Correspondence — Bombardment of Paris. xxxi 
similar to that of the present French Republicans, no voice was raised 
in England for the preservation of a city, so rich in monuments of 
ancient culture, from the English besieging fire. With regard to 
Paris, however, the German military commanders have already shown 
that they will exercise every forbearance compatible with their in- 
exorable duty of carrying to a successful issue the war forced upon 
Germany. It would better become the learned bodies of England 
thankfully to acknowledge that the military authorities have thus far 
delayed the bombardment, than to urge their Government to harass 
them by fresh importunities. All these obvious considerations, how- 
ever, have not restrained the Royal Irish Academy from summoning 
the whole world, in the name of humanity and civilization, into the lists 
against the besiegers of Paris ; whilst only a little impartiality is re- 
quired in order to recognise that at Paris it is in the camp of the 
besiegers that humanity and civilization can be found. This learned 
body has at the same time not hesitated to ask the participation of a 
German University in its project. They cannot, therefore, expect to 
escape the retort, that according to our German perception, which is 
that of sound human reason, those who strive to arrest the arm of 
retributive justice become themselves sharers in the crime. The 
German people, which, in its intellectual strivings, has ever sought 
to justify the proud words of Paracelsus : ' English, Erench, Italians ! 
you after me, not I after you,' has been forced to leave the labour of 
peaceful civilization, the only field of its ambition, because its noblest 
possessions, its national existence, its moral independence, its honour, 
were threatened by a burglarious attack. It is now fighting in Erance 
for the future security of these sacred possessions, and at the same 
time for the peace of the world, and the civilization of mankind. Eor 
these must all perish if the idea of retributive justice should fade out 
of the conscience of nations. That faith in this justice has not perished 
from the world is due, under God, to the German people. When 
Europe had not the moral courage to resist a scandalous breach of 
the peace, this nation, awaiting a righteous judgment amid the thunder 
of the battle, threw its very existence into the arena ; it sent forth the 
intellectual blossoms of its youth into the holy war, which a great 
English historical writer has rightly characterised as a fight of the 
Angels against Belial. Our high school, whose greatest boast it is that 
it is German, has likewise sent to the field hundreds of German youths, 
heedless of the disparity of the game in which we are compelled to 
fight against African half-savages, or the rabble of Garibaldian ad- 
venturers. German science already mourns among the fallen heroes 
several distinguished scholars, promising youths in large numbers. 
Let England, then, keep aloof from intervention of any kind ! May 
it be soon again granted to the British people to return to the path 
of their great past, when in every world-shaking struggle the British 
sword was also thrown into the scale for the true interests of huma- 
nity, for justice, for peace, and for the liberty of Europe ! But the 
learned bodies of Britain would best serve humanity by stepping with 
