The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-03-04

I'VE do not hold ourselves responsible for any opin
on expressed by our Correspondence
FROM LEIPZIG.
LEIPZIG, Jan. %, 1871.

~-~- 49, -
To the Editor Of the wOEEEeHAS's ADVOCATE
The two coDfederates separated in the com
forting console usness of having got ont
very low scrspe; Bonapsrte travelled to MI
gorgeous villegiatura on Wilhelmsho'he, With
inward chuckles waiting for the denoument, and
Bismarck caused King William to give the
Prussan army weeks repose, and was for the
next two nights cured OF his habitual sleepless-
ness. Not for more. The strange fatality
which had created one untoward event, created
second one, and worse than the first. the full
6llment of the darkest fears. Whether the
kilograms containing the ominous orders were
intercepted or delayed on the road, or whether
the polce-authorities were struck with indeei-
sion by the awful news from the seat Of the
war-enough, the orders were not executed, =
an electric shock went through France, stimuli
taneOnsly the PEOPLE rose, the Republic was
proclaimed, and with unanimous enthusiasm
like thuLderbolt; it was some time before he
could recover his ssngfroid.t
He stood before two roads, leading in oppo-
site directiOns-the one to an honorable peace,
the other to war Of determination. Which
was he 10 choose If he chose as q states
man, there could not be moments hesitation.
Prussia had been fighting in what must appear
to everybody a righteous cause che had in
four weeks time ann Inflated the army till then
considered the FIRST in the world the criminal
author Of the war prisoner in her hands, the
sympathies Of Europe, Of whole civilized man.
kind we're with her the German people, daz
led bv the brilIiaDcy Of the military achieve
ment, had forgotten their past sins, and was
ready to fly into her arms one word and the
rocks of the Kyffhauser opened, and old Bar
barosss stepped forth to put his crown on the
head Of King William, Who would then be The
nightiest monarch Of this planet. One word
Peace
But Bismarck is YOunkeT. What the states
man imposed, the YOunker forebade. Peace
with the Republic, peace with Revolution-im.
possible. The interests Of Germany, the COM
mands Of Observation-Disclosures There stood
before him that one fact France a Republic
This fact must be suppressed, got rid OF, some
a
the side of French Republic Bismarckiau
Prussia cannot exist either the one must per
ish or the other. Aut aut Do not talk Of the
risk Peace with the Republic 10 certain ruin
war offers at least chance Of safety The
French people il still the same which fought the
whole of Europe for quarter Of a century, al
the gain Of the pas. victories may be lost in
turn Of fortune, butchery on . scale nevei
known before will he initiated, a cataract o
blood will pour over France. Never mind-th,
Republic must he DESTROYED War
And war there was. The tired army, tina
| had just begun TO enjoy the promised repose
received counter orders and had at once I,
march on Paris.
Nobody will denythat Bismarck. the Younker
acted logically but for Bismarck, the States
men, it would have b.en better If Younke
Bismarck had been = little less logical Tn,
sorry farce played at Versailles last week woult
not have been necessary, and Count BismarcI
would not be obliged crawl before his NOR
: tai enemy Beus:, in Vienna, because he is " ell
aware that 100. 600 Anstrians could march un-
opposed from one end OF Prussia TO the other
and BY delivering the 3OO,"O French prisoner
Of war, furnish France with an army sufficien
in four weeks time to reduce the new German
Emperor to even a humber state than that o
. a Marquis de BrandebOurg.
By the by, the plan of restoring BonAparte
or his son Lulu (which is the newest ideal Ia,
never been given up at Berlin and Versailles
and it is now more in favor than ever. Al
infamous paper, edited by the infamous Granier
mick naming himself, Of Cassagnae) La ORA
pesn-the Standards most Eealously prOpa-
gated amongst the French prisoners Of ar
while the Independence Beige, which does not
write in the Bsmarckiau or Napoleonic sense
has been forbidden to them. In some places,
for instance, at Darmstadt, the captive soldiers
were sdmonished from the pulpit, to remain
faithful to their monarch, chosen BY the peOp lie
and during 2Oyears government visibly blessed
by God and in the darkest colors was painted
to them the fearful sin Of rebellion However
all this il cloves labor lost" The CAPTIVE
French soldiers are perverse enough to consider
the traitor Of Sedan as a coward and criminal
deserving halter instead of a crown and the y
are sinful enough to think that the French ma
ton in Kidding itself Of such pest, has only
done what honor and interest commanded. on
New Years Dav, which in France is a more
popular feast than Christmas, the Emperor-for
90, and not eX-Emperor he ie officially STYLED
IN Germany-sent large money presents to bis
soldiers in their different places Of confinement
II ever men have been in q position inducing
them to accept CHARITY, these poor French pris-
oners have been. Badly lodged badly nourish-
ed, scantily dressed, eXposed-they the chill
dren Of SUMMER climate-tO the horrors Of a
winter Of phenomenal herceness even for our
more northern lattudes-what could have been
more tempting to them than the offer OF money
sufficient to buy wooden blankets and clothes
and to have for once sftor such long parting
good, plentiful dinner? But the man who he u
out these treasures TO chem was the man who
had brought them into this ignominious captiv-
| lty, II was the man to whom they owed their
\ physical sufferings, it was the man to whom
| they owed the in6itely more tormenting moral
anguish to see their fellow citizens men not
accustomed to wear arms, engaged in deadly
struggle against immense invading army
while they, the drilled and disciplined soldiers
chosen and trained to defend their country bad
to stand aside idle, and had in the enemys land
to eat the enemy's bread. No, what this mar
offered they could not accept Il would be
adding iufamy to misfortune. A small minority
did not think So but the immense majority did;
they preferred starvation to the gifts Of the
Imperial Tempter, and commissioned his mes
sengers to tell him he should not insult them
further. Honor to these brave men Recently
hear the Prussisn Government has given or
ders to treat the French prisoners better but
after what has passed we must regard this at
empt at indirect bribery as completely hope
less too. The French soldiers will not help
Prussia to subdue their own country.
eat Lyons, where the Republ proclaimed soon
er than In Paris the filled mandates Of arrest were
still odnd in the Prefecture scattered about and part
" destroyed. The same discovery made in other
places.
tOommusIcated to me by man in position to be
well informed.
LEIrsIG, Jan. %, 1871.
There is q story Of an Italian surgeon, vii !
llno BY name, WAC, being snort Of customers.
used to sally forth ia tie night under disguise.
ana to attack the solitary wanderers lac met \
stabbins the one with a dagger, knocking a sec |
ond one down By we'll planted blow, which |
brosc The bridge Of bis nose, fracturiug With 4 |
bludgeon the arm Of third, ana 81 On; after