p. 104 | News and Miscellany

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 14, 1871

News and Miscellany.

“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Paris, March 4.—Not a German soldier remains in Paris. The Saxons passed out at ten o’clock yesterday morning, marching in front of the Arc de Triomphe amid the profound silence of a few spectators, and by noon the evacuation of the city was complete. The German Emperor afterward reviewed 100,000 men in the Bois de Boulogne. The Prussian leaders were disappointed at the coldness and implacable attitude of the Parisians.

Several journals have resumed publication to-day. They are unanimous in the opinion that the impression produced by the preliminary terms of peace is very bad. They declare that no peace is real when obtained under such duress; but they recommend calmness and concord as the means of making the country great and prosperous.

M. Thiers declines to make a treaty of commerce with Germany on the ground that it is necessary for France to imitate the United States and restore an equilibrium by high tariffs.

Brest, March 5.—The cattle plague is raging in the valley of Sonderneau, with such violence that 500 men are engaged in burying the dead animals.

London, March 6.—The negotiations for the definitive treaty of peace will commence at Brussels. It is said that Favre will be the French plenipotentiary, and it is probable the main points have already been settled, but the details will occupy several months.

London, March 6.—At a review of the Prussian Guard, at Longchamps, the Emperor William addressed the troops. He thanked them for the heroism, endurance, and devotion, they had displayed, and added that they must thank Providence for choosing them as the instruments to bring to pass events of such magnitude and renown.

Versailles, March 6.—Numerous conversations held at Bordeaux and Versailles with deputies to the National Assembly, including M. Grevy, Gambetta and Favre, compel the belief that a civil war will soon occur, ending in the Orleans restoration.

Versailles, March 6.—An extensive organized emigration from the ceded provinces will occur immediately, and large bodies of Alsatians will emigrate to America.

The spy fever is prevalent in Paris, and there have been at least a dozen cases of Englishmen being insulted. The state of Paris is very alarming, and the mob is better armed than at any time in the history of France. There was no demonstration against the Crown Prince at St. Cloud.

London, March 7.—I learn from good authority that Bismarck is preparing a circular to be addressed to the diplomatic agents of Germany in foreign countries, reviewing the history of events in the progress of the past war, and the changed political position of the German Empire. In the circular he comments with severity, almost amounting to offensiveness, upon the attitude of England during the war, and the tricky and evasive policy of the British government.

Rome, March 7.—The pope has held a secret consistory, in which he delivered an allocution of considerable length. The Holy Father, in an address to the cardinals, attacks the motives and acts of the authors of the recent Italian events, and particularly the occupation of Rome, and rejects the guarantees of his spiritual power proposed by the bill which recently passed the Italian Parliament. He also laments the occurrence of the Franco-Prussian war, and expresses his gratitude for the devotion to himself of the church of the whole Catholic world.

Paris, March 9.—The National Guards are strongly entrenched with 31 guns on the heights of Montmartre, awaiting a signal from their leaders to proclaim open revolution in favor of the commune.

London, March 9.—Napoleon has addressed a communication to the President of the French Assembly, protesting against the vote by which that body declared his dynasty had forfeited the throne, as unjust and illegal. The Assembly, he says, was created only to make peace, and has exceeded its powers. The foundation of all public right is the plebiscit, and to that he is ready to bow, and to that alone.

London, March 9.—The Morning Post affirms that a secret treaty between Russia and Prussia was concluded about the time of the outbreak of the war, and says the following were among its provisions: Russia was to intervene between the belligerents in case the French were successful and should menace Poland; and in the event of an Austrian army’s encroaching upon the Prussian frontier, Russia was to checkmate it by a demonstration upon the Austrian frontier; and in case any European Power should combine with France, Russia was to join Prussia.

Napoleon III. seems to have been released with the other French prisoners in Germany, and he has started for his wife’s residence at Chislehurst, where he will doubtless set up, in business as a martyr, and live on the sympathies of Cockneys. Those who claimed that Bismarck was keeping him at Wilhelmshöhe, preparatory to restoring him to the French throne, will doubtless be disappointed and disgusted to learn that the fallen Emperor was permitted to take himself off without remonstrance or attentions from the risen one. Meantime only his former private Secretary, of all France, has been poor enough to do him reverence.

—Among the “strange revenges” which the whirligig of time is bringing upon the old pope, it is reported in the Jewish Messenger, that a rich Jew, Mr. Alatri, is the most prominent candidate for mayor of Rome under the Italian régime. Consider that the Jews have for hundreds of years been subject to the most unreasonable and cruel oppression in Rome, and that the severity of their condition has never been relaxed there, while all the rest of Europe has been growing more tolerant; and then think of a Jew mayor of Rome!

London, March 8.—The Daily News’ special correspondent at Versailles telegraphs that Bismarck has begun his homeward journey. The Emperor and the Crown Prince are to hold a review of the German forces to the eastward of Paris, and will not return to Versailles. The evacuation of the neighborhood of Versailles will probably be accelerated to enable the French National Assembly to meet there.

The Bank of France will commence issuing balance sheets on Thursday.

The letter of Jules Simon is placarded everywhere. It announces the deposition of Napoleon, and declares him responsible for the ruin and invasion of France.

Paris, March 8.—The Minister of War proposes a complete re-organization of the army and defenses of France, including the erection of fortifications upon the new German frontier.

The Emperor William and staff have left Versailles for Ferrieres, and the Prussians are to completely evacuate Versailles by the 11th, and the neighborhood by the 19th inst. It is hoped that the difficulties in Paris will pass over without serious disturbances.

Paris, March 8.—The Assembly will leave Bordeaux on Saturday, and meet at Versailles on Monday. The disorder and excitement of the past few days continues, but no further collisions have occurred. Detachments of Chanzy’s army are arriving. The press urge the Republicans of Montmartre and Belleville to stop their disorderly demonstrations, or force will be used to suppress them. They complain that by such conduct by its would-be friends, the Republican government is compromised, and it is hoped that the excitement will subside. The agitation is condemned by a great majority of the citizens.

In consequence of the disturbances, at a meeting of the Mayors, Jules Ferry resigned.

The Emperor Napoleon will not leave Wilhelmshöhe until the peace is definitely signed at Brussels.

M. Thiers, in replying to a question, said the expenses of the war outside of Paris exceed 1,100,000,000 francs.

A committee of the Assembly made a report in favor of annulling the election of Garibaldi to the Assembly from Algiers. Victor Hugo proceeded to make a speech warmly defending Garibaldi, but he was interrupted by great tumult in the Chamber. And when he attempted to continue, was met with a storm of hisses, and he thereupon announced his immediate resignation, and abruptly quit the Assembly.

—The opposition to the grant of a dowry to Princess Louise on her marriage with the Marquis of Lorne seems to increase in force. At Birmingham the popular Liberal members could hardly get a hearing from their constituents in defense of it; and at Nottingham a mass-meeting which condemned it broke up with shouts for the English Republic. We suspect that those shouts had some significance. It is not simply that the Queen’s persistent retirement has worn out her popularity, though that is true enough; nor that she is accused thereby of injuring trade, while hoarding the income lavished by the State, that it might be spent as lavishly; but the lower and middle classes of the British people are becoming rapidly saturated by the doctrines of their popular Beales and Beesleys, and cannot see why a wealthy woman should not dower her own daughter, nor why a government that is practically a republic should carry the burden of an utterly useless and not even ornamental Royal Family. There will be no serious attempt to change the present order of things so long as Victoria lives; but, on her death, the scapegrace Prince of Wales will be lucky if he peaceably becomes King Albert Edward.

—A correspondent of the Boston Transcript writes from Geneva of one of the methods which the pope has resorted to for replenishing his treasury. In 1865, France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland agreed upon an equal coinage, which should be current alike in each country. The pope, although invited, declined to come into the agreement; but soon adopted a similar coinage of his own, which obtained ready currency, until it was discovered that nearly all the coin in Switzerland was that of the pope. An examination was then made, and it was found that the pope’s coin was twenty per cent below par in value. The pope made at least $800,000 by the swindle!

Reports from Southern Kansas state that there is likely to be a repetition of the reign of terror that existed there last fall, which culminated in the hanging of six or eight reputed horse thieves.

Howell, March 6.—A very singular phenomenon was visible in the heavens here on Saturday from 10 o’clock until 2 in the afternoon. Three circles were visible, the largest of which was very bright, commencing and terminating at the sun, and extending across the entire heavens. The two smaller were variegated in color, and extended around the sun; that of the latter in a true circle, and the smaller in the shape of an eclipse. The appearance created quite a sensation.

Gov. Scott has called upon the President for United States troops to suppress outrages in the counties of Union and York, South Carolina, where he reports that men are marched or driven from their homes nightly because of their political opinions. Gov. Scott informs the President that there is no sufficiently armed and equipped militia to give the needed protection, and that if he did have at his disposal a competent military force, there are no funds in the State treasury to transport and subsist them. He says that nothing but a permanent garrison in the disaffected sections will give protection to the men who are threatened with murder or exile, solely because of their fidelity to the principles of a free government. As an evidence of the condition of affairs in South Carolina, facts are stated that on last Monday a company of United States troops left Columbia for York, had the railroad torn up in their front by a body of armed men, and were obliged to march by road. On Friday last the Republican members of the Legislature, now sitting, paid men to picket the road leading from the capital, because of well-grounded fears of a Ku Klux raid upon their body.