Year: 1870

The report oil M. Jules favre on MS ms


sion to tho Prussian headquarters, the text OF


which we published yesterday, shows more
| clearly what was apparent before--the


implacable character Of the war on the part OF


Prussia II is now, to all intents and pur-
poses, war against the republic Of France
and against republican Institutions and ideas.
II is just such war as the Holy Alliance OF
monarchs waged against the first French re-
public, only in the present case the King OF
Prussia ID lighting u single-handcd and has no
armed allies, though he has the good will aud
moral power of the crowned heads and aris-
tocracies of Europe to back him. 1t is the


same spirit which led the English monarchy,


the French imperial government and other
monarchical governments Of the Old World to
favor the rebellion in the United States, with
the hope seeing this great republic destroyed


This course is natural enough. however i'm
polite it may turn out; for republication is
standing protest against the ruling monarchicsl
families, sbsolutism and privileged orders,
which regard the people as their Inheritance
just US men do their real estate.


Count Bismarck has said that Prussia is
not making war on tho rep ublio. If we can
rely upon the reports he has been careful TO
reiterate that on several occasions, % IL he
were conscious Of tho enormity Of lighting the
liberal IDEAS of the age and saw tho necessity
Of appsasing the rising indignity Of popular
sentiment Ia the world. But his acts, or the
acts OF his master, King William, show the
oontrary-show In fact, that the object Is to
break down the republic In France. King
William does not fear France so much a. he
does the republic. No doubt he is greatly en-
barrassed as to whatAgovsrnment can be estab-
lished there and the part he should take in de-
Gliding such an important and delicate question


Though he made war at first against the
Bonapartes, and though 1t was said he did not
wage war against the French nation or people,
only as necessity to put down Napoleon,
whom he designated az the disturbsr OF the
peace Of the world, there seems little doubt
that he would now gladly restore the Bona
parte empire, II that were possible, or he would
recognize an Orleanist or any other royal pre-
tender rather than see the republic established.
But he cannot see the way clear to any such
result. The consequence Is he continues this
frightfully bloody war against the French ma
ton after the first and only avowed object was
attained.


It might have been possible to have main
tained an imperial or royal government in
France had the King of Prussia negotiated
peace with Napoleon Immediately after the
battle Of Sedan. Or II the Emperor had
declined to negotiate and preferred to remain
. prisoner in the hands of the Prussians until
the war should be absolutely closed, either
from fear Of returning to Paris or to embarrass
the situation Of things, there was the regency
to open negotiations with. Had the King
acted on the spur Of the moment then he might
have treated with the regency in Paris, or, at
all events, before 1t left the soil Of France.
But after the Emperor became voluntary
prisonsr-for he could have fed to Belgium
and the Empress, with the Prince Imperial
and the whole Of tho imperial government, had
abandoned France, what was thsre to treat
with but the provisional government of the
newly proclaimed republic ? The opportunity
was lost to the King, and the prosecution Of
the war from his standpoint then became neces-
sary. The character of the war was changed
at once. II was, as we said before, no longer
against the Bonapartes, for they had all fed,
but against the nation and the republic.


Our remarks with regard to the embarrass-
ing situation of affairs caused by the hostility
of the Prussian monarch to republicanism
apply also to the great Powers which have
refused to recognize the republic England,
Russia and Austria must be blamed, and
especially must England, for the continuance
of the war and the present embarrassing situa-
ton. Had these Powers or had England
even, followed the example of the United


States, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Portugal


in recognizing the republican provisional gov
ernment, Prussia Could not have refused to


treat with it. And why should thsy not have
done 50? 1t was the only government pos
sible. 1t was to all intents and purposes de
facto government, to which the whole French
nation gave virtual adhesion and support
Had it been kingly government instead Of a
republican one neither England nor the other
Powers would have found any difficulty in ac-
cording it recognition.


We may regret that Jules Favre and his
colleagues did not accept the terms Bismarck
said he was willing to grant for an armistice,
exacting and humiliating as they were. But
why was the Prussian monarch so nexerable?


He had nothing to fear. His position gave
him ample guarantees without demanding


humiliating terms. His conduct has all the
appearance of purpose to crush the republic
by embarrassing its government and reducing
the French people to the most miserable con-


dition. He may fail in this however fer the
very means he uses to that end may arouse