A PLEA FOR FRANCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 250, 24 October 1870, Page 4

A PLEA FOR FRANCE.

To THE EoiTOE OF THE NeLSOX EVENING MAIL

Sir — In your issue of Saturday last, a correspondent of the London Times, speaking, of the contrast presented by the two sides of the river (Rhine) after war had been declared, says — that | "in Germany the people were grave, anxious, but resolute, and everything was done quietly. In France there was much yelling, drinking, boasting, and boisterous merriment on the part of the soldiers and lower classes, and extraordinary activity among officers and officials of all grades." This correspondent decidedly, but rather too partially, sides with the Germans, asserting that they ' • seemed sorry to be obliged to fight, whereas, the French longed to be at it." Sir, I think that a more impartial writer could have added that " the gravity and anxiety of the Germans. looked very much like the anxiety of a robber who having seriously made his plan " does everything quietly,'' whereas the attitude of the French denotes the position of a man who, knowing the justice of his cause and the right of a just defence, goes with a light heart and a firm determination to fight for it. That the Prussians had made their plan of robbery is evident by the fact that M. Von Bismarck had been for a long time contemplating how to add the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to the Confederation. In 1866 these two provinces were openly talked of in Berlin, as the prizes of a war with France. "We will reduce France," said a Berlin paper " to a third rate power, and we will inscribe in letters of blood upon our banners, Alsace and Lorraine." The conduct of ! Prussia had been since so evidently tending to that accomplishment that, in France, before the declaration of the present war, the press seeing the movements of Prussia, was lately urging the Government to a struggle, or rather to take measures to prevent a serious evil. It was on the very eve of the declaration of the war that a French paper said:— Why should we wait any longer? Do we not see that Prussia breaks treaties andvvill soon be upon us ? This is now the time to stop her. To-day we could do it with 500,000 men, to-morrow it will be too late. The truth of this appears in the fact that, the Prussians at the declaration of the war were pre-, pared and ready, and the French surprised and unprepared, though obliged to declare war immediately. Our press seems to be ignorant of these circumstances, and says that France thirsts after blood and goes to war for nothing ! However, it appears that the correspondent of the Times was so much taken up with the attitude of the Germans that be did not notice that they also, in their gravity and anxiety, indulged in yelling, boasting, and boisterous merriment, as a proof of which see a picture in the Illustrated London News, July 30, page 109. Also, that they had not all taken a pledge against drink, as you will see in the same periodical, August 13, page 161, where, not only tumblers, but even big casks appear to have been freely manipulated and quickly emptied. I am, yours, &c, Fair Plat.