ALSACE AND LORRAINE. 



17 



faction, which is by no means consistent with the in- 

 tentions of the Government. There would be mutual 

 denunciations and suspicions. I much less fear the 

 municipal authorities, when elected by the parishes, 

 than our own officials. If I should be deceived in 

 this hope, it is an advantage of an energetic Govern- 

 ment that it can promptly repair trifling errors. 

 How far we are able to go in leaving the country to 

 govern itself, I will not here decide. Under every 

 circumstance we will go as far as is consistent with 

 the security of the country. This is a task which is 

 new to my previous sphere of action ; and it is so 

 difficult that I do not approach it w.thout hesitation. 

 The task that I created for myself on assuming 

 charge of the Prussian ministry, to restore the Ger- 

 man Empire in some form, has been accomplished, 

 and I regard my political obligations to my Father- 

 land in a certain degree as finished j and it I, at my 

 age, am not terrified at the task, it is because of my 

 interest in the welfare of the inhabitants of Alsace. 

 1 regard myself as their advocate 



Prince Bismarck declared himself opposed 

 to the two provisions which the committee of 

 the Diet had added to the bill, as proposed by 

 the Federal Council, especially the one short- 

 ening the dictatorial power of the Imperial 

 Government. The vote was taken on June 3d. 

 Clause 1, which incorporates Alsace and Lor- 

 raine with Germany as a direct province of 

 the empire, was agreed to with only two dis- 

 senting voices. On clause 2, which provides 

 that the dictatorial power shall continue until 

 the 1st of January, 1873, Prince Bismarck 

 stated that the difference between his views 

 and those of the Parliament consisted in his 

 considering that the wishes and requirements 

 of the country were not sufficiently taken into 

 account in the decisions arrived at by the Par- 

 liament. It was possible, perhaps, that even 

 before 1873 he might be in a position to pro- 

 pose that the Alsatians should take part in 

 parliamentary legislation ; he might also admit 

 them before that date to the Federal Council. 

 He persisted in the wish for a longer term of 

 dictatorial power, because he believed that the 

 Government would, for a time, treat Alsace in 

 a more generous manner than Parliament. He 

 pointed out the peculiarities of the country, 

 which it would be necessary to handle with 

 care, mentioning as instances the positions of 

 lawyers and bailiffs, whose offices had hitherto 

 been acquired by purchase, and who would 

 therefore have to be indemnified, if the pres- 

 ent arrangements were modified. Such labors 

 as these modifications would render necessary 

 were not suitable for the action of Parliament ; 

 otherwise, the duration of a session would be 

 illimitable. At a later stage of the discussion, 

 Prince Bismarck stated, in order to avoid any 

 misunderstanding, that the participation of 

 Alsace in the deliberations of the Parliament 

 would not be identical with the introduction 

 of the imperial constitution in Alsace, but 

 would rather be a sort of preparatory course. 

 In the bill it was provided that some portions 

 of the constitution might be put in force before 

 the validity of the bill ceased, and this might 

 be done with regard to electoral rights with- 

 out thereby restricting legislation for Alsace 

 VOL. XL 2 A 



to a parliamentary form. Clause 2 was then 

 adopted, as proposed by the committee. After 

 a short debate, the remaining paragraphs, and 

 subsequently the whole bill, were adopted. 



In October, a treaty was concluded between 

 France and Germany, by which the Govern- 

 ment of France granted for the articles of 

 export from Alsace-Lorraine, into France, ex- 

 emptions from or reductions of duty to the 

 end of the year 1872. In return, similar favors 

 were granted by Germany to a few articles of 

 export from France into Alsace-Lorraine to 

 the same date. One article of the treaty pro- 

 vides for the restoration of three villages to 

 France. 



Municipal elections were held in Alsace and 

 Lorraine at the close of July. In a few places 

 they were declared void, in consequence of the 

 small vote. The German Government brought 

 no pressure to bear upon the electors, the im- 

 mense majority of whom were unquestionably 

 sympathizing with France. Many of the in- 

 habitants emigrated to France, Switzerland, or 

 the United States of America. Many others, 

 availing themselves of that clause of the con- 

 stitution which leaves to the people of the an- 

 nexed provinces the choice of adopting the 

 French or the German nationality, preferred 

 to remain in Alsace as Frenchmen. As they 

 openly betrayed their entire sympathy with 

 the "Ligue Alsacienne et Lorraine de la D6H- 

 vrance," which had been organized in Paris, to 

 prepare the way for the recovery of the two 

 lost provinces, the German Government warned 

 this class of Alsatians that as foreigners they 

 were only tolerated, and that, in case of emer- 

 gency, the German Government must reserve 

 to itself full liberty of action with regard to 

 them. The French Government yielded, how- 

 ever, to the remonstrances of Germany, and 

 dissolved the " Ligue Alsacienne " as being in- 

 compatible with the principles of international 

 law. The society accordingly changed its 

 name into " Societe" Alsace-France-Lorraine," 

 and, dropping all political paragraphs of their 

 statutes, assumed the character merely of a 

 philanthropical society. 



The administration of the new German 

 province will be gradually assimilated to that 

 of the remainder of Germany. The Univer- 

 sity of Strasbourg will be reorganized, and the 

 Government intends to make it one of the 

 prominent universities of the German Empire, 

 hoping that a German university will exercise 

 a great influence in favor of a revival of Ger- 

 man sentiments among the mass of the people. 

 The gymnasia, normal and primary schools, 

 will soon be reconstructed under the German 

 system. Compulsory education has already 

 been introduced. As regards the two lan- 

 guages of the new province, the Strassburger 

 Zeitung, of August 27th, contains the follow- 

 ing official communication : " It is, of course, 

 understood that instruction in the German 

 language will at once be obligatory in all the 

 schools, and that, in every class, at least six 



