Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-02-28
A1.sAnE AND LORRAINE.

The separation Of these two prov
inces from France, as claimed by Bis
marck, can only be maintained by right
of conquest, as the claim that they are
simply being restored to their original
possessors can hardly be maintained as
a precedent without danger to nearly
every State in Europe, and especially
to Prussia herself. By the treaty Of
Munster, 164S, that part Of Alsace be-
longing to Austria and to the free
cities of the Empire was coded to
france ; and by the peace of Ryswick,
1897, the city Of Strasbourg and all the
territory occupied by the French troops
on the left bank OF the Rhine were
similarly coded. Franche Compile
Upper Burgundy was conquered by
Louis XIV, and It's junction with
France secured by the treaty Of Nine
guen, 1878. Two centuries of posses
sion AMI incorporation Of these coun-
tries into France afford a much better
title than that by which Prussia, Rus
STA, Austria, England and Italy hold
large portions Of their present terri
tory. The only change by curtailment
of the old boundaries Of France was
made by the peace of Paris, 1915, in
reuniting Landau, a part Of Alsace, to
Germany. Lorraine, which, In the
division of the Empire of Charlemagne
by his sons, had belonged to the French
Kingdom of Austria, being then part
of France and under Frankish rule,
fell to the German Empire under Lo-
thaire III. From the middle of the
sixteenth century France took q de-
| cided part in all the disputes relating
to Lorraine. Duke Charles, in the
following century, consented that
after his death 1t should be united
with France, but this event did
not take place until the year 17GG,
under Louis Nv, OH the death Of
Stanislaus, ex-King Of Poland, and the
father-in-law Of the French King, and
Duke Of Lorraine. This increase OF
French territory was gained without
violence, and in conformity with a
treaty giving the dukedom to Stanis-
laus during his life. Were the doc
trine of restitution to be carried into
practical effect by the Great Powers Of
Europe, there would be extraordinary
changes in that quarter Of the world.
Prussia would have to give up her
share of plundered Poland, restore
Silesia to Austria, and waive all future
claim to the Rhenish province &C
quired by the Congress of Vienna, and
to Hanover, seized during her late war
with Austria. In Italy, Victor En-
manuel would be obliged to fall back
within the limits of Piedmont and
Savoy, and let united Italy be disin-
tegrated once more into the Kingdom
of Naples, the States Of the Church,
Tuscany and the Lombard Venetian
viceroyalty, under Austrian dominion.
This notion OF restitution is n danger
Gus one to the victor, as well rs to the
~vanquished, and if carried out would
lead to the most extensive changes all
over the map Of Europe. Russia,
under this grand reform, would have
to give back Finland, her Baltic prov
inces, her large share Of Poland, the
Crimea and Circassia, etc. Even on
our side Of the Atlantic, We might be
called upon to restore California to
Mexico, Florida to Spain, and the
whole of the territory west Of the Mis-
sissippi to France, all the way from
the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian
line. w