The New York herald., 1871-03-03
The Condition Of France-Thc Great Task
and the Great Dangers SIN Before
Her.

| - Wv idkiuSNbioi VI 0tItUdHl isu SAdS-
tons Of peace by vote Of five-sixths Of the
French National Assembly we have, in the
voice of France, the confession of her present
exhausted and helpless condition from her ter
| rible defeats and disasters in the late war;
Since the lst Of August last the losses Of
France, past, present and prospective, from
this gigantic struggle, win, no doubt, upon a
money estimate, prove equal to the losses OF
both sides for the whole four years of the war
OF our Southern rebellion. One-th;rd, at least,
OF her territory has been eaten out and laid
waste, including her richest wine districts;
one-tenth at least, of her people have been
reduced to the verge of starvation her crops,
which last year were short from whitening
drought, will this year be necessarily short from
the destruction of her horses and cattle and her
agricultural Implements and from the general
disorganizition of her industrial system.
And now, snperadded to all her frightful
| losses from the war, she has to bear these
harsh conditions exacted by Germany as the
price Of peace-the surrender of her whole
Rhine frontier back to ''the blue Moselle," in
GLIDING million and a half OF her people with
the territories given up and those strongly
fortified cities of Strasbourg and Metz; and
lastly, she has to pay thousand millions of
dollars as indemnity to Germany for her ex-
penses in the war.
Can poor France" under the best cond-
tions Of peace, recover from this fearful pros
traiion and these cruel eXactions within half
Sha fully harf f,noi{inu
in wealth and in all her Industrial forces and
resources within period of twenty years of
peace, excepting, of course, the cities and
territories she has lost. These she can re-
cover only by war but, from present appear
ances, whatever her desire may be, she will
be compelled to postpone her revenge for at
| least twenty years to come The inviting
| gateway into Germany between Metz and
Slrasbourg is closed and held by Germany,
and hereafter France, from the danger which
is thus menaced to Paris, will be slow to
provoke another trial with the disciplined
legions of the German empire. There is, then,
no danger that France, during the living gen
Grafton, will provoke another war with Ger
many Nor is it probable that she viii seek
an occasion for the reparation Of her late
misfortunes in quarrel with Italy or Spain,
or England or Belgium. In short, while her
incinations and every consideration of wise
discretion will make peace the policy of France
with all her neighbors except Germany,
peace with Germany for at least twenty years
to come win be the first necessity Of the
French government; and within these twenty
years, through the progress and development
of modern ideas and popular rights, the whole
face Of things on the European Con .inent may
be so changed as to bring the people Of even
France and Germany into the ''happy accord
Of band of brothers.
But there is danger yet to France in the
great task now before her Of the reconstruc-
ton of her government. The special work
for which the election Of this National Assem-
bly, was arranged by Count Bismarck--a treaty
of peace with a responsible party-is done.
The Assembly, with NJ Theirs as the execu-
tive head of the State, is now called upon TO
determine whether France shall be organized
under an emperor, king or president
under the Bonapartes, the Orleanists or the
republicans. This Assembly, we presume,
viii adopt new constitution; and whether
This Assembly shall provide regency for the
empire, king or president, the ratification of
his election will doubtless be submitted to the
popular vote. In any event, as it appears, it
is all over with the Bonapartes. The unani-
nous vote by which this National Assembly
has declared the fall of the empire, and its
responsibilities for these unparalleled disasters
and this bewildering humiliation Of France,
would seem to settle the question for the pris-
oner a. Wnhelmsh0he, and his Regency, and
his Prince Imperial. 1t may be said, however,
that with the return to France of those four
hundred thousand French soldiers Of the en-
pire now held as prisoners of war in Ger
many another Napoleonic coup Tftat is not
impossible. But we think this vote of the
Assembly indicates so clearly the overwhelm-
ing sentiment of the people that there is
hardly the shadow Of chance for the Bona
parties in the chapter Of accidents, tickle and
inconstant as are the French nation.
The government Of Louis Napoleon, in its
substantial fruits, down to this crushing war
was the best which France had ever enjoyed.
In all her material ways and means Of wealth
and strength she advanced under this govern
ment to higher degree Of prosperity than she
had ever known before. Nor have we any
reason TO doubt that in the last pIe6iscite of
Napoleon, which gave five-sevenths Of the
popular vote in his favor, this vote was
fair expression Of the will of the French
people. Down to this war Napoleon and his
government were approved by the French
people, and it was in obedience to their voice
that he ventured into this war. He was not
80 eager for it as was France, nor SO certain
of holiday march to Berlin; but he had COM
A olf tn fha Nanolaanic idaa G -.