e end of the century by all true Alsatians. But this line of action,
where it was adopted, was taken entirely without prejudice to the
national demand, which remained as firm as ever, supposing
circumstances should ever admit of reunion with France.

Two causes in particular contributed to the irreconcilable attitude of
the provinces:--first, the liberal tendencies of the population, the
general sympathy, especially in Alsace, with the revolutionary and
Napoleonic doctrines of Liberal France from 1789 onward; and secondly,
the amazing lack of political intelligence shown by their new masters.
"Even if you could ever have annexed us with success"--said Dr. Bucher
long before the war, to a German publicist with whom he was on
friendly terms--"you came, as it was, a hundred years too late. We had
taken our stand with France at the Revolution. Her spirit and her
traditions were ours. We were not affected by her passing fits of
reaction, which never really interfered with us or our local life.
Substantially the revolutionary and Napoleonic era laid the
foundations of modern France, and on them we stand. They have little
or nothing in common with an aristocratic and militarist Germany. Our
sympathies, our traditions, our political tendencies are all
French--you cannot alter them."

"But, finally--what do you expect or wish for?" said the German man of
letters, after he and Dr. Bucher had talked through a great part of
the night, and the German had listened to the Alsatian with an evident
wish to understand Alsatian grievances.

Dr. Bucher's answer was prompt and apparently unexpected.

"Reunion with France," he said quietly--"no true Alsatian wishes
anything else."

The German first stared and then threw himself back with a
good-natured laugh.

"Then indeed there's nothing to be done." (_Dann ist ja freilich gar
nichts zu machen!_)

The tone was that of a strong man's patience with a dreamer; so
confident did the Germans feel in their possession of the
"Reichsland."

But whatever chance the Germany of Bismarck and William II. might have
had of winning over Alsace-Lorriane--and it could never have been a
good one--was ruined by the daily and tyrannous blundering of the
German Government. The prohibition of the teaching of French in the
primary schools, the immediate imposition of German military service
on the newly-annexed territories, the constant espionage on all those
known to hold strong sympathies with France,