The Fall of Paris

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 7, 1871

The Fall of Paris.

The melancholy tragedy is ended. The curtain drops upon the closing scene of the play which ends in the humiliation of a once proud and great nation. With the wide territory of France as the stage, the civilized world as sad spectators, and the two most powerful nations of Europe as the uncompromising actors, one of the most stupendous tragedies of modern history has been acted out. In the fall of Paris, France has fallen, and now lies prostrate at the feet of her great German conqueror. With no power to assert her independence, no authority to demand her rights, and no government to defend her interests, France is without hope for the future, except that which may be found in the clemency of her victor, the protection of her rivals, or the courage and devotion of her citizens. From the former, she has little to expect; from the latter, the past leads us to expect but little. The question which she has to answer now and at once is, What shall be the form of government under which we shall re-organize? This will involve many difficult problems, and cannot be answered until some recognized authority shall be established, which can speak for the whole people. France may regain much by her diplomacy, that she has lost by her sword, and in the complications which will arise in adjusting the relations which are to exist in the future between her government and that of her rivals and contemporaries, lies her only opportunity. Whether her diplomats will succeed any better with Bismarck than her generals have with Von Moltke, is to be doubted, for in securing two such men, Emperor William has succeeded most admirably in eking out the lion’s skin with the fox’s hide. What Von Moltke’s courage has won for Prussia, Bismarck’s shrewdness will undoubtedly hold for united Germany. But leaving the question of the future to be decided by that logic of events by which God reasons out his great conclusions, we can better trace the history of the past, than prophesy what may happen in the future.

After nearly four months of hardships that would have broken the spirit of any less proud and patriotic people, Paris, on the 29th day of January, surrendered to Emperor William, who announced the fact to the world by the following telegram to the Empress:—

VERSAILLES, 2 P.M., Sunday.—Last night an armistice for three weeks was signed. The regulars and Mobiles are to be kept in Paris as prisoners of war. The National Guard will undertake the maintenance of order. We occupy all the forts. Paris remains invested, but will be allowed to victual as soon as the armies are surrendered. The National Assembly is to be assembled to meet at Bordeaux in a fortnight. All the armies in the field will retain their respective positions, the ground between the opposing lines to be neutral.

This is the reward of patriotism, heroism, and great sacrifices! Thank God for this fresh mercy! May peace soon follow. WILHELM.

Although the surrender is slightly masked under the forms of an armistice, the armistice is accompanied with the most humiliating conditions—the occupation of the whole line of forts by the Germans, and the holding of the army of Paris as prisoners of war within the city, thus making it a virtual surrender of the city. It is true that the forms of surrender, the delivery of the sword, and the mortifying public parade of the soldiers are not insisted on, but now that a capitulation of the forts has followed parley, absolute surrender must follow capitulation.—Interior.