Year: 1871

! A private letter from an American


who has spent the past. year on the
| Rhine says: a5 a5t-
/ at is a gloomy time to be. in Ger


many. In America you hear Of the
victories; but here we are surrounded
! by poverty and mourning, brought on
| bY this fearful war j see here no signs
/ Of pride or triumph over The victories


that have been gained. The people
/ look solemn, and earnest as they crowd
about the kilograms posted up in the


streets, and the soldiers look stern and
sad. The solemn, steadfast earnestness
i with which the Germans entered upon
the war that was forced upon them was
| very different from the 'tlightness of
heart of the French Assembly. And


in the way in which the war is carried


on, and in all that the people do or say,


see very little Of the elation Of victory;


but, rather, a deep regret that a necessi-


~ for the work of destruction still con


tinues, coupled with a stern determina-


ton to do it so thoroughly that it will


not have to be repeated for many years.


It would touch you to hear . Die THackt


am Rhine sung by the regiments as


they march away from their homes


The other day 7 was amused to hear


about twcnty little schoolboys, march


ing along, with satchels and states swung


over their shoulders, singing in full


chorus, and in perfect time and tune,


/" Z1ie Dlackt am Rhine. Some Of


them were so young they could not


speak the words plainly. When think


that If the French had prospered in


their plans this noble, true, earnest Ger


many might have been conquered and


oYerrun by half-civilized ZouaVes and


Turcos, led by false, conceited govern


1nent, I cannot feel thankful enough to.
Providence that the moral and intel
lectual progress of the human race was
not allowed to receive such a check. Is
not the moral difference between the
two people indicated by the tissue Of
falsehoods which the French leaders
have fabricated, from the beginning of
the war till the present time, while des-
patches sent home from the German
army have always proved literally true ?
The German people have been very re-
luctant to believe that it would be nee
essary to lombard Paris. / see it an
nounced by the last kilograms that the
bombardlnent of Paris must 60 on, be-
cause it will not do to keep soldiers there
longer than is absolutely. necessary dur
ing this severely cold weather. II is
stated that the forts are to be lombard
ed; and that, unfortunately, it cannot
be helped if some shells fall into the
city itself. If the French had brought
their armies to Berlin, can any one inn
agine they would have manifested any
such hesitation and consideration.


81 am surprised that the American
sympathy for Germany is so lukewarm.
/ cannot understand how sympathy with
the unfortunate should SO twist their
moral judgment We were sorry for
the misfortunes Of the Southerners but /
we never thought them in the .1zgJtt on /
account of their suferings in being CON
quefed. suppose some Of our cOun-
trymen are carried away by the word
republic. But what has the French Re-
public done to prove itself better than
he French Empire? People seem to
think that, because the French have
east aside Louis Napoleon, therefore
hey are to be sympathized with and
They forget that il was only
want of success that made him unpopu
ar. He might be proAigate, o. knavishs
Dr. anything else he was still an idol
with the French so long as he succeeded.
n his schemes. To think of their max
ng such an outcry about giving up an
nch of their territory, when they have
10 long boasted that it was their object
o gobble up this beautiful Rhine Coun-
ry