Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28
LEAGUE OF PATRIOTS.
Paul Deroulede Gives an Interesting
History of the Organization
LONGING FOR LOST PROVINCES.
The Past, Present and Future Of BOulanger
and BOulangism.
-1u arT rpINnp TnnTT1rc Nm
Why ALL FRANCE IDOLIZEs HIN
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH. ]

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPArCH.1
PARIS, April 19.-The League of Patriots
was founded for the purpose of vindicating
the national honor of France There are
hours in the life of people when apathy
and supIneness may justly be regarded as
criminal. On all sides France is menaced
bv the subservient tools of Bismarck, while
at home high functioDaries cringe before
the "Man of Blood and Iron" A citizen
who can gaze with indifference on such
sycophants, or view with unconcern the
dismemberment of his country, is little bet
ter than traitor.
The League may be said to be the out
come of patriotic movement on a public
occasion. The story of its foundation is
both curious and instructive. During one
of those gymnastic fetes that take place at
st. Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, where the
'Liberatorof the Territory" died and has his
statue, Nine. Thiers offered large flag to
the 16 Associated Gymnastic Societies at
that time belonging to the Department OF
the Seine. This offer was made on Septem-
Der 25, $780, Twenty months later, when
the Government had had full time for re-
Election, the societies met at the helser
Gymnasium, in Paris, for the purpose OF
receiving the ensign so graciously offered by
the widow of Frances First President.
The proceedings on that occasion were ex-
tremely interesting, not so much on account
of the large crowd that gathered to witness
the ceremony, as from the rank and charac-
ter Of those who prominently figured in it.
The Senate and the Chamber were officially
represented. NJ. Felix Faure, Deputy, took
the Chair. By his side sat NJ. Henri Mar
Tin, Senator and member of the French
Academy; NJ. Edouard Turquet, Deputy,
and other gentlemen of distinction. The
flag presented by Nine. Thiers was the
national tricolor, quartered in the center
by square badge of green silk-as sign
of hope.
FANNING THE FLAME.
1t came nv turn to address the meeting. I
did so with all the warmth that sense of
duty imposes on one who has suffered in his
country's cause. To show that have never
swerved from the ground L then took up, I
shall give a short extract from my speech,
which took a half hour in delivery. 1 said:
For the last II years the country has been
living in state of dependency bordering on
servitude. know what excuse those have to
give who consent to such indignity. France,
they allege, is not ready Ready for what. pray?
For war? And who, except those who forge a
political weapon out of the very surrender of
ripe for an independent attitude, who doubts?
say that those who assert the contrary mis-
represent and trayesty the feelings OF the coun-
try. If bravery has its intemperance, which is
called rashness, excessive prudence also has
another epithet which l shall avoid qualifying
before such true Frenchmen as you. In the
sixteenth century patriot, who was as impa-
tlent of foreign yoke as we are, said: "Ihe
one thing necessary is that all Frenchmen
throughout France should rouse, rally and act
in concert" Let us take him for guide.
And you, gentlemen, with your numerous
societies so closely united, be you the first link
of like French league, League of Patriots
! can find no better name for the thing Let
all existing societies whose object is the devel-
opment of the moral intellectual ana physical
forces of the nation group themselves around
YOU and your adherents. Let each give his
mite and so help to organize and number those
who are of one mind with us. Let Us open a
grand register wherein those volunteers of pa
triotism shall enroll their names. Let us in
short establish a federation of national good
will. a federation which shall be outside and
above politics. In the prosecution of this new
design, would have you ever to bear in mind
three things. would have you to propagate
that patriotic spirit which fosters an ardent
love for our mother country; that military
spirit which conduces TO patience and bravery
in her defense; and that national spirit which
while it generates a right appreciation of
Frances best interests, prevents the waste OF
our energies in petty squabbles at home and
the squandering of them for humanitarian
purposes abroad. Let us be what we are, true
Frenchmen, and nothing else. As for the
brotherhood of nations we shall talk about
that some future day, when Cain restores to US
what he has taken.
THE LEAGUE FORMED.
Now mark the sequel. Mr.. Edmond
Turquet, one of the deputies on the plat
form, took up this abstract idea of mine
and gave to it a real, practical shape. He
was we'll known to the crowd as one who
had been seriously wounded during the
war, and who had Frances welfare upper
most in his heart. He stated that the GYM.
nastic Societies of the Seine were about tc
start for Rheims, and that something less
vague than the expression of a wish, some.
thing more tangible and substantial in form
should be given them to lay before theil
comrades on reaching that city. His pro.
posal, therefore, was to the effect that such
league as 1 had hinted should there and
then be founded, called ''The League o.
Patriots" He further proposed, amid en-.
thusiastic cheers, that our great national
historian, NJ. Henri Martin, should be
called to the chair as president of the new
federation; and that, instead of voting
everybody present should be invited to entel
his name on register by way of spontane,
ously confirming NJ. Martins election.
This was done. The aged historian con-
national movement. Before the meeting
separated the League was an accomplished
fact Tables and registers were brought in.
As I noticed just at that moment some hes
itation the part of the ladies to come for.
ward rose and said:
Yes, we entreat every one to sign IN favor OF
the League And more especially do we appeal
TO the women of France. For it is the mothers
who make the sons. Ladies, upon you now de
wolves even more effectual mission than tc
tend the wounded. You must give heart to oul
future soldiers. Nor need you Tread to have
them too brave. Once under fire, the cour
ageous are in no greater peril than the timor
There was no more hesitancy. At the
top of the first blank page wrote the chal-
lenge: "Who goes there?" and the pass
word: 'France!' After which the registers
were covered with signatures.
In this way the League of Patriots wa:
first started on May Is, 1882. Since that
day we have lived and worked in the hope
that the Treaty of Frankfort would be re.
Tised and Alsace-Lorraine restored tc
France. At that early period of our career
Gambetta was the living incarnation of the
country's desires. He, too, had his eye
fixed in the direction of Strasburg.
GAMBErTA AND ALSACE.s
I remember story which, while it add:
fresh luster to Gambetta's name, aptly illus
frates our own attitude from the beginning
The great orator, after his mothers death
fell into what seemed likely to become an
incurable melancholy. 1t so happened that
a friend one day, while Gambetta was deep.