The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-17

Frenchmen from Calais to Marsellles. If the
Germans provoke us us we must refuse to be pro-
v0ked. Whatever they ask not actually incompati-
bic with our national honor we must accord at
once. Above all, we must give them no just
ground for complaint OF course II they are deter
mined to force quarrel upon us they could do so.
and ii is possible that NJ de Bismarck finding that
he has not utterly crushed France 10y the imposi-
ton OF such crushing indemnity, may have
determined to go to war with US again before we
have had time TO reOrganize our army, and so to
wipe France out OF the map OF Europe But after all,
and however much France mas been weakened by
the war and the Commune, we are still nation Of
S6,000,000 souls, and you must be careful how you
drive such nation to state Of despair. II the
Prussians were again to invade France they could
no doubt advance right up to Paris without
serious opposition. But then their difficult
ties would begin again. Paris would this
time he defended by small but well-disciplined
garrison sufficient TO guard the forts, joined to q
small force ready to aid relieving army by sor-
tie Taere would be large and wcll.disciphned
French army In the field, and you know French
man is a soldier in three months he FrGnCdts est
sotdat en- trois nlotsj Then, even If they were at
first defeated, there would be another and o great
danger OF most irightiul revolutionary govern
ment gaining possession OF power in Paris. Such
cute and plumber wholesale no DOUBT, but still
unite the people ia fighting the enemy.
Look, he continued ut what took place during
the last war. All parties forgot their differences
for time and fought under Gamhetta against the
Russians. No party was more bitterly opposed to
Gambetta than the Legitimiss, yet who fought
better under his generals than they did? am
sure there is one feeling throughout France In this
matter, and we should be even more united than
dnrng the last war. myself would serve under
any one III such cause If Rocheiort himself
were here would willingly obey him, be his secre
tary-anythtng, so long as it was for the good Of
France. We suffered greatly from the wants Of
organization during the last war, and after Sedan
all our best officers We're prisoners in Germany.
This time we should have much better organiza.
ton to start with, and, above ALL we should not
look down on our enemy as we SO imprudentiy did
last time. But, though say all this you must
quite understand that do not advocate war with
Germany. l am merely endeavoring to show you
that the Germans might find that they had made
most terrible mistake IN driving a nation like
France to despair. For, admitting that they might
ultimately beat us in the field and occupy Az our
great towns, what then Napoleon did the same
in Spain, and you know what came OF it. OF
course France is different country now from
Spain. But after months or years OF eXhausting
war she might come much more nearly
to resemble Spain than sDe does at pres
ent. Then the Prussians would find no
one to treat with, no one to sign peace, to make
himself obeyed, Or to enforce the observance of a
treaty, far less the payment of q heavy indemnity.
consider that history will declare that M. dc Bis
marck committed grievous error In connecting
Alsace and Lorraine to Germany. Had he only
compelled us to pay an indemnity amply sufficient
n NJ NJ N xyar
have been no thought OF revenge-at least, not
seriously. There would very possibly have been
some loud boasting of our intentions to revenge
our defeats, but that would not have come to any
thing more than all the threats OF vengeance
uttered against England Tor years after Waterloo,
but which never came to anything in practice, and
eventually did not prevent US fighting side by side
with the English in the Crmea. You say the Ger-
mans think they would have been perpetualy eX-
posed to attack if they had LETT Alsace
and Lorraine IN our hands. Wen, II they
really thought SO, why did they not make
neutral State OF the two provinces stretching
from Luxembourg to Switzerland, and propose to
the Other great powers to join in guaranteeing the
neutrality of Alsace-Lorraine? l am afraid the
Germans do not want TO have an impossible
boundary between them and US, and they are anx-
ious tc be able to attack us when they may think
it eXpedient."
THE SITUATION IN FRANCE.
Your correspondent then asked M. olivier what
he thought of the attitude OF the Assembly to-
wards the country. "Wel, do not see how the
Assembly can go on beyond the eno OF the present
year without dssOlving ITSELF" said M. OLIVIER .Ir
has become qdlte poweress, it appears to me. 1t
may be capable OF dong much harm yet, but il
seems TO me to be incapable Ofdong much good in
the country No one respects it, and ii 1t were not
for MacMahon and the army believe 1t would 60
to pieces before the smallest popular demonstra-
ton. This attempt of M. de Broglie ana his
friends to NEEDLE with universal suffrage is sure
TO end In failure sooner or later. If he sue
ceeds in passing a law deprlvlng large
number OF elect Ors OF their votes what VIII be
the result?-that we imperlasts will be looked
upon as the only real guardians or the right of
every man to vote in France. That alone would
almost be sufficient to explain the hold the Empire
has on the people, You suggest that the repub.
licans are just as determined to preserve univer.
sal suffrage as we are. I do not say they are not
but the people only remember that universal
suffrage was taken from them under the Republic
in 1s4S, and that the first act of the Emperor was
to restore it. They see much the same thing now
reactionary Assembly destroying universal
suffrage and Boosting itself above the behests Of
the people, while the imperialists are the most
effective defenders OF universal suffrage The re-
publicans. admit, are loud in their protests
against any attempt to NEEDLE with the
suffrage, but do not regard 1t as
possible that they should form q stable gov
crnment. You see the more violent radicals
finish by forcing the more moderate members OF
their party to obey them, and the most ianatical
members Of the party always get the best of it in
the long run. Besides, as l think have already
said the Republic, or indeed any free government,
is at present impossible in France. Why,
EVEN IN IRELAND
believe the habeas corpus act is suspended in
some districts at this very moment, and we are
in very different condition FROM the most riotous
OF Irish. Was not the rule OF President Lincoln
really dictatorship during your war, and did not
every sensible man ieel it was right it should be
SO? You are aware that was q republican by