One morning the secretary of the sous-prefet wrote to me to come to
Sarrebourg. From time to time we used to receive orders, as
magistrates, to go and give an account at the sous-prefecture of what
was going on in our district.
I said to myself, immediately on receiving this letter from Secretary
Gerard, that it was something about our Agricultural Society, which had
not yet delivered the prizes gained by the ducks and the geese a few
weeks before.
It was true that the Paris newspapers had for three days past been
discussing a Prince of Hohenzollern, who had just been named King of
Spain; but what could that signify to us at Rothalp, Illingen,
Droulingen, and Henridorf, whether the King of Spain was called
Hohenzollern or by any other name?
In my opinion, it could not be about that affair that Monsieur le
Sous-prefet wanted to talk to us, but about the old or a new
Agricultural Society, or something at least which concerned us in
particular. The idea of the parish road and the bells came also into
my mind; perhaps that was the object we were sent for.
At last I took up my staff and started for Sarrebourg.
Arriving there, I found the whole length of the principal street
crowded with mayors, police-inspectors, and _juges-de-paix_.* Mother
Adler's inn and all the little public-houses were so full that they
could not have held another customer.
* Magistrates.
Then I said to myself, no doubt something quite new is in the wind: as,
for instance; a fete like that when her Majesty the Empress and the
Prince Imperial, three years before, passed through Nancy to celebrate
the union of Lorraine with France. Thereupon I went to the
sous-prefecture, where I found already several mayors of the
neighborhood talking at the door. They were discussing the price of
corn, the high price of cattle food; they were called in one after
another.
In half an hour my turn came; Monsieur Christian Weber's name was
called, and I entered with my hat in my hand.
Monsieur le Sous-prefet with his secretary Gerard, with his pen stuck
behind his ear, were seated there: the secretary began to mend his pen;
and Monsieur le Sous-prefet asked me what was going on in my part of
the country?
"In our country, Monsieur le Sous-prefet? why, nothing at all. There
is a great drought; no rain has fallen for six weeks; the potatoes are
very small, and..."
"I don't mean that, Monsieur le Maire: what do they think of the Prince
Hohenzollern and the Crown of Spain?"
On hearing this I scratched my head, saying to myself, "What will you
answer to that now? What must you say?"
Then Monsieur le Sous-prefet asked: "What is the spirit of your
population?"
The spirit of our population? How could I get out of that?
"You see, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, in our villages the people are no
scholars; they don't read the papers."
"But tell me, what do they think of the war?"
"What war?"
"If, now, we should have war with Germany, would those people be
satisfied?"
Then I began to catch a glimpse of his meaning, and I said: "You know,
Monsieur le Sous-prefet, that we have voted in the Plebiscite to have
peace, because everybody likes trade and business and quietness at
home; we only want to have work and..."
"Of course, of course, that is plain enough; we all want peace: his
Majesty the Emperor, and her Majesty the Empress, and everybody love
peace! But if we are attacked: if Count Bismarck and the King of
Prussia attack us?"
"Then, Monsieur le Sous-prefet, we shall be obliged to defend ourselves
in the best way we can; by all sorts of means, with pitchforks, with
sticks..."
"Put that down, Monsieur Gerard, write down those words. You are
right, Monsieur le Maire: I felt sure of you beforehand," said Monsieur
le Sous-prefet, shaking hands with me: "You are a worthy man."
Tears came into my eyes. He came with me to the door, saying: "The
determination of your people is admirable; tell them so: tell them that
we wish for peace; that our only thought is for peace; that his Majesty
and their excellencies the Ministers want nothing but peace; but that
France cannot endure the insults of an ambitious power. Communicate
your own ardor to the village of Rothalp. Good, very good. _Au
revoir_, Monsieur le Maire, farewell."
Then I went out, much astonished; another mayor took my place, and I
thought, "What! does that Bismarck mean to attack us! Oh, the villain!"
But as yet I could tell neither why nor how.
I repaired to Mother Adler's, where I ordered bread and cheese and a
bottle of white wine, according to custom, before returning home; and
there I heard all those gentlemen, the Government officials, the
controllers, the tax-collectors, the judges, the receivers, etc.,
assembled in the public room, telling one another that the Prussians
were going to invade us; that they had already taken half of Germany,
and that they were wanting now to lay the Spaniards upon our back in
order to take the rest: just as they had put Italy upon the back of the
Austrians, before Sadowa.
All the mayors present were of the same opinion; they all answered that
they would defend themselves, if we were attacked; for the Lorrainers
and the Alsacians have never been behindhand in defending themselves:
all the world knows that.
I went on listening; at last, having paid my bill, I started to return
home.
I went out of Sarrebourg, and had walked for half an hour in the dust,
reflecting upon what had just taken place, when I heard a conveyance
coming at a rapid rate behind me. I turned round. It was Cousin
George upon his char-a-banc, at which I was much pleased.
"Is that you, cousin?" said he, pulling up.
"Yes; I am just come from Sarrebourg, and I am not sorry to meet with
you, for it is terribly warm."
"Well, up with you," said he. "You have had a great gathering to-day;
I saw all the public-houses full."
I was up, I took my seat, and the conveyance went off again at a trot.
"Yes," said I; "it is a strange business; you would never guess why we
have been sent for to the sous-prefecture."
"What for?"
Then I told him all about it; being much excited against the villain
Bismarck, who wanted to invade us, and had just invented this
Hohenzollern pretext to drive us to extremities.
George listened. At last he said: "My poor Christian! the sous-prefet
was quite right in calling you a worthy fellow; and all those other
mayors that I saw down there, with their red noses, are worthy men; but
do you know my opinion upon all those matters?"
"What do you think, George?"
"Well, my belief is, that they are leading you like a string of asses
by the bridle. That sous-prefet will present his report to the prefet,
the prefet to the Minister of the Interior, Monsieur Chevandier de
Valdrome,--the organizer of the Plebiscite--he who told you to vote
'Yes' to have peace--and that Minister will present his report to the
Emperor. They all know that the Emperor desires war, because he needs
it for his dynasty."
"What! he wants war?"
"No doubt he does. In spite of all, forty-five thousand soldiers have
voted against the Plebiscite. The army is turning round against the
dynasty. There is no more promotion: medals, crosses, promotions were
distributed in profusion at first, now all that has stopped; the
inferior officers have no more hope of passing into the higher ranks,
because the army is filled with nobles, with Jesuits from the schools
of the Sacred College: in the Court calendars nothing is seen but
_de_'s. The soldiers, who spring from the people, begin to discern
that they are being gradually extinguished: they are not in a pleasant
temper. But war may put everything straight again: a few battles are
wanted to throw light upon the malcontents; there must be a victory to
crush the Republicans, for the Republicans are gaining confidence: they
are lifting up their heads. After a victory, a few thousand of them
can be sent to Lambessa and to Cayenne, just as after the Second of
December. At the same time, the Jesuits will be placed at the head of
the schools, as they were under Charles X., the Pope will be restored,
Italy and Germany will be dismembered, and the dynasty will be placed
on a strong foundation for twenty years. Every twenty years they will
begin again, and the dynasty will strike deep root. But war there must
be."
"But what do you mean? It is Bismarck who is beginning it," said I:
"it is he who is picking a German quarrel."
"Bismarck," replied my cousin, "is well acquainted with everything that
is going on, and so are the very lowest workmen in Paris; but you, you
know nothing at all. Your only talk is about potatoes and cabbages:
your thoughts never go beyond this. You are kept in ignorance. You
are, as it were, the dung of the Empire--the manure to fatten the
dynasty. Bismarck is aware that our _honest man_ wants war, to temper
his army afresh, and shut the mouths of those whose talk is of economy,
liberty, honor, and justice; he knows that never will Prussia be so
strong again as she is now--she already covers three-fourths of
Germany; all the Germans will march at her side to fight against
France: they can put more than a million of men in the field in fifteen
days, and they will be three or four against one; with such odds there
is no need of genius, the war will go forward of itself--they are sure
of crushing the enemy."
"But the Emperor must know that as well as you, George," said I;
"therefore he will be for peace."
"No, he is relying upon his mitrailleuses: and then he wants to
strengthen his dynasty--what does the rest matter to him? To establish
his dynasty he took an oath before God and man to the Republic, and
then he trampled upon his oath and the Republic; he brought destruction
upon thousands of good men, who were defending the laws against him; he
has enriched thousands of thieves who uphold him; he has corrupted our
youth by the evil example of the prosperity of brigands, and the
misfortunes of the well-disposed; he has brought low everything that
was worthy of respect, he has exalted everything which excites disgust
and contempt. All the men who have approached this pestilence have
been contaminated, to the very marrow of their bones. You, Christian,
evidently cannot comprehend these abominable things; but the worst
rogues in this country, the wildest vagabonds among your peasants,
could never form an opinion of the villany of this _honest man_: they
are saints compared with him; at the very sight of him the heart of
every true Frenchman rises up against him: for the sake of his dynasty
he would sell and sacrifice us all to the last man."
George, in uttering these words, was trembling with excitement: I saw
that he was convinced to the bottom of his heart of what he said.
Fortunately we were alone on the road, far from any village; no one
could hear us.
"But that Hohenzollern," I said, after a few minutes' silence, "that
Leopold Hohenzollern--is not he the cause of all that is going on?"
"No," said George; "if misfortunes come upon us, the _honest man_ alone
will be the cause of it. If you did but read a newspaper, you would
see that the Spaniards wanted for their king, Montpensier, a son of
Louis Philippe; that could only have turned out to our good:
Montpensier would naturally have become the ally of France. But that
was against the interests of the Napoleon dynasty; so the _honest man_
threatened Spain; then the Spaniards nominated this Prussian prince in
the place of Montpensier; a prince who could not stand alone, but whom
a million of Germans would support if necessary. They fixed upon him
to annoy our gentleman; of course they had no need to ask for his
advice. Did France consult any one? did she trouble herself about
England, Spain, or Germany, when she proclaimed the Republic, or when
she proclaimed Louis Bonaparte Emperor? Has he then a right to thrust
his nose into their affairs? No; it is unpleasant for us; but the
Spaniards were right; there was no need for them to put themselves out
to please our _worthy man_ and his fine family. And now--happen what
may--I look no longer for peace; the Germans are withdrawing from our
country in all directions--they are joining their regiments; the order
has been given, and they obey; it is a bad sign. In all the villages
that I have been passing through, and upon every road, I have seen
these fine fellows, their bundles over their shoulders--they are off
home!"
Thus spoke Cousin George to me. I thought this was a little too bad;
but, on arriving home, the first thing my wife said to me was, "Do you
know that Frantz is going?"
"Our young man?"
"Yes, he wants his wages."
"Ah, indeed. Let him come here at the back, and we will have a talk."
I was much surprised, and I made him come into my room at the bottom of
the mill, where I keep my papers and my books. His cow-skin pack was
already fastened upon his shoulder.
"Are you going away, Frantz? Have you anything to complain of?"
"No, nothing at all, Monsieur Weber. But I am obliged to go; for I
have received orders to join my regiment."
"Are you a soldier, then?"
"Yes, in the Landwehr. We are all soldiers in Germany."
"But if you liked to stay here, who would come and fetch you?"
"That is an impossibility, M. Weber. I should be declared a deserter.
I could never return home again. They would take away all my property,
present and to come; my brothers and sisters would come in for it."
"Ah, that is a different thing! Now I understand. There--there's your
certificate of character."
I had written a good certificate for him, for he was a good workman. I
paid him what I owed him to the last farthing, and wished him a
prosperous journey.
Cousin George was right; those Germans were all moving homeward. You
would never have thought there were so many in the country; some had
passed themselves off for Swiss, some for Luxemburgers; others had
quite settled down, and no one would ever have suspected that they owed
two or three more years' service to their country. This gave rise to
disputes. Those whose situations they had taken, and who bore ill-will
against them, fell upon them; the _gendarmerie_ beat up the mountains;
things were taking an ugly turn.
It was in vain that I affirmed at the mayoralty-house that the Emperor
breathed only peace; for the Gazettes of the prefecture talked of
nothing but the insults we had had to endure, the ambition of Prussia,
revenge for Sadowa, the Catholic nations who were going to declare _en
masse_ in our favor, and all the powers which affirmed the justice of
our cause: the enthusiasm for war grew higher and higher day by day;
especially that of the pedlers, the tinkers, the small dealers, and all
those good fellows who come out of the prisons, and who are continually
seeking for work without finding any; though they do find walls to get
over, doors to break in, cupboards to plunder. All these excellent
people declared that it was for the honor of France to make war upon
Germany.
And then the Paris newspapers in the pay of the Government, as we have
more recently learned, continued arriving and were circulated gratis,
saying that our ambassador Benedetti had gone to see Frederick William
at the waters of Ems, to entreat him not to precipitate us into the
horrors of war; that the King had answered that all that was nothing to
him, for his Cousin Leopold of Hohenzollern had only consulted him out
of respect, as head of the family; that he was too good a relation to
advise him not to accept so good a windfall, which was coming down to
him out of the clouds.
Then, indeed, did the indignation of the Gazettes burst upon the
Germans: they must, by all means, be brought to their senses. Now,
fancy the position of a mayor, who only two months before had made all
his village vote in the Plebiscite, promising them peace, and who saw
clearly at last how they had only made use of him as a tool to dupe his
people! I dared no longer look my cousin in the face, for he had
warned me of the thing; and now I knew what to think of the honorable
members of the Government.
Affairs were going on so badly that war seemed imminent, when one fine
morning we learned that Hohenzollern had waived his right to be King of
Spain. Ah! now we were out of the mess: now we could breathe more
freely. That day my cousin himself was smiling; he came to the mill
and said to me: "The Emperor and his Ministers, his prefets and
sous-prefets, have not such long noses after all! How well things were
going on too! And now they will be obliged to wait for another
opportunity to begin. How they must feel sold!"
We both laughed with delight.
More than twenty-five of the principal inhabitants came that day to
shake hands with me at the mayoralty-house. It was concluded that his
excellency, Monsieur Emile Ollivier, would never be able to tinker this
war again, and that peace would be preserved in spite of him: in spite
of the Emperor, in spite of Marshal Leboeuf, who had declared to the
Senate _that we were ready--five times ready, and that during the whole
campaign we should never be short of so much as a gaiter button_.
Hohenzollern was praised up to the skies for having shown such good
sense; and as the reserves had been called out, many young men were
glad to be able to remain in the bosom of their families.
In a word, it was concluded that the whole affair was at an end; when
our _good man_ and his honorable Minister informed us that we had begun
to rejoice too soon. All at once, the report ran that Frederick
William had shown our ambassador the door, saying something so terribly
strong against the honor of his Majesty Napoleon III., that nobody
dared repeat it. It appeared that his Majesty the Emperor, seeing that
the King of Prussia had withdrawn his authorization from the Prince of
Hohenzollern to accept the Crown of Spain, had not been satisfied with
that; and that he had given orders to his ambassador to demand,
furthermore, his renunciation of any crown, whatever that the Spaniards
might offer him in all time to come--for himself or his family; and
that this King, who does not enjoy at all times the best of tempers,
had said something very strong touching _our honest man_.
That day I was at the mayoralty-house about eleven o'clock. I had just
celebrated the marriage of Andre Fix with Kaan's daughter, and the
wedding-party had started for church, when the postman Michel comes in
and throws down the little _Moniteur_ upon the table. Then I sat down
to read about the great battle in the Legislative Chambers, fought by
Thiers, Gambetta, Jules Favre, Glais-Bizoin and others, against the
Ministers, in defence of peace.
It was magnificent. But this had not prevented the majority, appointed
to do everything, from declaring war against the Germans, on account of
what the King of Prussia had said.
What could he then have said? His excellency Emile Ollivier has never
dared to repeat it! My Cousin George declared that he had said
something that was right, and naturally very unpleasant: but it is
known now, by the reports of our ambassador, that the King of Prussia
had said _nothing at all_, and that the indignation of M. Ollivier was
nothing but a disgraceful sham to deceive the Chambers, and make them
vote for war.
Well, this was the commencement of our calamities; and; for my part, I
find that this did not present a cheerful prospect. No! After having
endured such miseries, it is not pleasant to remember that we owe them
all to M. Emile Ollivier, to Monsieur Leboeuf, to Monsieur Bonaparte,
and to other men of that stamp, who are living at this moment
comfortably in their country-houses in Italy, in Switzerland, in
England; whilst so many unhappy creatures have had their lives
sacrificed, or have been utterly ruined; have lost father, children,
and friends: but we Alsacians and Lorrainers have lost more than
all--our own mother-country.