Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-26
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR.

Paris fifty years ago they cut its
communications and
The Last Word for weeks. save for
C-, Del an occasional pigeon
message. or balloon
or a refugee making his way out of
the beleaguered city, no news came
forth. Almost the last emanation
from the French capital was a or
cular issued by Jules Favre, which
was published in The Star of Septem-
Der 10, 1870, as follows:
THE Official journal of the repub-
lie yesterday contained a circular of
Jules Favre to the representatives
of France and other countries. The
following points were contained: He
explains why the elections for mem
bers of the constitutional assembly
occur at an earlier date than was at
| first supposed. Objection has been
| made that the present provisional .
government at Paris was not a regu-
| lar fact. That we were forced to ad-
nit the urgency of the case is also
represented In strong language. II is
the first duty of the government to
defend the soil and preserve its honor
and then return the delegated power
| to the people without violence. Moth
ing is to be expected from Prussia
Her supreme will and exaltation at
success are irreconcilable with calm
impartiality and statesmanship. Two
hundred thousand victims have al
| ready been sacrificed to her ambition
| In this impious war and it is certain
| she will dictate to France conditions
| that this momentary and incompetent
| government should not accept. Hence
we convoke the assembly, freely
| chosen. to decide. What we ask now
is to give the country our hearts and
our blood. Then let France decide,
not our transient authority. but i'm
| mortal France, raising itself to con-
| front Prussia. France released from
| the winding sheet of the empire.
l France free and generous. is ready to
immediate itself for right and liberty,
ideas by the old government. France
has now no higher ambition than to
| remain mistress of herself in order to
| develop her moral and national re-
| sources. and labor fraternally with
her neighbors in the development OF
| civilization. 1t is in this view that
| France, recovering her free action,
| now asks for a cessation of the war.
| But she will prefer a thousand fold
| of disasters to dishonor. The very
| ones who invoked the storm now say
| the country is willing to yield. This
| may mislead abroad, but not here.
| France wishes prosperity, commerce
| and civilization. but prefers disaster
4 10 OiSuOuOT. II Is the Quty VI anu
! to repair as far as possible the evils
| of the past governments. The cleo
| lions last year were Elusive. France
never voted for war with Prussia- NO
honest man in Europe thinks so. To
| the power now licking to crush US
we must oppoe desperate resist
l ance, until the n Is able 10 speak
| through con. ut assembly free
! ly and to make ,owers understand
| this. Fayre ada Mankind must ad-
mire but pity spectacle OF Paris.
without looking the right or left
| or backwards. bui with its eyes nxed
| on the great and simple duty OF de-
| tending it's fresides and its freedom.
One Of the first results OF the sue
| cessful German attack upon France
German States Plan was the insti-
| tuition Of
Confederation. movement for
a German con-
| federation In The Star of September
| 81. 1870, is a dispatch from London
| saying:
The professional politicians have
| matured their plans in regard to the
new German confederation. to be call
ed the Nord Deutsche Bund. Herr Del
brouck to be president. A council has
been called at headquarters and the
Baden and wurttemburg governments
are busily comforting in regard to the
political future. Herr Lascar, ma
stump the north German states. It is
proposed that Frankfort shall be de-
clared at the same time neutral and
| the capital of the new confederation.
! Thus it will hold toward the new
e. Inv a
Washington and the DISTRICT of
Columbia do to the United States:
This is the first direct step toward
| what has been long the dream of Ger
| man patriots. not merely German
union, but German union OF siiieo
Herr Bismarck, however. had other
plans for q German union, which he
brought to a climax at Versailles
where, through his contrivance, King
peror Of Germany and the ideal OF a
republic or q confederation of repub-
lies WAS effectively discouraged
-
In the course Of the Franco-Prussian
war Mark Twain produced his cele-
Mark Twain's brated war map.
which convulsed the
War Map. people of this coun-.'
try at that time and
! was for q long while afterward re-
Earded a. one Of his best bits Of work.
| In The Star Of September 81. 1870. is
| a reference to this map which had ap-
peared in the Buffalo Express and
which exhibited the positions of st.
Cloud. vincennes. verdun. Podunk. the
Erie canal, High bridge. Omaha and
70 A ysow 80 hr mn n
| is noted in that the River Rhine runs
directly into Paris and that Jersey
City lies in an elbow Of the Seine.
almost directly west of Vincennes.
Prominence is given to farm house
and fence in the foreground of the
map. recommendations" OF the map are