, 1877-05-02
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH" ON
FRANCE AND GERMANY.

gacity not less admirable than her power of
recovery from wounds which appeared almost
mortal. Never had blows more terrible been
dealt upon q nation, but never was there an
example of a more courageous rebuilding OF
he shattered fabric. History will in truth
find it difficult to ~ezaggerate The services
which NJ, TAiars rendered to his country in
suppressing the Commune, paying of the tre-
mendCus war-fae. and freeing The soil Of
France from It's invaders and his task has
been loyalty continued by the Government Of
Marshal MacManon Aided in the first place
by the splendid and inezhau5tible gifts of this
fair land, and in the second by tie buOyant
and Industrious spirit OF its people, France has
reconstructed herself, her political system, her
military forces, and, to a great extent, her
influence in Europe. All these she plainly
uses at the present hour in the interests Of
that peaceful diplomacy which England also
advocates II, then, We find her victorious
opponent. Germany, behaving in a MAJ ner the
very opposite of all that might be expected
from o generous and educated enemy. honour
and craftsmanship must combine to pronounce
such conduct deserving condemnation. For a
long time past the attitude assumed towards
France by the German Government, as repre-
sented by Prince Bismarck, has been any thing
but chiValio or becoming, Small occasions
seem to have been sought rather than awaited
for provoking the passions or Wounding the
susceptibilities of The French people. The
prudence of those in authority mas suppressed
all mention of ONE among them, and others
have been composed at Pa,iS With q steady
resolution not to join in a q0ere3c d AHcmQxd,
which ought to have proved the sincere peace.
tuIneSs Of France. But this undigni6ed policy
OF annoyance or complaint at Berlin has not
been turned aside by "soct answers " We
am n iuvUnCiJ "a ,vo, ~, EU.nL..: .s 800
a street br0il Of some sailors in Smyrna caught
up and treated as on international offence The
Invitation TO the Paris Exhibition Of 1878 re.
fused without much attempt at polite forms or
excuses, and the German press line after tima
Let loose to attack The French Government and
nation. Recently, and just at the jauu at
when General Ignatielf was visiting The Gar.
man metropolis with u problem marked by
considerable ingenuity, u suliea and crurl
order seems to have been issued against !hs
French ex-soldier5 resident in AlSaco w"icA
has TIE effect Of forcing five thousand families
TO choose abruptly betweBn guaranteeing their
nationality and leaving their homes. 70 these
acts Of prOvOca,i0n and Injustice must now, il
appears, De added The demand made by Prince
Bismarck for the abandonment Of those works
of defence which the French were constructing
along their new frontier. LIFT open and un.
guarded upon tha East by The loss of Stras.
6urg ana Metz the Paris Government natural
~ wished Il establish q fresh line Of stroay
places and viii His view they intended to
tor'fy Arras, Verlun, Be;aucor, and The up.
'and ot L7ogreS, while they repodeiIed tho
deienceS Of thr capital. 1t appears chat Prince
Bismarck has denounced these works as an open
preliminary OF war, and that in compliance
with his threatening tone the French Govern.
ment has suspended them. The f0rtihoationS
OF Arras are no longer to be continued, and
the scheme for the completer safeguarding of
Paris was recently wilhrawn In the French
Chamber. But as there is c limit to tho Ill.
thorlty Of a conQuer0r, 50 Tiers are humili TONS
TO which the SeIfreS'raint Of the defeated
cannot submit, and no honest Eng!ishman
could recount this long string of irritating
manifestations without realizing the very
bitter feelings which they are calculated tD
arouse in thu minds of he French People. IF
they were casual and Intermittent signs of
anxiety on the part OF Germany, oil would still
agres in declaring them unworthy of so great
aud civilized an Empire but when they point
towards a distinct policy developing along with
the phases of the Eastern Question, and when
matters look So if Turkey were to be sacrificed
to Russia in order that France may lie isolated
at the mercy of Berlin, the truest friends of
Germany are those who speak most plainly
about the aspect Of such an immoral compact,
supposing it conceivable.
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