The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-29

people OF France. may see more clearly than even
the able publiclsts of that period that the ex-
cesses Of the French revolution grew out Of des-
peration.
intrigue. The Teuton. then as now. living still
In the middle ages dOmineering mean and sordid.
was determined that France should return to slav-
cry Louis XVI. under the influence Of his beau
tiful wife. Marie AntOnette. was dominated by
Austria. His court filled with German spies
and Prussian emlssares.
When he found that he could not conquer his
people with French artillery he pretended to nc-
cede to their demands and waited for the help OF
the German war lords. Escaping from Paris he
had got within a few miles of the border before
he was intercepted at varennes. 1t his in
tent to get Germany to send her armies to compel
his subjects to accept his feudal rule.
Nations become accustomed to changes of gov
ernment slowly when they have been ground
down under the Iron heels of despOtisn. Reckless
and blind their king. the people Of France
felt TINT in some way he was their father and
portectOr and that 1t would be calamity II he
shOnd turn his face from them. In the months
which followed when these children of the new
order, knowing far .ss how to govern themselves
than Louis and Marie AntoRette knew how to
rule wisely over them. found their country invad-
ed by Austrtans and Prussians they gave way to
their rage.
They had been willing to retain even so poor a
king as constitutional ruler. and he had already
put upon his head the red cap. Had he been firm
enough OF purpose to resist the intrigues Of the
central powers he might still have saved his face
and his head
Those were the days when Teuton tyranny was
everywhere spreading its nets and snares George
l Of England was eector of Hanover speaking
German on the British throne and Knowing no
English. addressing his ministers in dubious
Latin. George II could talk lamely in the tongue
of the people whom he professed to govern
George III was more German If possible than his
predecessors They had realized that Great Rrit.
ain had constitutional government and left af-
Of a middle age outlook took the advice Of his
German mother George, be a king"
His obstinacy lost to Great Britain her Ameri-
can colonies German, he gave aid and COM
fort to France in seeking to make her yield to
the demands of her Bourbon king His kinsInan,
the duke of Brunswick, leading Austria and Prus-
sian armies, invaded France and served notice
upon her National Guard that they were liable to
the death of traitors.
In their evaporation. the citizens of an impoy-
ershed nation then guillotlned the king who was
taking no steps to meet the foreign foe and WINS
waiting the oncome of the Hun to subject them
again to Bourbon tyranny. Hence the Commune
and the Reign of Terror and those dark hours in
which a nation in the thrOes was epdeayorinp to
adjust itself to the problems which followed the
overthrow Of the Bastille.
France came up of much tribulation into
republican form Of government. She was entov.
ing peace and plenty when the Hun again crossed
her borders to impose upon her a yoke which IL
the same as that for which stood the dark strong.
hold on the Seine long since destroyed