Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-02-03
The Surrender of Paris and its Conse-
quences.

S46.27.
The Surrender of Paris and its COnse-
quences.
The long agony IS over. The great CITY
has surrendered. For the third time in
less than sixty years, her streets and
bouleyards resound under the tread of
German armies, while the Uhlans picket
their horses in the Champ Elysees and the
garden of the Tuilleries. Such are the
fruits of ambition The seeds Of hatred
and revenge planted by the conquests of
the first empire are now yielding their
third harvest of woe under the last Napo-
leon.
If France possessed single man OF
genius, a single leader capable of electrl-
Tying ana rallying the masses of his
cOuntrymen, the surrender Of Paris would
not necessarily imply the submission OF
France to the terms of the cOnqueror.
But there are in all countries certain
periods Of mental barrenness, in which no
great men are produced, 1t is now such a
time for France. An orator, addressing an
assembly in Paris a short time ago, ex
claimed "Why do not the great men OF
France save her from destruction ?" Some
one in the audience replied Because
they are all cast in bronze !" It is too
true. All her great men are those illus
trious dead whose statues now behold with
stony gaze the triumphal march OF the
Prussian hosts-and now-since there is
not in France q general capable of leading
a great army-not statesman capable of
arousing the nation to heroic desperation,
the best thing for her and for humanity is
submission. Let her yield rather than
continue a hopeless struggle which would
only render her humiliation deeper in the
end.
It would be madness to continue the
struggle. The army of Paris, with all its
immense supplies, are prisoners OF war.
The other French armies Of Chanzy, Faid-
herbe, Bourbaki and Garibaldi, thrown
out in exterior lines and diverging direc-
tons by the most insane strategy, were
unable to withstand the Prussian armies
that faced them. How will they fare now
that these armies will be reinforced by the
100000 or 300, 900 Prussians relieved from
the siege of Paris
If peace do not follow the armistice, the
Prussians are strong enough to scatter ey-
cry army opposed to them, to prevent the
formation of any others, and to capture
every important city in the French en-
pire. No other alternative is therefore
left than submission to an inevitable
fate, however bitter it may be. 1t is now
the duty, and above all, the interest, of all
the other Nations, to prevent the con-
queror from abusing his power. Eng
land, whose policy has been as imbecile
during this war as during OURS, must try
to repair blunder from which she may
be the next sufferer. Austria and Russia
herself are deeply interested in preventing
the overwhelming preponderance Of Prus
sia-aDd France, in the hour of her adver-
eity, may find better friends than in her
prosperity.
The terms of peace will no doubt be
hard. No generosity Is to be expected
from Bismarck, who just now, is Ger
many. Starting with-the plea of self de-
fence, he quickly changed the war into
One Oh AE SfSSSlOu ana conquest. AlSaCe
and Lorraine will surely be demanded, and
possibly the surrender of the French fleet
or portion Of it. Perhaps Prussia may
insist upon the restoration of Napoleon :;
and in view of the terrible anarchy and
disorganization likely to prevail otherwise,
such a restoration is probably the best
thing for France, for time at least.
One thing, unfortunately for humanity
IS certain. This war has retarded the
march OF civilization in Europe for at least
half century. Just as the seeds of hatred,
soWn in Germany by the copouests of
Napoleon the First, have produced the pre-
sent disasters of France. SO surely this Ger.
man conquest, with all its ruthless brutal.
ity, is sowing a harvest of revenge which
will sooner or later sweep with fire and
blood the now peaceful plains of GERMANY
Every energy of France, from the time
that peace is signed, will be devoted to Sc
cure fearful revenge, as soon as she is
again strong enough to draw the sword.
But for the present. the prospect Of