Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-02-09
How Alsaee and Lorraine Wear the
Metz Correspondence New York "

4 >
l. Metz Correspondents New York World .,.F
For the last three weeks sickness has
kept me glued to my bed, and prevent
ed me from giving you news of our sad
dened department. We are at present
sheltered from the most awful calami-
| ties of the war, but we feel almost
ashamed of our inactivity, whilst the
columns of the enemy are pressing on
into the very heart of France. p To! be
just, / am bound to say that the Prus7
\ sian occupation of our town is not riger-
GUS, and that the Germans act towards
our population with consideration, they
being under the personal supervision Of
our Prefect, NJ -le Comte Eruthal Dom
uersmarck, sNd in part, perhaps, of the
Government Of Berlin, who wishes, no
doubt, to preserve intact for Germany
its ,conquests of StrasboIIfg and Metz.
| They would not naturally ruin a popu-
| latiop that they hope to call their own,
But withal, the. consideration of the
! Prussian garrison towards our city does
not lessen the marked coldness with
which they have been received since
the first day of the occupation. Only
7 yesterday, two Prussian officers, who had
perhaps 0dined too we'll turned two
spectacle citizets lout of la restauranty
under idon't know what, pretext- On
Sunday Christmas day2the Convent
de Ia Visitation wass invaded by fifty
Prussian soldisfs3 ~Ko drove Codt allsthe
devotees assembled in theehapel, where
the pTblis had access The cause gof
this incident was, that some, children
conceived the unlucky idea of firing
some crackers and Z of making them
burst near a small Prussian detachment.
which was coming up the street. The
soldiers pursued the ehildreni into the
convent, where they had, taken, refuge,
In their stupidity, the Prussians had
doubtless taken for an attempted aggresr
sion what was only a blamable ganainerie.
One thing is certain, and that is, that
time, SO far from bringing resignation to
our population, only strengthens the
desire which they feel to repef the for
eigner. In spite of the great, very great
Obstacles, numbers of the young men of
Lorraine leave theStowns and villages
clandestinely, and goto join the Army
of the North or the Army of the Loire
Young men in business even married
men-brave the severity of the temper
allure and, the Prussian orders, in order
to cross the occupied territory and pay
their debt to their country. To say the
truth, at the comniencementof the war
/ certainly never expected to see such
brave and splendid examples of devo-
ton. see plainly that France was
only rotten on the surface by her twenty
years of corrupt government She is
throwing off that surface, and will ap-
pear, underneath, still solid, honest, and
worthy of her glorious past Misfor
tunes, the divine test will, cease, she
will retrieve her lost honor, and arise a
nation rendered wiser and stronger by
the ordeal under the ePFussian
yoke this transformation is taking place.
The Government of the National De-
fense is in no want of stout arms I what
mostly fails is military instruction, COM
plements of efficient officers, and, above
quaintance, lately returned from the
banks of the Loire, says he saw 400, 1000
men, some of them well armed and well
provided with excellent artillery, but
many armed very poorly, whilst 207, 900
other recruits were still awaiting ammu-
milton and guns. The fact of the resist
ance opposed by the Army of the Loire
to numerous troops accustomed to war,
as are all the German phalanxes, hay-
ing been successful, is good sign of
vitality and renovation The question
of Luxembourg neutrality is watched
here with grave interest. France, and
Metz in particular, owe much to the
brotherly assistance of luxembourg,
and it would be bitter trouble for us If
their kind friends had to pay for its de
votion to its neighbor with its ional
ity. Truly; Luxembourg did much for
the French wounded, and also, / must
say for. our prisoners, many of whom owe
to her their liberty and the happiness
Of being able once more to fight for
France. Nevertheless, the Grand Ducal
Government is by no means responsible
for such acts of sympathy, which Prus-
sia transforms into breaches of neutral
ity. Individuals committed these trans
gressions, the generous citizens of the
Grand Duchy serving as guides to French
officers and soldiers, and as soon as a
band of fugitives arrived in Luxem-
bourg they found all kinds of sympathy
and assistance. | can understand that
this was far from pleasing to Prussia,
and it is certain that it was prejudicial
to her; but the Grand DncalI Govern
ment was a stranger to all these acts,
and, if it had wished, could not have
prevented them. Luxembourg has al
ways had French Tendencies, and at this
moment, if she were consulted, would
give ninety votes out of hundred for a
reunion with France, even conquered,
even fallen as she is.