Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-19
Rutland 1ailu 5frala
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1871.
The FrancO-Prussian War.
LECTURE BY JUSTIN Mccarthy.

LECTURE BY JUSTIN MCCARTHY.
A fajr audience assembled at the Opera
House to liston to the lecture of Justin
MCCARTHY, ia the Young Mems Christian
Association Coarse. on " The Franco
Prussian War" His fame as an essay1st
and correspondent had preceded him, and
all were prepared for a solid and substan-
rial entertainment at his hands. In per-
son he is small of stature, with sandy
beard and hair, having the general con-
tour of form of face and body character
i-tic Of An Euglishman. He Is rapid
but Easy -peaker, aud his topics are we'll
4rr,ns,l. ,4 would be expected from an
s...vi., Ut his celebrity. Al 3 o'clock,
after .uuounciug that the next lecture
would b., delivered by Grace Greenwood,
Mr.. 5 w Rowell introduced Mr. MoCar-
thy to the audience, who proceeded to the
delivery of an elaborate lecture, Of which
We present the main points.
It il somewhat hazardous, said he, to
attempt to tell the history of a war that
il not vet over; but, without venturing
into the regions of prophecy, l shall en-
ieAvor to tell the history of this war, so
r.r as it has gone on, and to give you All
understanding Of the influences, rivalries
and motives underlying it. However We
may differ IA to the merits Of the war,
there are certain points on which we shall
have no disparity Of Judgment, and the
hrst ia that it was commenced nPon false
pretenses This great struggle %as begun
uomiually for cause 20 trivial that L
should hardly wonder if many of you hnd
forgotten it. The negotiations which took
place in connection with the Spanish
,rown had nothing to do with the real
",usr of tho wAr.
The firrt and most direct impulse Was
the waning popularity oS the Emperor of
the French Early in the Spring he had
tested this popularity, aud though he got
IN answer largely in favor OF his policy,
,yet there were many votes cast in the ne
gyatlvr, and -iguifcant fact was that
FNRV were ANNsLd Wht'it lf't'' \ ~ ''''A ~
the rank4 Of thc army. This convinced
'im that his popularity Ea8 waning, and
he determined to make some bold stroke
~ r.-eatablish his prestige with the army
therefore he tgok advantage ot the long
.,tanding ipalousy aud discontenr exisriuy
potw,e eu Fr,nce and Germany TO mike "A
declaration of war. Ia 1855, Prussia,
.rcrr, sruting the great principle of Ger
,nau unity, had taken the field against
Austria and crushed her in ~ single mem
-,rable and glorious campaign, From that
sauuent Germany cltimed rivalry with
France AZ the first military Power Of En-
cope. From that moment the French En-
peror had virtually declared war against
Prussia, and on the lbth of Jelly the .
French Minister openly declared hDs iii
1ie- against Germany. If you want any !
further proof dat this was prearranged,
YOU will find it in the declaration of the
leader Of the French Senate, who in his
address of congratulation to the Emperor,
said, Thanks to you, and to four yeats of !
preparation for this struggle, France can
now take the field with certainty of
conquest"
Before entering upon the war, the
King of Prussia ordered day of prayer,
and humiliation while FIauoe for several
days previous was wild with Joy over the
prospect of war with Germany.
The speaker then reviewed the princi-
pal military operations of the war, and
described the characters of the prominent
nea Who figured in it. The Emperor of
the French, he said, was no General. Mar
shall MacMahon, though brave and gal
LIANT soldier, was in no wise qualified to
meet the German generals. The King of
Prussia las counted little or nothing in
the military events of the war. He has
made a becoming and dignified figure
head, and that is about his sole power.
But he has two remarkable merits for
sovereign: He is man of his word, and
he understands his own value as a soldier
and has the good sense to leave to wiser {
heads the actual working oct of the great
end
After describing the series OF battles
which resulted in the overthrow of the {
French empire, the speaker said: From
the fell of Napoleon arose the French re-
public. The leaders are men whom we
must all admire, and with whom we must
feel the deepest sympathy. For a long
time they have stood in the Imperial
Chambers against the whole strength of '
the empire and kept alive the spirit of
freedom, in the hope that France might g..
return again to republican freedom. No
doubt we should all be glad if Germany ,
would now sheath the sword, but this is ,
not mere trial of strength, it is an effort
on hsT part to put down, once for all,
French aggressions, and there is no reason
why Germany should place any more trust v
an the French republic than in the French I
empire The great dream and passion of 4
france is to extend her boundary to the e
mime Some of the truest republicans a
nave gone for that, as we'll as the very n
"o'" Anperialists. If France says to S
oe'ma1y' u I'VE have dethroned your enc. Ii
my "gimsSy answers, "Dd you de-
throne Napoleon because he made war on
Germany, or because he failed 70 ,naLo n
var on aermanyP' Had Napoleon sue. 3 3
eeeded in realizing the plan Of n. .oar t,
pa'gn' ne would have come back to France IL
Rne 'doi OF the French nation. We N