New-York tribune., 1871-01-11


to the homicdal glory of the Moltkes. the Bis
marcks, the Williams, and tho FIitzs, that
of the humblest artist accomplishing in peace bis
work under heaven, when in the month Oh
last july at Paris, struck at every step against
drunken bands v0ciferating the Mdrsdttd'se, ana
crying I'd BerIin," could not help saying, THESE
people are my countrymen cannot, therefore,
wish them misfortune: but if they should happen 10
return shorn-they who going out for wool-this
would be according to the logic of things, ana no
one would have right TO be surprised at It, sun, IL
must be confessed, that the bloody tragedy wnich
we now witness has something which confounds the
spirits least susceptible to emotion The wolid mas
never been a witness of more mournfu cataclysms'
never has il had to deplore more repusiye horrors
| II would REQUIRE a Shakespeare and a Iacitls 10
gether to seize and express properly all the ac'
| ing phases of this unfinished drama. Humanity he,e
exhibits itself under the most Odious and most Snlser
| colors What knayeries, what low calculations,
what strange alterations, what leadlOng disasters
exhausting in the space of few weeks the last re-
sources of great country! The Prussian Minister
and the French uspiper seeking for two years 10 lay
snares for each bher under preteXt OF diNuhg prov
inces which belong neither to Germany nor 10
France each one of them preparing himself slyly for
war; loading the other with protestations OF friend
shin: then those neighborng peoples, formed to live
in neace with each other and whom 1t is sought to
nersuade they have always detested each other this
puerile entry into the field where there is nothing
| found TO praise but the heroism. made TO order,
| of n child those victories. pompously announced
in advance which result in the unspeakable captu-
aton of Sedan and after the Empire is crushed out
| in blood, this campaign of savages which begins,
these cOnfaTatiOns these robberies, these murders
of FTancstireurs, of Gardes Mobiles, this insoicnt
cutting to pieces of of the richest countries OF
/ tuf Of wi mo
defended their rosdes, these eternal acquisitions of
delicate wines and cigars are, as the vulgar con-
queror says with the intention of demOralizng rot
ten France, Divine Providence having degDed to
choose him, this simple-minded King, to accomplish
this good work. And alas this is not all. While
the country is pouring out the last blood of it's chill
dren to repulse the invader while the Government
is organizing contracting loans reassembling armies,
making appeals TO Europe to save the center of civ-
zaton which it has given itself the mission to de-
fend, reverses continues Strasbourg, Metz, and Toul
capitulate, and from this moment all France falls
into a chaos a thousand times more frightful than
that from which she was drawn by twelve centuries
of prosperity.
All is in fine crushed polluted suppressed, annibl-
lated in q country which was, up to this time, the
most lovely the most gracious, the most chvalrOus
In the world Commerce exists no longer; industry
is paralyzed. There is no longer a vestge of public
service neither posts, nor telegraphs, nor railroads.
The few journals which exist are silent and don't
circulate. Families, friends, the learned, the edu-
Gated can no longer correspond with each other.
Scarcely any news of the rest of the world arrives
in France, and it is with difficulty that France
thanks to adventurous expedients such pigeons
and balloons inform other nations of the world
of the events occurring tbere-a state of things
which no other people, either through interest or
through gratitude, through spirit of Christian
charity dreams Of putting end to. Is this picture
exaggeratedi Far from it, 1t expresses scarcely the
shadow of the truth The horrible year 1870, which
will have seen so many fortunes fall, many great
and splendid affairs fail such tiourshing branches of
commerce come to ruin. such great hearts and high
intelligences sextnguisned-ths year which will be IN
history forever accursed year of DEATH year of ser
| ility will not give its date TO book, TO statue,
| to picture, or to page Of music, or to scien-
tihc discovery, or to any progress whatever IN any
place the globe for the day when France extin-
guishes her torch darkness covers the universe.
| And let us not he deceived-even if no new COM
plicatOn arises in politics, if the Eastern ques
tion aroused by the Emperor of Russia with such
humane tmeliness should result in pacific arrange
ment, even if peace should be made at between
France and Prussia the most honorable conditions,
the disaster accomplished, whose echoes will reach
to the utmost extremity of the civilized world will
unfortunately not be limited to the present year. 1t
will be long, alas, before the world shall
of prosperity of comfort, Of luxury comparable to
that which perfectly characterized by the Ex
position of 1867. For long time the world must
pect to say farewell to art to letters to the charming
and eDnObliBg study of history and of science, i'm
bruted as it will be by the military spirit. 1t is not
with impunity that under the pretext of the unica
ton of Germany by the pillage of French provinces
| the progress of whole generation is arrested to
IN the infuita VulOartiea of military life
that it can be forced to leave everything-moral
studies, elevated and delicate sentiments, family
laiOns business, the preOccupations Of the future
with the sole purpose of teaching it that noble and
holy thing called the school of the soldier" 1t is
evident nevertheless, that the mission of here
below is no other than TO destroy his feOwcreatures,
to burn their farms to pllage their houses, to sack
their cities The proof is that there is somewhere,
in heaven or elsewhere, a god of armies for the
SD, cial use Of the King of Prussia and that to this
god scecies of Moloch in leather helmet it is not
incense which 10 most pleasing as it is to the vulgar
god of the Christians but, what Is much more
worthy of divinity, the smell Of the corruption of
battle-ields.
But all this matters little. What il would be well
to know If, III what manner will this long crime |
against civilization morality humanity, and good |
sense come to end. Alas it is only too easy to
foresee Unhappy France at the end of her strength,
of her resources of her patience if she is not assisted
while there is yet time will fall to ruin as formerly
Greece fell dispensing throughout the world all her
surviving children her artats her of letters her
sarons her artisans her women, who will remain the
models of graces and divinities. Thus dying France
will still contribute to the education and to the noble
pleasures of the globe imposing upon it, as of old
her taste her fashions her Judgment, and her wit.
In all places where new work shall come to light