Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-03-10

7
Germany desires 10 ba let alene Ia hel
! difficulty wifh France. An ollioia
declaration comes from Berlin In tfec
as follows ~
Germany Il Victorious, but Aiit hal
suffered greatly she cannot afford 4
part with the prize Of y victory 80 dearl,
I bought. Nor Is this qaaTrd Ia y liicl
right end wrong being equally disided
bstNeaii the beligereiIts, ~ Is 80 ire
quently the ease, . third party has J
moral right 10 step Ia and 10 endeavoI
10 settle the matter by an eqIitAblt
compromise. Germany has been in
vaded for tile mere sake of gratifying the
I the inorllinate appetite of Reckless and
cunesited popnlaee. So natural appear,
ed 10 the French their supposed right u
commit homicide in neighbors
country that they did not even care
% wait for a plausible pretext but iir-
vented a frivi1ous cause Of war such a.
the l9th century Ind not seen before.
Again however, much we haye been pro.
yoked, all we ask fDr IN what ~ required
10 protect ms from repetition of the
/. same affront. five WeTe carried away
by passion we might avail ourselves oi
the present opportunity 20 cripple and
dismember France; but We viii do
nothing OF the kind, and are satisfied
with securing comparative imnnnity
from future attacks Enrope has done
nothing 10 prevent France from under
taking this wicked campaign. Nay she
has not even declared against IL In
solemn form, which might have done
something towards lettering the ofen-
ders Having eyineed such complete ia-
difference in the introductory phases VI
tho war. il il not likely We shall permit
her 10 constitute an AreOphagus 20 screen
the guilty from punishment for this,
aud no other, would be the Object OF
mediation In the present state of Affairs,
Europe shudderpd. Init left us in the
lnrclI when the Turco crossed our from
ties the TIrco is down, and we mean 10
bring his employers 10 book The mil
itary strength displayed by France IN
this prolonged campaign is another rea-
son why we must insist ON recovering
our ancient and secure frontier. A Large,
populons and martial country. France
has hitherto enjoyed the advantage ot
being unassailAbls, except along small
strip Of her eastern borders. Her sOHth-
ern frontieF is protected by the Pyrenees.
her western and northern coasts are
washed by the sea, aud the southeast
is covered by the neutral kingdom oi
Belgium and the niiorning principalities
Of Imxemburg. The esst, which isAlone
10 attack, has the strongest naiInnl de-
fences q country can wish 30 possess
The Rhine, the Noges. Anl Moselle are
so many tactical lines OF the highest
| importance. To render them still moro
! formidable, whole wall of fortresses Is
erected nj their back, and when al thest
obstacles are overcome, Paris, the Largest
fortress in the world, and which With q
little more foresight might have beer
/ proyisionesi for n year instead OF four o'
/ five months, defies every conner. Tax
I ing al this together. we Mnve NJ ths
/ conclusion that 10 yanquish France on hei
own soil will, under the most favorable
4 circumstances, always require Rreai
effort, even ON the part Of United Ger.
many But no attack IL so rich and
ambitious n force nv the French can b'
eiIectually varled OF unless the war Il
/ transferred 10 their own soil. To de
! fend our frontiers without following the
French into their own country would be
merely 10 give them time % collect I
4 fresh army and renew the attack. Sucl
| being the case. we cMnnot but abide b.
our demand Of 0 safe frontier. Thai
She territory we ask for il ancient Ger
man soil, and was taking from ns Mt 1
period when our internal divisions pre-
vented resistance. cannot but confirm
/ our resolve 10 settle accounts with ON
unraly neighlor. AlSace and Lorraine
recovered, We shall be IN a position &
repulse future invasions without ths
fearful expenditure Of blood and treasure
10 which We have been subjected in tht
present instance