The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-02-02

The following is a translation of letter
Just received inithis city from M. Labou
laye:
GRUcHET, NEAR BoLBEC, (Lower
Seine), Dec. 26, 1870.
MY DEAR FRIEND: Twas very glad to
receive your friendly letter It was
more than three months since I had
heard from my beloved America, and
this is not one Of the least of the priva
tions caused me by the war. Thank Ma
dame -, and all who are interested in
us, and tell them the cause of France is
that of liberty The triumph of Prussia
will be triumph of despotism, and will
condemn all Europe to servitude or to a
new thirty years wal. The DOWNFALL of
France win be the delivery of Europe to
the greed of Prussia and the barbarism
of Russia
The manner in which war was declared
by the Emperor deceived distant specta
tors. They did not see that Prussia had
been for long years preparing for war,
and that Bismarck had seized the oppor-
tunity to make France fall into ready
laid snare. But now facts are at hand to
! convince the most incredulous. Prussia
had million men under arms. while
France had less than three hundred thou
sand soldiers. Add TO these a formula.
bic artillery and stores of munitions of
war, and you will see how easy 1t was to
crush us, in spite of the courage of our
army
If Prussia had sought only to defend
herself, 1t would have been easy for her
to conclude glorious and lasting peace.
France would have paid heavy indem-
nifty without baggling, and would have
thankfully accepted defeat without cher.
| ishing secret thoughts of revenge. But
| the King of Prussia then threw off the
mask. He had declared that he made
war on the Emperar alone; but the EN-
peIor vanquished and made prisoner, he
now avowed that which he sought was
the humiliation and overthrow Of France.
He must have Alsace and Lorraine, prov
inces wholly French at heart and reject
| ing Prussian rule.
1t is in order not to yieldto these VI.
Ijns pretensioDs-it is TO defend our
brethern--that for three months we have
endured all the Gala mites of an abomnia-
bic war. If the Americans are alive, as
believe, to sentiments of moral grandeur
and patriotism, what can they find more
inspiring than the spectacle Of people
who might buy peace with word by
abandoning two provinces, but who pre-
fer to sacrifice and utterly ruin them
selves rather than fail in friendship and
duty? The example of Paris is worthy
of admiration. The provinces are max
ing great efforts, and everywhere you see
burghers, shop keepers and even children
going to their death in battle with a foe
trained to arms.
This foe I've seen close by, for Boz
bee has been invaded twice already. Day
before yesterday bullets rained in the gar
den and shells passed over the roof Of
the house where [ was staying Believe
me- my dear friend, these Prusslans, who
are so proud of their pretended civiliza-
ton, are nothing btlt barbarians
| They are lacking lot only IN chival-
aous generosity, but in the very milk of
human kindness; they are men full of
rancor and greed, whose only object is to
crush and pillage France.
"There were at the beginning of the
at least 800, 900 Germans in France who
found herein the means of sustenance
and often fortunes All these men Bis
marck made so many spies to guide the
army to the homes of their employers to
plumber them the more easily. And they
boast of this Was such infamY ever
heard of among Christian nations?
To fire on balloons that carry family
correspondence, and to invent gun for
the special purpose of killing innocent
messengers--is not this one of those acts
of harbarism that Prussian alone could
devise
Gas to their moral superiority, which
chey vaunt In contrast with the decline
Of France, have yet to see proofs of it.
| hear Of nothing but horses stolen, cell
lars plundered, Franc tireurs shot in con-
tempt of the laws of war-of nothing, in
short, but pillage and murder ALI are
rot quite so abominable, and the officers
of the guard especially affect fine man
ners; but this is only superfine varnish :;
ut the bottom there is unmitioated bar
barism. We have returned to the sold
iers of Frederick, and the freebooters Of
the middle ages. Frenchmen could
never have conducted themselves with
such brutality.
Call the soldiers with whom T have
talked are tired with the war; they are
are not deuded as to their fate, and
know that they are victims of King Will
liam and Bismark, but the officers are
pulled up with pride, and the hope OF
lcrushing Paris draws them on as a histor.
icaI achievement. As to the old King
that capor0t mastique, as he is Justly call
ed-thinks he is doing Christian deed
IN Strengthening thousands of men, and is
convinced that he came into this world
TO chastise people that has done HIM
no narm. Ard in Germany there is not
Christian pulpit, not a minister, not a
woman has dared to utter word IN be