Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-06-07
BISMARCK on PEACE.

EsR1ds GFASn SLS EIASC
Part Of the German EasRpire-A Dip1o-
matte Secret Revealed.
In the course Of great speech made
on the 1st instant before the German
Reichstag. Prince Bismarck spoke as
corner of Alsace in Germany, at Wois-
senburg, divided South Germany more
effectually than the political Maine
line Of North Germany. 1t. needed the
high degree of determination, of ma
tional enthusiasm, and devotion among
our South German confederates, in the
face Of the closely impending danger to
which they were exposed had the cam
paign been skilfully carried on by
France, to see in the danger of North
Germany the danger that menaced
them-without moments hesitation
to throw in their lot with ours. and
with us to advance to a common object.
For years we have seen that France,
in this superior position, lin this adj
vanced bastion formed by Strasburg
against Germany-wa at all times
ready to succumb to the temptation
an outward diversion expedient. It is
well known that on the 9th of August.
1866, / was placed In the position Of
receiving visit from the French Am
bassador, in order to hear from him
the CURLY expressed ultimatum "Give
up Mayence to France, or expect an
immediate declaration of war; I
naturally did not hesitate second [
replied to him: fFThen it is war. :"
With this reply he returned to Paris.
There they came to a different conclu-
sion in a few days, and [ was given to
understand that the instructions had
been extorted from the Emperor Ma
poleon during an attack of illness. The
later attempts in reference to Luxem-
bourg and other questions are known.
/ need not recur to them. I also need
not prove, I think, that France was not
always sufficiently strong of purpose to
resist the temptations brought about
by the possession of Alsace.
Nothing remains but to bring this
territory, with its strong fortresses,
completely into German power, in or
der to defend it as strong outwork of
Germany against France, and to throw
back by several days march the point
of departure of any attacks that may
be made when France, either in recov-
cred strength, or with the assistance of
allies, shall again throw down the
gauntlet to us. In the realization of
this thought, the satisfaction of the ab-
solute need for our security, the chief
difficulty was found IN the disinclina-
ton Of the inhabitants themselves to
be separated from France. Tt is not
for me here to investigate the causes
which have made it possible for an
originally German population to de-
pend to such degree upon country
whose language is foreign, and whose
government has not always been benev-
olent or merciful There may be some
thing in the fact that all those quail
ties which distinguish the German from
the ETenchman are possessed by the
Alsatians in a high degree, so that the
population of these districts, in ability
and love of order, may say without
boasbfulness, have formed a kind O.
aristocracy In France
They were more capable in Office
more trustworthy IN service: they were
the substitutes in the army. the gend-
arnes, the officials; in the service Oh
the State, the proportion Of inhabit-
ants of Alsace and Lorraine was far in
excess of the population; it was the
million and a half of Germans who
practically exenplifed the character
lstlc superiority of the German among
a people who have other superiorities.
but not these; they had by their quail
ties acquired a preferential position
which made them forget much legal in
justice. 1t is a peculiarly of the Ger
man character that each race asserts
for itself a certain kind of superiority,
especially over its nearest neighbor.
Behind the Alsatian and Lorrainer, SC
long as he remained French, was Paris
with its glory and France with it's uni
form greatness; he met his German
countryman with a feeling 'fParis is
mine, /" and found therein a source oil
''particularistic" superiority.
do not go back to the uIterior
reason, that everybody is more easily
asslmilated IN a wide political system
which gives full play to his capabilities,
than III nation which, although re-
lated by speech, is distracted as this
side of the Rhine seemed to be to an
AlsatlaH. The fact is that this aversion
is there, and it is our duty to overcome
1t with patience It seems to me that
we have many means of doing so. We
Germans have, on the whole, the habit
OF ruling more benevolently- some
tunes, 1t is true, more clumsily, but
stu III the long run more benevolently
and humanely-than French statesmen.
inns Is an advantage of the German
way OF dong things, which will soon
come home to the German heart of the
Alsatlan, and Will be acknowledged
there. We are, moreover, in a position
to give the inhabitants much HIGHER
degree of communal and individual
freedom than French systems and ira
ditions permit.
You cannot form a fixed idea of the
shape that the future, after several
years, will assume. TO my thinking
no human foresight can see thus far.
Ihe circumstances are abnormal-they
could not be otherwise-and they are
not only abnormal in the way in which
we have won Alsace, they are also alb
normal IN the character of the winner
confederation consisting of sovereign
princes and free towns, making a con
1NAS10 "L1CAI5 LII UlI6 Sake OF 1US own
protection, 1t must keep, which there
tore comes to be a common property.
Such confederation is a very rare phe-
nomenon IN history; and, if we except
some undertakings of the Swiss can
tons, | believe that in history scarcely
anything similar can be found. I also
believe that in this abnormal situation
and this abnormal problem, it behooves
us to regard the warning not to over
value the prescience of the most sharp
sighted politician.
So far as I am concerned. [ do NOT
feel myself III a position to saw with
certainty what the situation of Alsace
and Lorraine will be in three wears. To
calculate that it would be necessary to
read the future. 1t depends upon con
ditions, the Development of which is
not in our power, and cannot be ruled
by us. All that we lay before YOU is am
attempt to find the right beginning of
way for the end of which we onrsel Ives
need to be instructed by the expert
ences that we shall make; and for this
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