Year: 1870




But let us for a moment silence the


tumultuous emotions that awake in us


in order to contemplate the situation


with that eoolness and calmness which
an hour so solemnly requires. Two
great nations are about to rend each
other until one Of them succumbs. We
scorn false patriotism, and are free to
confess that the enemy who confronts
her is worthy Of France; that, far from
despising that foe, we regard her as very
formidable, and it is with lively emotion
that we estimate the gravity of the peril
to which the rude test that our country
is about to undergo exposes us.


But whatever our preoccupations may
] be, we do not feel inclined TO utter
harsh reproaches and offensive accusa-
tons The conflict now preparing is,
in our opinion, a fatal necessity, which
had to be met with resignation sooner
or later. 1t is the last instalment of n
debt beaueathed to the present along
with the heritage handed down by a
mournful past. Unfortunately, in poll
ticts, interests at stake easily become
transformed to the condition of anger,
and two nations get to fancy that they
detest each other when they have, in
reality, only mutual claims to regulate.
1t is'from this point of view, for our
part that we look upon the struggle
that, has begun between France and
Germany, and, whatever may he the
result, we believe that the two nations
may each, on its own side, defend what
from its point of view it considers Its
right and its dnty without ceaslng TO
esteem one another for the good quail
ties which distinguish both, and for the
services that both have rendered to hui
manity.


Such, too, We trust, is the thought
that will guide other nations in their
appreciation of the combat that they
are about to witness. To this end we
appeal particularly to the American
people not for its exclusive sympathy,
hut to request of it an amiable impair
tiality which the old ties OF cordial tee!-
ing that unite the two nations give us a
right to expect.


France has no hatred against Prus-
sia; she has profound atfinities and as
pirations in common with Germany.
But France has her legitimate influence
TO maintain, her legitimate pride to de-
fend. The treaties of 1915 placed her
in a position somewhat diminished in
deed. but which, by a balance, more or
less exact, of the powers who at that
time parcellcd ont Europe between
them. at least left her safely assured
aud her honor unimpaired. There
have been many changes since then,
but none which seriously affected the
equillbrium established by the treaties
none that could bc 4 source OF uneasi-
ness or threat for France. Sadowa
came, and the advantages which Prus-
sia rcapcd were even accepted as the
legitimate and natural fruit Of her vic
tory. This situation, this completed fact,
has been sanctioned by treaties, and a
new settling has been given by common
accord to European power.


France, as no one will deny, has scru-
pulously respected this situation; she
has neither impaired nor sought, in the
slightest degree, to impair it; she has
not, imanv wise, intcriercd with the ac-
ton Of the Prissian government, or
rather of the confederation OF Northern
Germany, operating on itself She has
even stretched her patience so far-and
there, we think, she was wrOng--as to
leave nncxecuted certain pied yes stpu-
lated in the negotiations Of which she
became the guarantor, when the eXccu-
ton of those pledges concerned only
third parties. and did not directly inter
est her own honor or her own security.
But this patience was made subordinate
to one condition, viz, that Prussia would
not extend her power so far as to make
ours undergo a fresh curtaiment,
relatively speaking, and that We should
not have to behold the limits
openly laid down for the ambitious ten
denotes of our neighbor oyersteppcd by
successive encroachments, by occult and
tortuous wiles. We will not here re-
trace the marches and countermarches
OF Prussia, her stealthy invasions and
her pcrsevering attempts to envelope
within the circle Of her influence, and
even Of her direct domination, nation
alities and sOyerei igntles not included
within the region Of her recognized an
ncyations. We have but TO recOllect
the latest intrigue that she set on foot,
or, at least, favored, and which was to
deliver up our southern frontier to her
in contempt OF the rights and traditions
that make the independence OF the ma
ton in question an essential condition
OF our safety.


In the presence OF this exhorbitant
pretcnsion, which is a decisive mani
iestation Of the jealous spirit that ami
mates Prussia, France has but one po-
sition to assume, and that is to demand
guarantees against any possible sur
prise in the future Well, these guar
rantees could he Of but one kind. We
cannot have onr ears continually on the
alert to hear in what direction Prussia
is digging her mines, and it is out of the
question TO be on hand to check her
every time upon the verge Of her covet-
Gus desires. There remains to us, then,
only to make sure of an extension OF
our national boundaries to compensate
for the aggrandisement Of our adver-
sary. Such is the meaning Of the war
now opening The right is on our side,
the world cannot refuse to see it, but
France feels it and that is enough. At
this hour the heart, Of all FTenchmeu
beat in unison. TO the Rhine is the
CRY of the whole nation United as it is
now, as it has always been and as it al
ways will be in any great question Of
national honor and security, it is in
vincible May God protect our arms.
Vive Ia France