The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-18


ify it. This is all the more awkward,
as the treaty ought to have been n
force already on New Years day, when
the coronation of the edi6ee was to
have taken place. A dissolution of the
Chamber will not help much for the
Bavarians have not the slightest inclin-
alton to enter voluntarily the "Nation-
al Pcnitentiary," as Heine, the great
est of German poets since Goethe's
death. prophetically called the Prussian
edition of the German Empire.
When this letter reaches you, the
fate of Paris is probably decided.
There is very little doubt that the
stores Of provisions are nearly exhaust
ed, and if the combined operations for
the relief of the town, which have Just
begun, are again unsuccessful, the cap
itulation will most likely follow without
much delay. Whatever the end may
be, it is impossible to deny that the in
Labitsnts of Paris have during the
last four months shown such noble
heroism, and such stubborn pe.sever-
ance as remind us of the proudest
deeds Of antiquity. They have done
what everybody said could not be
done. They few to arms, complsted
the unfinished Notifications, raised inn
mense earthworks; i'm q few days the
town of pleasure was changed into .
vast camp and arsenal, and the baf-
fed enemy who had not bethOught
himself of any serious resistance, saw
his victorious career stopped, and had
to resort to tedious siege, the cost
Of which in human life can only be
measured by the unparalleled magni-
tude of the undertaking. How brave
ly the Parisians have fought, how val
isntly they have borne hunger and
want, how sublimely they have sscrifc:
ed the passions and the rancor Of party
spirit to the paramount duty of patri.
otism, is known to the world, and
will be one of history's brightest pa
ges as long az man is capable of feel
ing for the the truly great. Facts
can only be judged by comparison.
To do full justice to the people OF Par
is we must compare their course OF
action with the doings of other towns
similarly situated. We have not to
look far for an example. A few weeks
after the battle Of Konigsgratz, iOr
Sadowa,) which overthrow the Austri.
an army, the Prussians appeared be.
fore Vienna end Of July, 1860.
H. oaD,4ol 1f Au.@.so 20 ~,
" fortified, but its site on the banks
Of the Danube is naturally very strong,
as $50 years ago the Turks found to
their misfortune. Formidable earth
works had been erected on the sur.
rounding heights, . river OF half an
English miles width lay between the
town and the enemy, strong garrison
held the town, the shattered army was
fast collecting again, a second army,
flushed with its recent victory over the
Italians was hurrying to the relief
from the South, fresh levies were gath
ering every where under the standards.
The ranks of the Prussians, on the
contrary, already decimated by battle
and weakened by the detachment OF
numerous bodies TO secure the etappes,
and to observe the fortresses on the
road, were being fearfully thinned BY
cholera and other diseases. 1t was q
matter OF mathematic certainty that il
Vienna held out for fortnight only,
The tide Of fortune would turn and the
hostile army be forced to retreat
How did the inhabitants of Vienns
act in this emergency? The munich
pal council sent petition to the EN-
perOr, implOring him not to expose
the capital TO the dangers Of bonn.
bardment, for unspeakable damage
might be done, citizens killed, houses
destroyed, and property ruined.
Nobody opposed the petition the
workingmen, as they told me after.
wards, would indeed have liked to fight
against the Prussians', but still more
would they have liked to fight against
their own miserable government,
which had brought such shame over
the country. The chivalrous Emperor
fulfilled the wish of the craven council
and hastily concluded an ignominious
peace, while victory was In his reach.
So much for Vienna. Nor is there any
reason to believe that the rival town OF
Berlin would have acted differently.
w ben in the winter of 1906, after the
battle of Jena, the Frenchmen entered
the Prusslan capitol, they were received
with such abject servility that the con-
querors could not hide their contempt
1t is true that was more than sixty
years ago and the Berlin of TO-DAY.
containing a large industrial and com
mercisl population, is not the Berlin Of
1906, which was essentially a court
town. However, if the present war
had taken a different turn and if the
Frenchmen had appeared before Berlin,
instead of the Prussians appearing be-
fore Paris, it is quite sure, not only
that no resistance would have been
made, but also that just the celebrities
Of the natlOnal-liberal (bourgeOis) par
ty, resident there, would, shaking off
their patriotic fury, have been fore
most 10 rushing to the French camp
and offering the keys Of the town. i
spoke about this contingency with sew
eral members of the Reiehstsgs belong
ing to that party, and they were oblig-
ed to own that ] was right in my sup
position but, they said, a resistance
in such case would have been mad
ness, the Berliners could not be blamed
for doing what was reasonable.
Well, courage and madness were
often different names for the same
thing happily for the French Republic
and for democracy all over the world,
Paris has not beer reasonable bv III
madness it has procured to the provinces
he time necessary for the organ zation
Of the military resources, and has, in
'very respect, provided the worthy cap
tai Of martyrized France which il con
Il u