St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-03-03
Peace.

he wisdom Ot the Frtn Ii nation has
at length triumphed over the passions
stirred 10y a supreme struggle, and pcac"
once more rcignS i'll Europe. What the
most daring leaders Of France had not
the courage or the sagacity to dc, the
people have authorized through their
representatives the moment they cDLld
make their voice known. 1t Is Il Lew
proof OF the efficacy of the republican
idca-and none the less 50 that the terms
of peace demanded in this case undoubt-
cly struck terrible blow at French
pride and prestige. 1t was not that five
milliardl of francs should be cNactcd, but
that France should be dismcmbercd 10y
the ccs>ion of Alsacc and Lorraine to
Germany. The inevitable. however, must
be met by nations rs well as men, and
seeing that onc-siXth of the soil of France,
with onc-fourth of It's inhabitants, was
actually under the heel Of the conqucror,
the FrcncIi-as they have compelled ut
one time and another a great many 9TH
er worsted antagonists to do-madc Il
virtue of necessity, and signcd the treaty
of peace.
In view of this LAD fact, which ends
the bloodshed and all other mi>cricS
so well known to this generation of Amer
leans, we ought not TO look too critically
into the re isons which have 50 long de-
laycd this consummatiOn. There may
have been errors on both sides, though
we very much doubt if there is another
nation on earth which, just in the same
circumstances, would have offered less
severe terms than Germany has done, or,
with such astounding triumphs, would
have borne itself with more moderation
in general, 1t is easy to conjure up an
ideal magnanimity, which would have
lent an unattained grace TO the occasion
but that is not the way in which grown
up men Judge human affairs.
The future issues Of this event cannot
but he momentous, and, we think, on the
whole, favorable TO human progress. Ger
many. united, Protcstantizcd, strength
cncd by nearly three millions of people,
with strong defensive border, is today
the mightiest power in Europe, and She
is likely to grow still better, particularly
if she passes safely out Of the dangers ot
this first period of exultaton. Nor should
we despair of France. She has needed
terrible lessons-notEing else would have
cured her of her military mania for van,
ity md obsequlousness to snowy dcSpo-
tism.-and what lessons she has got Ii
now, as we believe, she is sound at heart,
she will rise purified from the fiery or
deal, and choose new and better paths &c
grcatncss.-Boston Journal.
The Springfield Republican has the fol
lowing about the terms of the peace:
The previous announcements that the
prcliminaricS of 4 treaty of peace between
Germany and France had been signed
are fully confirmed by brief and char
acteristic dispatch from the Emperor
William TO his wife. What these pre-
liminarics are he does not state, but Il
dispatch from Paris, although unofficial,
doubtless gives the main features of the
treaty pretty correctly. These are, o.
the ccssion Of Alsatia and Metz, Belfort,
however, to be retained by France (2)
the payment of a war indemnify of So
600, 600, 600 francs, Isl 200, 000, 1000 for
which three years are granted, the Ger
mans meanwhile 10 hold some fortified
towns in France; and (3) the chtry OF
the German army into Paris, although
the dispatches On this latter point arc
; somewhat conflicting.
These conditions are severe, certainly,
but they are no more than Germany has
hight TO demand. In the matter of
territory, indeed, justice TO themselves
could hardly allow smaller demands than
| the Germans lave seen fit TO make. Al
satia and Metz, the dispatch states some
what ambiguously, are to be coded to
Germany, the probable meaning being
Alsatia and that portion Of Lorraine on
the right bank of the NIosclIc. This
much Of territory it has been evident ever
since Sedan the Germans would demand,
and the sober judgment of the world has
justified them in the demand. The mon
ey indemnity imposed is now stated at
1000, 900, 600 francs, or 81 900, 600, 900
IN gold 1t is not impossible that fuller