The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-10
" The Republic Is War;,
NATIONAL vENDETTA-FRANcE MUST
LIVE FOR VENGEANCE.

The Courier dss Etats Unis of New
York, the French organ in America, coun.
sells the present submission of France tc
Germany with view of renewing the war
1t says:
When we state that the armstice is the
end OF the war, it is our opinion and our
desire, we mean that if hard pressed by
the fight, mutilated by the sword, eharred
by the fire, we are ready to abandon the
arms, the fragments of which alone the
fortune of war has left in our hands. it
is because we wish to preserve in our veins
enough blood to maintain life; it is that
we wish to preserve respiration enough to
revive us, to recover breath, to regain our
strength, to await our opportunity, and
then, when the hour has come. to seize
our enemy by the throat and avenge our
selves. That is savage. Yes. It makes
civilization recoil, and retards that beauti-
ful humanitarian theory of the abolition
of war Certainly. If we are to be bar
barians, be- it SO. The world will point
their finger at US. What matters it. We
have done enough for the prosperity of
peace, for the arts, for science, for Industry,
for the progress of humanity. What has
humanity done for us? What advantage
have we derived from the disnterested
services which we have rendered the civil
lized world We have not even obtained
barren sympathy for there is no people
which does not smile at our downfall: and
only isolated voices in charity dole out to
us few words of pity. There will be
truce, but no durable peace for genera
tions who groan beneath their yoke.
France = like those manned, who suffer
after limb is amputated from imaginary
pain in the severed members--will have
no rest until its fragments be collected into
the original whole. So much the worse for
Europe, ii it trembles at our commissions.
We have no longer any bowels of COM
passion, no heart save for ourselves. What
matters it to US the agitation and the dis
turbances Of others We had enough of
enough of generosity, enough of
sacrifice and disnterestedness for others. |
We are egotists now, and henceforth will |
only dream Of our scattered members,
children separated from us, the flesh of our
flesh violently torn away from our quiv-
erlng body, All is not yet ruioed, thank |
God. But even were all buried under lava
and ashes-as the giant Eucelanes, fettered
beneath Etna, would ytt upheave the mon-
sters heaped above our heads--let no one
rust to that peace which is presumed will
follow Whoever be the rulers to come
kings or people, emperors or tribunes- they
will be applauded by France only on con-
iitlon that they espouse its hate and its
vengeance. Misfortune to him who would
hlnk of building up Power on our ruins.
t would, perhaps, remain upright SO long
IS we were too feeble to dash it down, but
It the first movement of our renewed
trength all would topple down and miogle
a the dust. Let it be said So France is
'olng to have National Assembly which
viii give it government, and probably a
republican one. The Republican must
hange its device, and instead of the words
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite, let it inscribe
n its banner this antthesis of the Empire,
The Republic is war