, 1873-06-13

thore will bo bottor papors, moro influential pa
pere, and moro prosperous papers, printed in all
parts Of tho country.
TIE FRENCH INDEMNITY. ,-~
Tho final day Of payment Of the French war
indemnity to Prnssia has been Axed for tho 9Th
OF noxt September, and ono Of tho last official
oots OF II. ThiorB was tho preparation Of pa-
per, published in tho official journal Of Paris,
announcing the details OF tho final discharge Of
this enormous war-dobt, which is stated to bo
tho largest sum ever e1actod under similar cir
cu1natanooa by ono nation from another. Ac-
oording to this paper, a troaty Tor tho evacua~
ton Of the French territory WIS signed ut Bor-
lin On tho 18th Of March, 1873. OF tho threo
many, ono waa paid last fall. The second waa
discharged last month. Tho last rnilllnrd will DO
delivered to Germany in equal payments on
Juno +, July 8, Aug. 6, and Sept. t. In
return for this payment, Germany engages to
evaouato July s, the four Department. -Vosges,
Ardenncs, Mouse, and Meurtho-ot-M Mosollo, as
wcll rs tho fortress Of Delfort, within four woohs
from that date holding tho fortress Of Vordun
and its military district in pledge for tho last two
monthly payments. The o1act Gum which will
have beon discharged In September next will be
Avo milliards Of francs, or 1000 millions OF dol
lars. which sum has been paid in about two
yoarH' time the first insta1lment having been
paid In 1871, not long after tho ovaountionof
Dhrf 13v Tn. he {f,.'
volved tho promptnoss aud quichnoss Of
payment, and tho adverse circumstances under
which It WAS paid, it dwarfa ovory other 1nan-
cial transaction Of modern times. Whstever
loose and incohoront ideas tho French nation
may hayo Of progressive and healthy nopubli-
can form Of government, It shows IN elasticity
and rccuporative power which aro aa remarkable
aa the financial features Of the case.
Since tho downfall Of Napoleon ILL.,, political
oyonts in Franco havo followed each other In
changed 80 suddenly, and public men havo risen
and fallen 80 rapidly, that tho historian will
be puzzled to clearly trace the logic Of
events, or to determine the real poai-'
tion Of the mon who were tempo
rarily brought to tho surface by the shifting
and decoitfal waves Of popular opinion. Many
of tho mon who filled q largo spaco in tho pub
lo gazo, while tho Communal strife was raging,
have apparently disappeared forever. Many Of
the men who gathered about IL. Thiora and
holped him lay tho foundations Of tho Consorva-
tive Republic aro now well nigh mythical n.
Thiera, dropping from tho Presidential chair
into scat in tho Assembly, is already man OF
yestorday, and in fow weekB or months Con.
MaeMahon may Buffor similar fato, and find
his OWL words, that ho might better servo
the country at the head Of tho army than ut tho
hoad OF tho Republic, to bo atriotly true. But
avon IT II. Thiera and all olHo that ho has done
for France should bo forgotten, his great service
to lis country in paying this indemnity. or in 80
managing tho a1rairs Of State that 1t could DO
paid Ia ono Of those brilliant achievements of
statcsmauship which can novor be forgotten,
However bittor tho Necessity may have boon, 1t
was the salvation Of Franco. Unless TINT had
been dono, the progress Of tho country would
have boon completely stopped, and tho whole Of
|
| to the condition Of Alaaco aud Lorraine. Tho
| circumstances under which it was paid have
boon Of tho most remarkable character. Tho
war with Germany was not OF II. Thiere' seek
ing. Ho had opposed It at tho outset; but the
Fronch followed Napoleon b1indly into it, and,
whom Napoleon was ovcrthrown and tho Ger
mans entored Paris, they came to II. Thiors to
tako tho helm. Ho accepted 1t, and tben had to
fight tho Communists to Beoure place for Ro'
| publican government In Paris, and, whilo fight
ing for 1t, had to commence planning arrange
uonts for. paying this monstrous indemnity
which might vol hayo appalled, nation which
had not Just been devastated by war and was In
tho worry height Of prosperity. l1o commenced
his work with an army disorganized and cruahod
with country laid waato by tho ravngcs Of war
with crops destroyed, TRADE Interrupted. Ont
commerce ut q Htandatill; with depleted treas
ury; with threo claimants for tho throne. AMI
almostinnumorablo oliqucswl tho Republican
party operating againsthim aud with an array ot
adverse circumstances which would lavo crushed
any ordinary statesman. But ,ho ovorthrow th
commune, teorGenlzou LILO atuly, Iohtokeu stau
and commerce oven with the Germars On tho sol
Of Franco, ronllod tho treasury, establishes
Republican government In tho face. OF tho vic
torious Germans mud tho plotting parlslans
ovorcamo ono by ono, with aub1imo patience
tho obstacles which alyorse fato piled up bofor
him, md not only paid Tho indemnity whom
became duo, but sometimes anticipated 1t. I
scptombor uoxt, tho last German will havo lof
Franco, and she will bo FREQ from hor powerfr
, uatiou. ALL this Franco owos to II. ThforB,-
bouefaoton which France has already 70,
! gotten. After accomplishing this grcs
work, rathor than dcclnro tho Ropul
, llo which he orcatod sho has force