Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-02-15
A Thousand Years Agc---Stfango
Coincidence Of Hietory. n

1t is certainly one Of the greatest
curiositios in history that exactly one
thousand years ago, 10 the year Of
our Lord $40, tho people Of France
and Germany fought under their kings
upon the same soil, that of Lorraine,
for very nearly the same reason, and
with the same result This happened
as follows: The empire Of Charlemagne
and that Of his son who succeeded him,
Ludwig l., called the Pi0us, was di.
yided by his three sons, the grandsons
of Cbarlcmagne, S43, ut the Congress
of Vordun, between themselves in such
a manner that Lothaire received, be-
sides the title Of emperor, Italy and
what was then called Middle Fran
coma, strip ofland running from the
North Sea TO the Mediterranean, aud
there joining Upper Italy, broad
strip of land containing modern Hol-
land, Belgium, the Lorraine, the Alsace,
all that part ofsoutliern Franco lying
between the Rhine and Saone and the
Alps on tho east. Ludwig received
Eastern Franconia, which was from
that lime called Germania, or Ger
many, and from which he, as Ger
many's first king, was called Ludwig
the German.
Carl, who was called the Bald, from
bis bald head, received Western Fran
coma, or France. Lothairo died in
o55, and again subdivided his empire
amongst his three sons. To the oldest,
Ludwig, he gave Italy and the crown
and title Of emperor; to the second,
Loihaire, the northern part Of his do
minion, comprising u part of-snodern
Holland, Belgium, and the province
called to this day Lorraine or Lothar.
ingen, the Alsace, and all the land ca
tending down to the Saone. To the
youngest, Carl, he gave all the land
south of Saone TO the Mediterranean,
under the titleo Kingdom Of Province.
In 500 Lothaire died without heirs,
after he had previously become pos-
sessed also OF his brother Carl's King
dom Of Province, and it was then that
Carl the Bald, King Of France, stepped
forward to take sole possession Of his
nephew's kingdom, comprising all the
eastern part Of modern Franco, and
extending from the Meuse 10 the
Rhine, and from the Rhome TO the
Alps, and from the Forth Sea way
down 10 the Mediterranean He was
completely successful, for his nephew
Ludwig, the Emperor in Italy, and
his brother Ludwig, The King Of Ger
many, had both their hands too full 10
claim their share Of rich inheritance.
But a year later, in SO, just one
thousand years ago, suddenly "a largo
and well appointed German army eros.
sed the Rhine, into France and de-
fealed Carl tho Bald and his armies at
once, and so completely that be was
compelled to sign a treaty of peace in
the same year, 500 by which he
ceded to his brother Ludwig the Get-
man, all tho eastern part of those
lands which he had appropriated from
his nephew, comprising the modern
provinces Of Alsace Eastern Lorraine,
aud the territories around tho cities
Of Trier, or Treves, Cologne, Mas
tricht, and Utrecht, down to the
mouth of the River Rhine.
The first grand fight for the Rhine
provinces of the part of France, and
the Alsace and Lorraine on that Of
Germany, which is, after all, if not the
sole cause, certainly one of the princi-
pal causes, of the present war of 1870,
took place consequently justone thons-
and years ago, in $40, and with the
same rcsult.-N Y World.