The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-10-12
Metz Under tho Germans.

Metz Under tho Germans.
,s.,;.,cor-s.nondspt Of the London Tmes.l
Thirty thousand inhabitants Of Metz have
loft the town. and grass now grows in the
busiest streets. On the magnificent pro-
menads where the statue of Ney stands
absolute Stiffness reigns. some soeia'
crustaceans only, who have net oeen a",e
co leave the narrow circle co wh'ch oIo
habit makes them cling, walk about the
vsrv IMAGE of decrepitude. All the shop.
keeners to whom have spoken have told
mo that thew are not half so numerous as
tb.v were. OF 60 noble families who hved
in Metz. and whose fine houses we're the
rendezvous Of polished society, 6o nave %.
serted the town, selling their fnrn'sure q,
tho lowest prices, closing their hotels, and
crossing the frontier. The merchants and
peasauts-all those who became Freneh
citizeps, have followed this course, and,
sad to saw, misery which produces such
great results, necessity which imposes 80
MANY sacrifces, have retained on the Ger
man soil Diseteen-twentieths OF the an-
habitants who have remained IN the town.
Psrbans-tbe true drama-which 10 being
played with its most saddenipg episodes
arises out of the moral situation, which has
been imposed ON the conquered. l. was
told of a peasant in the neighborhood OF
Metz who had four sons. Two OF these
were of age for the consumption, ana
O6lHg AOl0 10 ulaAc u ASSAAAAS@S o"S
French nationality. The two others,
younger and less able to maintain Thorn
selves, remained German. Some days
since the two Frenchnen visited the coun-
try. They did not conceal the infinite
ve1ation it caused them to see their young
OF brothers remaining German, and IN 3
conversation which arose between one OF
the elder and one of the younger 6rotbe' .
the former called the latter German"
| The lad so addressed rushed at bis brother
will! an are in his band, and bne for the
prompt and energetic interference OF his
father would have murdered brother
| whom mp to that time he had tender,y
loved. Tales of this kind are widely cir
culated, and these little dramas constantly
occur in q country where for two years
and half che cOnqueror has never ven
tured out of his isolation. Io Metz. which
| is henceforth to be German, no German
4 officer has yet succeede6 In gaming ad-
mission into French family. Ir vain
have looked for a Frenchman talking to
! a German. or German saiuting a French
| man, and find that this is one of the
strnngest things that can be observed.
for it must he deprecated sentiment
which CAD induce whole population to
adhere 40 strictly to the reserve imposed
by its French patriotism. The hatred OF
| the Ita.ians against the Austrians has often
been referred to, and have myself seen
striking examples of it but never at any
| period did il attain to such au extent az at
| Metz. saw Prussiau officer about to
enter an omnibus. Immediately a gentle
man, q lady, and two children hurr'ed!y
left the conveyance, evidently preferriDg
TO walk in the rain and mud rather than
remain where they had been. What was
especially worthy of remark was that t. e
two little girls were the first to leave,
which they did without q word being said
to them. The same things happen at the
| Tot Il yuhI Oh htsf h9
rendezvous of the nobility of the districts.
There the guests were all Frenchmen.
| Now there are none to be seen there but
German officers. This is, however, al
Metz a certain liberation. French news
papers are puoliciy sold there, and ! even
| saw in the shop window of q bookseller
an engraving of "Marshal MacMshon
President de la Republique FrapSaise.'
Since Metz became German, great uum-
bcr of tobaccunists have settled there
who sell, as in Germany, those mysterious
goods which Inexperienced travellers pur-
chase as the unadulterated products Of
Havaunah. Bat see what has followed
from the innovation. A formidable baD6
of contrabendists has been formed, who
already are finding their way into the viii
lagos round Metz, and who, sooner or later
will deal a heavy blow TO the prOverbia
honesty of the LOrraiuers. The Germsni
know, Moreover, that IL te NOT only TOBACCO
which 10 conveyed c0nCraband, but thai
every contrabandist is . receptacle o
demagogue ideas, and in general they d.
all they can SO that nothing should remind
the MessiDs Of their former country. Thu
/ railway employ 60 are forbidden to go to Nets
and are obliged to stop vt the frontier. Il
order to force children to learn German al
I public notices are in that laoguage, anG
the splendid CIRCLE of forte surrounding ART
to have German names. Thus Gernnel
strategy seeks to tear their patriotism frou
the hearts of the LOrraines and to substi
tute the love of their new country. Use
less attempts For long time TO com'
conQoerors and conquered will watch TO
| the moment to fall al pom one another.