New-York tribune., 1874-03-16
dLSACE AND LORRAINE.
THEIR RELATIONS TO THE GERMAN EMPIRE

ltElh hElAl l)NS ~ lHf OGhMAN LMt
THE DELEGATES FROM THE ANNEXED PROVINCES IN
II{E GERMAN REICUsIhG-DEMAND FOE 4 PIE
BIsCITUM.
ITnoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THB 1RiBUNy !
BERLIN, Feb. i9.-On Monday in the German Par
lament we had strange hIstorico odramatic scene,
wiz the entry of the Deputies for Alsace and Lor-
raine This is the first time since the that the
annexed provinces have been permitted to elect
members Of the ReiChstap. and they improved the
occasion by eleeting fifteen members-the entire
deegatiOn-rOn the candidates most hostile TO Ger
many. They are not only French in political SYM
pahies but they also Utramontanes by religious
conviction and TINS doubly obnoxious TO Prince
Bismarck Thcidelcgat is headed by the Bishops Of
Strasburg and of Metz, and includes five other
Ners ofthe clergy When they entered the Chamber
Monday in pairs the two bishops IN full ecclesiasti
cal costume leading the way, and marched slowly
Down 10 their chosen places at the right their
brother Deputies silent and respectful in spite
Of themselves and the tableau was striking III very
high degree. IL is probable that Prince Bismarck
and his friends had expected no other result from
the first election in the new provinces. The local
contests there last Fall though not SO Invariably
unfavorable 10 the Empire showed, nevertheless
that even those Alsataus who had chosen the German
nationality We're prepared on the first occasion TO
reveal their real sentiments. Press and public were
out a complete anti-Geman delegation.
In certain sense, indeed. the acceptance on the
part of the Alsatans of a seat in the Imperial Par
ament is an acceptance of the new situation ere
ated by the war. i am surprised that this
consideration did not deter them from accept
ing thcirmandates. If they had been better patriots
than churchmen such reasoning might indeed have
prevailed; but their presence in the House gives
certain moral support to Ultramontansm and just
now the Church needs help in Germany far more
than in France. During this first session the
Legislators sat quietly in their places and took no
part i'm the proceedings. The Bishop of Strasburg,
d. Raess, is evidently from German stock, and
speaks faulticssly the language Of the country of
which he is an unwilling subject His clerical COT
league from the diocese of Metz is named Du POnt
dcs Toges and speaks only French. One of the sec
ular deputies the most anti-Geman Of all, bears the
~. very Gallo uame of Teutsch, while another,
known as Germain. may also have been once
Teut,ch The fact of cOuYse is that Alsaee was once
German, that part of its population never learned
the French language, and that in the conrNe OF CEN
turles, family names have lost Much OF theiT eyno-
logical significance.
On Wedacsday tl,e Alsatiaus took the field Herr
Teu,ch and colleagues presented resolution affirm
ing that hy the Treaty of Frankfort Alsace and Lor
raiue had been cedcd to Germany without the con-
sent of the people of those Provinces, and asking the
Reichstag to order pIeJsciipm on the question Of
annexation This was, of course only peg on
which the new deputies wished to hang defense
of their case Herr Teutsch, who acted as spoles
man provoked ridjcue at the start 10y asking leave
10 speak in French as he was mpericcly acquainted
with German This was not true in fact for Lie used
The hated stonguc with much facility as many of
hi, South German colleagues But parliamentary
4 ,I,a Of he
problcm lhereupon he read a German "transla-
tion." A. he called il, of the remarks which he
intended 10 make in French. and which
were understood 10 embOdy the collective views OF
the delegation In the temper of the House tins was
by no means an easy task In the first place Ger
mans do not like 70 discuss the annexation question
at all and in the second, Herr or VI. Ieutsch made
the discussion unnecessarily dIsaGeeabe by faults
of manner and the general i'll taste Of his production.
30 the President called him to order number of
times and the deputies interrupted him great deal
oftener with rctorts Kisses, and laughter Bismarck
listened attentively short time and then resumed
his writing: while figure but little less striking,
the Bishop of Strasburg drewIncar TO the speakers
tribune and watched the scene with a grave and
melancholy interest. OF course the resolution was
sninmarly voted down. Not Liberal in the House,
not a scholar. not jurist stood up to support the
nrincple that a people ought to have voice in the
determination of their own fortunes. Only half
dozen radical Democrats, who are regarded here as
little better than outlaws voted for the Alsatians
The representation of Alsace and Lorraine IN the
German Parliament has, however, IN spite oI tne
Government reopened the question of annexation
Alsace was annexed for reasons somewhat similar 10
those which brought about the annexation OF Sllesa
and Pospn aud Hanover. 1t was sacrificed 10 the
national necessities of the German people. The SEN
timrnt of national unity demanded the seizure of
the two Provinces. and Prince bismarck was OF
conrse The last man to resist such sentiment In
! this term national necessities may also be IN
cludcd the strategic necessities Ol Field Marshal Won
| Moltkc.