Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-02-03
(From the Cincinnati Gazette.)
Surrender of Paris-Peace


IL is also reported that the Paris authorities have
submitted to terms Of peace, being the cession Of
Allsace and Lorraine, part OF the heet, money
indemnity and a Prussian occupation Of certain
territory and places Till the terms are fulfilled,
including probably the province Of Champagne
and the forts Of Paris, as has been heretofore re-
ported. An armistice agreed to till tue 18th OF
February, In order to call a constituent assembly
to ratify these terms. Hard and humiiating as
these terms are, comprising as they do the ab-
solute submission Of the nation TO the terms OF a
conoueror, there seems to be no rational alter
native for France. More than 100000 OF her
soldiers are prisoners jim Germany. As many
more are prisoners in Paris. The armies, which
by immense efforts she raised in the provinces,
have been successfully beaten. or the whoe
chain Of fUTtresses betNeen Paris and the khine
an the frontiers Of Luxembourg and Belgium
the last one has fallen, and the surrender ot
Paris would now let loose 100000 German SOL
diers to overruu the rest Of France.
To prolong res 8 ance under such conditions
il to struggle against fate. and to vainly subject
France to devastation and the terrible Prussian
contributions. The only escape is to submit and
to bide the time when the complications and
combinations, which such prepcnderating and
arrogant military power will be likely to create,
or an opportunity to re-establsh the independ-
ence OF France.
After the disgraceful imbecilty in the first Of
| the war, France has made heroic exertious,
deemed her character. For 1874 days, from Sep
tember Is. has population OF no less than n mill
| lion and three quarters endured siege whose
| first severance Of communications must have cut
| of the support of a large number, and which Tor
| half that period must have subjected the greater
part of the inhabitants to the constant gnawing
| OF hunger.
Left without a government, after the most ap-
palling military disasters, which had annihilated
| her army, she has submitted to elf-constituted
committee, has raised and equipped great armies,
aud made the best fight that could be expected
| from raw levies and inferior arms, and the citi-
zens of Paris have been organized and precpi-
tated upon the Prussian inlrenchments and lines
and superior artillery again and again, with
| fearful slaughter. All that homer can require a
people to do in struggling against superior forces
| and oveTpowering ealamities has been done.
| The French people will retain the respect OF the
world by their struggle, and they have shown
martial qualities too great to permit the perma-
nent humiliation or subjugation OF the nation.
From the first disaster at Woerth down to the
surrender Of Paris the military direction has
been inadequate to the situation, and unable to
submit to the immediate sacrifices that were
necessary to the rescue Of the country. IL has
struggled to hold places and territory whose
sacrifice was requisite to military policy. The
greater PAL Of the Imperial army allowed itself
10 be surrounded and besieged at Metz, thus
giving up the road to Paris for fortress which
proved only a trap. The troops at Chalons,
composing the remaining regular army, and all
that upon this first alarm could be hastily or
CANNED, were sacrificed iu effort to relieve the
army entrapped at Metz. Thus the whole OF the
cuu ltry between the Rhine and Paris, cLu TRY
abounding in struug military positions, was un.
covered. Paris was another trap for 100000
men, and all the outside military operations were
controlled by the pressing necessity for relieving
that capital. This made military strategy anc
m i. ry pruLe ce impossible. Thus France
was sacrificed to Paris, and by singular fatal
} ity or succession Of bluniers all th' means o
defense Of Paris have been sacrificed to fortress
es and places.
Itis too soon to speculate on the future condi.
) ton or course of France, II is reported tina
this arrangement will leave the people to fOru
their own government. 1t is also stated tina
Bismarck has made the threat that il the repub
lican government does not accept his terms fol
the nation he will restore Louis Napoleon. One
third of France is devastated; a multitude o
her towns have been levied upon for sums tha
will plunge her heavily in debt; her industries
are prostrate; to the imperial debt she has now
added a vast sum expended In defense; Pruss
will exact heavy payment for her war ex
penses; two Of her richest provinces are taken
and il may be presumed that she will have L
support the Prussian military occupation unit
all the terms are fulfilled.
The exaction of part Of her navy Is tha
! which will cause her the least sacrifice OF AM
Of the Prussan exactions. The navy has prOve'
its uselessness for Oeeuse, aud that land defense
are easily made impregnable to the best navy
France no moro needs a navy than we do, anI
, this division Of it with Prussia will transfer 4
her an expense that will bring nothing in return
France viii b. borrower on large scale, I,
paw her own war expense and the PrusSlan con
tribution. The effect of this on the money mar
ket of the world must be important.
There has been an average decline OF as nuel
| 81, =. # thaI linz not
of our country since this war bagau, although
the condition Of the crops in Europe promised
, | good demand. There has also been a heavl
charge upon our producers in consequence o
the increase in ocean freight from this war.
Thss we have it demonstrated that the inter
ests Of all countries so bound together tba
war is a calamity 10 all. We may now expec
a recovery in the prices of wheat, corn, pork AM
cotton. In the articles Of food the recovery ha
already advanced considerably in anticipation
Of the peace. This, however, does not repair tn
injury, either to the dealers who lost by the de
cline, or to the farmers, feeders and planter
, who have marketed their years crops at the low
+ prices. II will be well TO remember hereafter
when we are rampant that Europe shall plung
into war, that six months Of European war ha
in all its effects cost more than our five years
! payment on our national debt.
The peace, therefore, will bring important re
lefto the business Of this country. twill brini
a largely increased demand for our breadstuff
and meat. 1t viii bring a revival in cottO
, which will revive the courage and raise the cred
, il Of the planter at a time when he very muc
needs it. It will bring in the German shippin
and reduce the price VI freight, and it will chec
I the advance in many kinds Of foreign good.
Therefore, although Americans generally do no
desire that France shall be reduced from frs
/ class power, or that any preponderating militar
power shall be built up in Europe, they ar
greatly interested in the restoration of peace, an
its announcement will be cause Of general re