The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-02-08
CARLYLE ON THE WAR.
REMARKABLE LETTER.
Prussia Defended.

| The London Times of the 18th, received here by
the China, contains Thomas Carlyle's letter on the
war, which has been alluded to in a cable despatch.
Mr. Carlyle in his Characteristic and trenchant STYLE
maintains that Prussia is right in demanding the
sion Of Alsace and Lorraine, and relates historical
precedents furnished by France herself BE adds.
"No nation ever had so bad a neghbor as Ger
many has had in France for the last four hundred
years; bad in all manner of ways; insolent, rapa-
cious, Unsuitable, unappeasable, continually aggres-
sive.
"And now, furthermore, in all history there is no
nsoent, unjust neighbor that ever got complete,
instantaneous and ignominious a smashing down as
France has now got from Germany. Germany after
four hundred years of illusage aad generally OF ill.,
fortune from that neghbor has had at last the great
happiness to see its enemy fairly down in this man
ner; and Germany, do clearly believe, would be
foolish nation not TO think of raising up some secure
bouudary-fence between herself and such a neigh
Dor that she has the chance
There is no law of nature that know of, no
Heavens act of Parliament, whereby France, alone
of terrestrial beings shall not restore any portion of
her plundered goods when the owners they were
yrenched from have an opportunity upon them. To
nobody, except TO France herself for the moment,
can it be credible that there is such law OF nature
Alsace and Lorraine not got either of them In
SO divine a manner to render that a probability
The GINNING OF RicheIieu, the graudose long sword
of Louis XIV these the only titles Of France to
those German countries. Richelieu screwed them
loose (and, by happy accident, there was Turenne
as General, got screwed along with them Turenne
think, was mainly German by blood and temper
had not Francis egged on his ancestor, the little
Duke of Bouillon, in the way saw, and gradually
made him French); Louis de Grand, with his Turen-
ne as supreme Of modern generals managed the rest
of the operation, except indeed, should say, the
burning of the Palatinate, from Heidelberg palace
steadily downwards, into black ruin; which Tu-
renne would not do sufficiently, aud which Louis
had to get done by another. There was also good
deal of extortionate law practice what we may fair
ly call violently sharp attorneysm, put in use The
great Louis "Chdmbres de Rernion,' Metz Chamber,
Brissac Chamber, were Of high infamy, and
much complained Of, here In England, aud every
where else beyond the Rhine The Grand Louis, ex-
ccpt by sublime gesture, ironically polite made
answer He styled himself his very coins (eelf Of
1867 say the medalists) Ezeelss super oBnes Gentes
Domints but it is certain attorneyism of the worst
sort was Of his instruments in this conquest Of
AIsace Nay, as to strasburg, 1t was not even at
torneyism, much less longsword that did the
feat it a housebreaker's Jenny the part Of
the Grand AonareAe. Strasburg was got in time Of
profound peace by bribing of the magistrates to do
treason, on his part and admit his garrison
night.
1.-The French complain dreadfully of threatened
loss OF honor;' and lamentable bystanders plead
earnestly, Don't dshonor France; leave poor
frances honor right But win it save the honor
of France 10 refuse paying for the glass she has vol
UNFAIRLY broken in her neighbors windowss The
attack upon the windows was her dishonor. Sig
nay dsgraceful TO any nation was her late assault
on Germany; equally signal has been the ignominy
of its execution on the part OF France The honor
Of France be saved only by the deep repentance
Of France, and by the serious determination never
to do again-to do the reverse of so forever
henceforth. In that way may the honor Of France
again gradually brighten TO the heghth OF its old
splendor, far beyond the First Napoleonic, much
the Third, any recent sort, and offer again
to our voluntary love and grateful estimation all the
fine and graceful qualities Nature had implanted in
the French. For the present must say, France
looks more and more delerious, miserable, blama-
BILE piiiable, and even contemplate. She refuses to
the facts that lying palpabe before her face,
and tho penalties she has brought upon berselL A
France scattered into anarchic ruin without reeog-
nzable head; hsad or chief, indlsllnguishabe from
feet, rabbe; Ministers flying up in balloons bal
lasted with nothing but outrageous pubic lies, pro-
clamaiions Of victories that were creatures Of the
fancy; government subsisting altogether on men
dacity, willing that horrid bloodshed should con.
tinue and rather than that 1sey beautiful
Republican creatures should TO have the guild
ance of It | know not when or where there was
seen nation covering herself with dishonor. II,
among this multitude of sympathetic bystaudefs,
France have any true friend, his advice 10 France
would be to abandon ali that. and neverto resume
it more Franee really ought TO know that 'refu-
gees Of lies were long ago discovered TO lead down
only TO The Gates Of Death Eternal and to be forbid
den to all creatures-that the hope for France s
TO recognize the facts which have come TO her, sud
that they came withal By invitation OF her own,
how she's mass Of gilded, proudly vanished anar-
chy-has wilfally nsuIted and de6ed to mortal dHel
a neighbor not ansrchic, but si in quietly human
sober and governed state and has prospered accord
inefy. Prospered asan arrsy Of sanguinary monte
banks versus Macedonian phalanx must needs do;
and now lies smiften down into hideous wreck |
and Impotence tsstilyng to gods and meE what ex-
tent Of rottenness, anarchy and hidden renesz lay
n her That the aexorable fact Isl she has left her
self without resource power Of resisting tie VIC
torious Germans; and that her wisdom viii be to
take that fact into her astonishcd mind 10 know
that, however hateful, said faet Il inexorable and