Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-25

will probably cause many changes in
the map of Europe, ii
Map Changes will prove interesting
pll,. to recall events that
must be considered
whatever the results OF the conflict
The question of Alsace is one of the
events which led indirectly to the war.
Alsace was annexed to France under
Louis XIV by the treaty of Westphalia
G64So. Alsace was coded to Germany
in 1871. less Belfort. the defense of
which was rendered historic by the
French commander, Col. Denfert-Roch-
ereau IS7D. Alsace was not more
French at the moment of annexation
than Roussillon. of which Perpignan. in
the eastern Pyrenees, was the capital
annexed in 1869. nor the Franche-
Comte, east of France. annexed by the
treaty of Nimegue. concluded between
France. Spain and Holland in 1898. nor
the treaty with France the empire ana
Sweden in 1879. nor the treaty of AiN
la Chapelle. by which Flanders was
annexed, in 1868.
Alsace. indeed appears less easy of
assimilation than the other conduests
of Louis XIV. Article IS of the treaty
liminaries of the peace of Westphalia.
reads: THE emperor. for himself ana
all the serene house of Austria, cedes
the rights. properties. domains Whlcn
until now belonged to the empire ana
the house of Austria. The lands or
Upper and Lower Alsace. the provincial
prefectures of the ten imperial cities
situated in Alsace: Hagueneau. Colmar.
Schlestadt. Wissembourg, Landau.
Obernai. Rosheim. Munster, to the val
K,ip T11r il
and all these countries and any other
rights which belong to the said pre-
lecture. and transfers them all ana
each to the very Christian King ana
to the KINGDOM of France"
Article 20 stipulated that the en-
peror. the empire and the Archduke
Ferdinand Charles would release from
oaths of fidelity all officers and sub
jects of the coded territories.
Article SO was confusing and contra
confusion. 1t said: Nevertheless it is
understood by the present declarations
nothing is taken away from the right
of sovereignty coded.
THE proper characteristic of the Al
satian," says NJ. Albert Petit, lis
reasoned passion for in
Louis XIV's dependence more per-
sonal than national"
10llcy. The absolutism of Louis
XIV was never meddling. but respect
full of local institutions. The contra
dictions in the treaty Of Westphalia
were advantageous in way. The
French monarchy hesitated between
the way left open by the treaty OF
Munster; an Alsatian policy respecting
the imperial attachments of the prov
ince affording the king frequent OPP
portunities to interfere in German at
fairs: a French policy of extension OF
the rights of the king, and the recog-
milton of the equivocal clauses of the
treaty of 164S.
For cotemporaneous history, 164S
marks a decisive turn in the history
of Alsace. Alsace had been occupied
for ten years by French troops. and
for long time it was understood they
would remain Indefinitely.
Count dHarcourt was nominated by
the king lieutenant general of Upper
and Lower Alsace, and also grand
bailli"-governor (''landvoght'o of Ha-
guenau. D'Harcourt was grandee ana
mixed up with the Fronde and accessi-
BILE. to the temptations and intrigues OF
the emperor. who held up before him
the possibility of principally OF Al
SAGE, which he might be given under
the suzerainty of the empire. Tne nom
nation of dHarcourt thus was happy
stroke of policy on the part of the
French king.
Colbert de Croissy, brother of the
great minister who was then intendahe
of Mazarin, was appointed intendant OF
Alsace in 1865 De Croissy was only
twenty-six years Of age, but had al.
ready shown capacity when intendant
of the Mediterranean ports, with resi-
dence at Toulon. To his title of intend
I'M n
parliament at Metz. Colbert de Croissy,
for fact, inaugurated the reign OIL
France in Alsace.
Colbert de Croissy, despite his au-
thoritative temperament, had no pre-
tension to make Alsace a centralized
and unified province Alsace after the
war of thirty years, 161S-l64S (wnich'
it is recalled, was due to the antas-
onisms between Lutherans and Catno-
lics), required a strong government
listed The eight years of de Croissy
administration G655-1663) were peace
full He caused a decrease IN the TAXA
ton and thus detached sympathies
from the empire and turned them TO-
ward France. .
In the matter of justice Colbert de
Croissy applied himself to the reform
of the tribunals. Until then every
prince it was said, was emperor over
his own territory" 1t resulted tnat
whlle a SlpDel Sloou a. eS
every village, Indicators had every
chance of escaping punishment II not
taken in the act and tried on the spot.
Justice was capricious|a robber was
hanged, placed in the pillory or simply
expelled without any record or reason
for the difference in the treatment or
the cases. The inconvenience or TINS
judicial anarchy was aggravated by
the lack of tribunal of common
pleas. But most OF the provinces final
ly obtained tribunals of last resort, IN
which there might be litigation be-
tween private persons.
81
established in 1923 a chamber called
"regence," in the city
Administration of Ensisheim, the
capital of Upper AL
OF dlsdce. SAGE. This name of
regence designated any government es-
tablished during the minority or alb
sence of a sovereign
When the French monarchy annexed
a province its first care was to create
parliament whose judicial sover-
eighty was one of the best agents for
the extension of royal sovereignty.
Colbert de Croissy constituted in 1857
a new council at Ensisheim. The peace
of Pyrenees concluded between France
and Spain G659) delivered France from
exterior trouble, and the death OF
Mazarin left affairs in the hands OF
young but resolute king. The war win
Holland cut short discussions and hesi-
tations on the part of France. since