The Duel Between France and Germany | Page 8

more than that dominion of the
air once declared to be hers, while France had the land and England the
sea. [Footnote: "So wie die Franzosen die Herren des Landes sind, die
Englaender die des groessern Meeres, wir die der Beide und Alles
umfassenden Luft sind."--RICHTER, (Jean Paul,) _Frieden-Predigt an
Deutschland_, V.: Saemtliche Werke, (Berlin, 1828-38,) Theil XXXIV.
s. 13.] The dominion of the land is at last contested, and we are
saddened inexpressibly, that, from the elevation they have reached,
these two peers of civilization can descend to practise the barbarism of
war, and especially that the laud of Descartes, Pascal, Voltaire, and
Laplace must challenge to bloody duel the laud of Luther, Leibnitz,
Kant, and Humboldt.

FOLLY.
Plainly between these two neighboring powers there has been unhappy
antagonism, constant, if not increasing, partly from the memory of
other days, and partly because Prance could not bear to witness that
German unity which was a national right and duty. Often it has been
said that war was inevitable. But it has come at last by surprise, and on
"a question of form." So it was called by Thiers; so it was recognized
by Ollivier, when he complained of insensibility to a question of honor;
and so also by the Due de Gramont, when he referred it all to a
telegram. This is not the first time in history that wars have been waged
on trifles; but since the Lord of Frauenstein challenged the free city of
Frankfort because a young lady of the city refused to dance with his
uncle, nothing has passed more absurd than this challenge sent by
France to Germany because the King of Prussia refused to see the
French Ambassador a second time on the same matter, and then let the
refusal be reported by telegraph. Here is the folly exposed by
Shakespeare, when Hamlet touches a madness greater than his own in
that spirit which would "find quarrel in a straw when honor's at the
stake," and at the same time depicts an army

"Led by a delicate and tender prince, Exposing what is mortal and
unsure To all that Fortune, Death, and Danger dare, _Even for an
egg-shall._"
There can be no quarrel in a straw or for an egg-shell, unless men have
gone mad. Nor can honor in a civilized age require any sacrifice of
reason or humanity.

UNJUST PRETENSION OF FRANCE TO INTERFERE WITH THE
CANDIDATURE OF HOHENZOLLERN.
If the utter triviality of the pretext were left doubtful in the debate, if its
towering absurdity were not plainly apparent, if its simple wickedness
did not already stand before us, we should find all these characteristics
glaringly manifest in that unjust pretension which preceded the
objection of form, on which France finally acted. A few words will
make this plain.
In a happy moment Spain rose against Queen Isabella, and, amidst cries
of "Down with the Bourbons!" drove her from the throne which she
dishonored. This was in September, 1868. Instead of constituting a
Republic at once, in harmony with those popular rights which had been
proclaimed, the half-hearted leaders proceeded to look about for a King;
and from that time till now they have been in this quest, as if it were the
Holy Grail, or happiness on earth. The royal family of Spain was
declared incompetent. Therefore a king must be found outside,----and
so the quest was continued in other lands. One day the throne is offered
to a prince of Portugal, then to a prince of Italy, but declined by
each,----how wisely the future will show. At last, after a protracted
pursuit of nearly two years, the venturesome soldier who is
Captain-General and Prime-Minister, Marshal Prim, conceives the idea
of offering it to a prince of Germany. His luckless victim is Prince
Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a Catholic, thirty-five years of
age, and colonel of the first regiment of the Prussian foot-guards,
whose father, a mediatized German prince, resides at Duesseldorf. The
Prince had not the good sense to decline. How his acceptance excited
the French Cabinet, and became the beginning of the French pretext, I
have already exposed; and now I come to the pretension itself.
By what title did France undertake to interfere with the choice of Spain?
If the latter was so foolish as to seek a foreigner for king, making a

German first among Spaniards, by what title did any other power
attempt to control its will? To state the question is to answer it.
Beginning with an outrage on Spanish independence, which the Spain
of an earlier day would have resented, the next outrage was on
Germany, in assuming that an insignificant prince of that country could
not be permitted to accept the invitation,---- all of which, besides being
of insufferable insolence, was in that