have given my Govern.
mont. War is legitimate when it is
made with the assent of the country
'Ahd the appreciation of its representa-.
tives. You are right in recalling the
words Of Montesquieu. The true au.
thor of the warts not he who declares,
but he who renders il necessary. We
have done all that depended on us TO
avoid it, and ] may say that the en-
tire nation, in its irresistible force has
dictated our resolutions" He conf.
ded to them the Empress and said he
took his son with him who would
learn in the midst of the army how TO
serve his country The next day the
Emperor issued his proclamation to
the people of France He said a de-
cisive hour had arrived for France
Prussia had scorned her and had
aroused distrnst in all quarters. She
had made Europe camp where
reign disquiet and fear He added /:
I'VE pledge ourselves that the people
composing the great Germanic nation
ality shall dispose freely of their des
tinies. As for us we demand the es-
tablishment of state Of things guar
anteeing our security and assuring
the future We wish 10 conquer a
durable peace, based on the true in.
tcrcsts of the people, and to assist in
abolshing the precarious condition of
things when all nations are forced 20
employ their resources in arming
against each other. The glorious flag
of France, which we once more un
furl in the face of challengers. is the
same which has borne over Europe
the ciyilizing ideas of our great revo.
luton" lie concluded by referring
10 his son, who knows the duty his
name imposes" Almost the next we
hear Of the Emperor is his foolish dis
patch on the 3D. of August, about Lou.
is, at whose tranquility at Saarbruck
"the soldiers wept" Then we have
the Metz proclamation of tie 18th,
that seemed apremonition of the ruin
he was bringing on himself and his
country Another half month has
gone, and the Emperor hunted and
hurried through ali the French camps.
now reported insane, now dead, now
q lug''ive, but always sick and lroub.
day, 10 a dispatch 10 the Empress,
"All goes wonderfully. Our plans all
succeed" and on Friday surrendcrs TO
King William, less than two months
from the first mutter of discomfort
at the choice of Hohonzollern for
Spain. From July 70 September .,
are included the sixty days during
which Louis Napoleon dictated a
crown for Spain aud lost his own
Has ever the arrogance of man had n
more signal rebukeY Was il within
the compass of human sagacity to pre-
dict the ruin OF great nation in so
short timeg
One little month ago-August q
was the affair of Saur brucx, the vir-
tuul opening of the campaign, a
French victory, after which we spec.
ulaled whether the French would
make for the Coblentz or Mayence. A
few days later came Weissenburg and
since then, four weeks of "strategy,"
full Of promise and barren of results,
until now on the Of 2d September the
Napoleon dynasty of second time
crumbles away. amid the thunders Of
battle whose sullcn roar might almost
wake the dead that rest on the near.
by plain OF Waterloo. That little an
gle of Europe has been the theatre Of
the mighticst events, and history has
taken new coloring from the transac-
tons on that limited area
The Emperor snrrenders to more
magnanimous nation, we trust, than
his Imperial predecessor did. He sur.
renders to a King who will be even
more clement than the population of
Paris. Better for Louis Napoleon TO
be a captive, subject TO the appoint
ment OF his residence by the King of
Prussia, than to meet the angry cry
Of the enragcd rabble of the capitol,
modified, humiliated and ready to
make n victim OF the cause Of dishon-
or shat has come on the French flag.
They remember his proclamation. 81
90 70 place myself at the bead Of that
gallant army, which is animated by
/ tho lee ~r ,g~.t~s- "nd devotion 10
duty. That army knows its worth,
for il has seen victory follow its foot
steps in the fourquarters ofthe globe.
Alas how has the lustre of these
eagles been dimmed by the blunders
of an Emperor, the incapacity ofGen.
erals, the weakness Of n commissariat,
and that self-suflicient pride which
contentedly overlooked the real pow
er OF an enemy.-N Y. Commercial
i.