The New York herald., 1871-01-02


manders Responsible for All
The following circular to the Minister OF Foreign
Affairs Of France, by the Delegate Chaudo urdy set
ting forth the OF the war; progress ana
character 1t has assumed, VIII be read with great
interest by all who paying attention to the great
European struggle:--
SIR-Snce about two months Europe frightened,
cannot understand the prOlongation OF war with
out example and which mas become useless as
disastrous. The ruin which Is the consequenc has
spread all over the world, and every one asks What
can be the cause Of such combat and what is its
OD]ect2
on the 18th OF September last NJ. Jules Favre,
Vice President OF the government OF the National
to Ferreres ' to asE peace Of tne King Of Srussa
Every one knows with what hduteur he was
received. The neutral Powers having understood
since that military armIstice was the sole ground
on which We could arrive at a paci1cattOn, the
Count de Bismarck was at first favorable to Its
M. Theirs consented to TO negotiate on that basis.
| You are already acquainted with the disguised
knowledge, however, that no better plenipotentla-
| ries than these two could have been chosen to
inspire confidence to the Prussan headquarters and
bring good end the sad and delicate mission OF
which they so nobly accepted the responsibility.
full and NJ De Bismarck knew wet tnas their word
| had for guarantee the whole country. Both, how
ever, were put aside, and the fatal course OF the
| war could not be suspended.
| What does Prussia want2 The sovereign against
| whom 1t was announced that war was exclusively
waged fell ana his government with him. The
| army which he conducted does not exist any more.
There now only remains citizens in arms
| those which King William declared himself un.
| willing to attack-and government composed OF
men VINO hold it honor to oppose with all their
/ might the enterprise which was TO cover the fields
OF our country with ruins. What must believer
Is 1t true that our enemies wish really to destroy us'
therefore to France ITSELF to an armed natlsn who
defends its existence, that Prussia has declared this
new war OF exterminaiion, which she pursues as q
/ ing.
| tice, right and civilization. 1t Is In the
name Of these three modern principles.
outrageously violated against us, tnat appeal TO
| the conscience OF humanity, with the confidence
that with all these misorunes one lmprescriptible
duty Is to protect the international morale. Is II
Just In fact that when the object OF attained
that God gave you unexpected successes. that you
| enemy himself is destroyed to continue war with
the only object or crushing or forcing TO sur
render, by fire or famine large capital filled with
the riches OF arts OF sciences and Of industry IL
there any right whatever which permits people TO
tend 10 this object is nothing but savage act which
brings US to the times OF barbar0us nvasions. Is
not civilization completely misunderstood when, Gov
pllage, ravage private property with the most cruel
clrcumstancesY Those acts must be known. We
know the consequences Of victory and the necessl-
| ties brought py so vast strategic operations. We
| will not insist upon those enormous acquisitions In
objects and In money nor upon that kind Of military
| task work which consists In taxing citizens above
their resources. We leave II to Europe and America
But they were not satisfied in thus crushing the
towns and VILLAGES; they have even seized the pr-
homes Invaded, after having submitted to the
hardest eXigencies families were obliged to give up
their sverware NsaSs and jewery EVERYTHING that
| and piled in bags and CARTS Clothing stolen from
private houses and from merchants, all kinds OF
goods, clocks and watches were found on the
0ur, , hand. hands. They forced peasants to fur
property, were condemned to pay personal ran
som OF as nigh Of $4,000 francs. Others have had
Everywhere cellars were emptled OF their wines and
farred away 70 a carts 70 otaer places and to pun
simply guilty ofrsing against the intruders superior
officers have ordered pllage and incendiarism, CIV
Ing as an excuse the implacable discipline imposed
on their troops; every house which has sheltered
| franc-tireur IS burned. This Is for private pro-
perry. Human lie has not been any more
called to arms, they have numerically
shot not only the peasants rising against them, but
even the soldiers with commissions and regular uni.
! FORMS They have condemned to death those who
tried TO the Prussan lines for their pri
| vate affairs Intimidation has become means OF
| war. They have tried to strike terror among the
| population an parayze their patriotic elan. And
1t is with this intention that the Prussians' stans
committed an outrage never known before and
unique In history-the bombardment OF open towns
The act OF throwing in city explosive and incen-
diary projectes Is considered legitimate only In
extreme circumstances and strictly determined
But IN this case 1t was always the custom to notify
until now that this frghtful means C warfare
| should be employed In such an atr0cious manner
and women, to attack, so to say the defender in the
| lives OF their families; TO wound them In thSmosJ
profound % o OF hnman that they may
queror and solicit the humiliation OF the enc.
my's occupation, is a refinement OF violence
calculated be parallel TO torture But they have
however gone further. and pridng themselves by
sophism without name on these cruelties them
selves, they have made an arm OF them. They
| have dared to pretend that every town which de-
tends itself is place OF war, and that since they
lombard 1t they have afterwards the right treat 1t
as fortress taken by assault. They set 1t on fire
| after having thrown petroleum on the doors and
woodwork OF the houses. If they are not pillaged
it is favor whicn must be paid by a ransom With
| out limits and even when an open town does not
defend itself they have practsed this system OF bonn
| bardment without the least preliminary notice.
giving as reason that 1t was the way to treat 1t,
II it had defended itself and 1t had been taken by
assault
The only thing LEFT to complete this barbarous
code was to re-estabsh the practice Of hostages.
Prussia has done It, She has established every
where a system OF indirect responsibilities, which,
among so many lniquitous acts, viii remain the
10 guarantee the safety Of her transports and the
tranquility OF her camps she has imagined to
imprisonment exile or even the death OF one OF the
notabes Of the country. The honorablity OF these
had to answer with their wealth and their lives for
acts which they could neither avoid nor repress,
wc ss WAS only s right
the notables OF the cities Of Dion, Gray and
Fesou under the preext that s.o we DO not
tured according TO the laws Of war. But these mea-
sures no matter with wnat Drutalties they were ap
Piled have left, at least, intact the dignity OF those
who had 10 submit to them. 1t was given TO Prussia
to join outrages to oppression She has exacted Of
poor peasants. taken by force and kept with threats
OF death at fortiying the enemys works and to act
against the defenders OF their own country We
have seen magistrates, whose ege should have IN
spred respect TO the most hardened hearts, exposed
locomotives to all the rgors OF the bad weather
and TO the insults OF the soldiers. Sanctuaries and
| churches were profaned and materially polluted
| priests were struck women maltreated lucky when
they were not submitted to more cruel treatments.
| 1t seems that at this limit there does not remain
| single paragraph of what was called until now
the laws Of nations which has not been outrageousIy
violated By Prussia. Have ever acts, SO lar, so
| much given the lie TO wordsl.
Such are the facts The whole responsibility
| weighs on the Prussian government Nothing pro-
voked them, and not one OF them bears the marks
of those outrageous vlolcnces to which sometimes
armies at war Will give themselves to. Every one