THE REJOICINGS IN GERMANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 986, 22 October 1870, Page 9

THE REJOICINGS IN GERMANY.

A correspondent writing from Berlin on the 7th August thus describes the manner in which the intelligence of the victory of Worth was received there :—: —

" The capital apparently see 3 once more in all their glory the July days of 1868. The French prisoner^ were just on the point of quitting Berlin when new jubilation was heard through the city from one end to the other, and everybody streamed yesterday evening towards the Linden. It was well known that something new had occurred, but nothing further was known, and the masses rushed to the front of the royal palace. There GovernorGeneral yon Bonin appeared on the balcony and read the despatch announcing the victory at Worth. Cries were raised for the Queen, and as the exalted lady stepped forward and bowed on all sides, all those underneath, as if by preconcerted arrangement, sang with one voice Luther's famous hymn, 'Em feste Burg is unser Gott.' It was an indescribably beautiful scene, which even the rain, which fell heavily for about twenty minutes, did not materially spoi 1 . The Prus&iau Hymn and other patriotio songs goon followed, then the crowd separated ; a great number following a oarriage containing musicians, which appeared very suddenly, A united body

of the people went to Count Hsmark'a hotel and to the Ministry of War, in order to give vent to their feelings by cheering. Torchbearers appeared, and here and there flamed Bengal- lights, lighting up the scene with their magical influence. By chance, the fellow-countryman of a band of a jager corps which was marching through was regaling them with those dishes of which, during the parliamentary campaign, the Rhenish deputies were especially accustomed to par. take. Suddenly the band began to play, and joy reigned through the city for the rest of the night. f i o-day the city i 3 brilliant with flags, and the general joy is raised to the highest pitch at the news of the victory at Worth, with the 4000 prisoners, the captured mitrailleuses, guns, and eagles. Churchgoers who towards mid-day returned to their homes met the reserve battery of the regiment of Artillery of the Guard on their way to the Lustgarten, in order, as on the day of Koniggratz (July 4, 1866), to nre a 'victoria.' An old soldier who was in the Lustgarten told the people that his ancient comrade, the aged Wrangel, eight dayd before, said at the Potsdam Railway Station, ' Mind, the Bang leaves to-day, and in eight days' time we shall probably fire victoria.' He was right. Each shot, the 101 being fired from eight guns, was followed by loud cheers from the people. The guns were placed between the palace and the site of the monument to Frederick William 111., with their mouths towards the Linden. Her Majesty appeared on the balcony during the firing and graciously thanked the crowd, who did not cease to continue their crieß of joy."

The news of the victory at Worth was received at Carlsruhe in the following manner :—: —

"On the afternoon of the 6th inst. all sorts of rumours of victory were circulating through our town, which since the departure of the troops has been bo quiet. A banker had received a telegram from Frankfort announcing that Thionville was taken, but in the streets it was stated that not Thionville, but Bitsche, s was the place. Those, however, who knew the position of this fortress shook their heads in doubt. Then, about nine o'clock, loud cheers were suddenly heard in various places. A telegram from the Crown Prince to the Grand Duke had half an hour previously announced the complete victory over M'Mahon at Worth. All the police of the town were mobilised, and they hastened from house to house to spread the news quickly. A quarter of an hour afterwards a great number of waggons arrived at the depot of the Society for Help to the Wounded, loaded with food and restoratives destined for head- quarters. The sounds of joy increased in the stree+s and were loudest before the palace. The large space there was filled with people, and solemnly sounded forth the hymn, ' Nun dankt alle Gott.' Then appeared the Grand Duke, who proposed a cheer for the victory over M'Mahon, in which the crowd joined most heartily. The ' Wacht am Rhein' was then sung, and the dense crowd separated, but the jubilation was kept up till late in the night."

According to the Berlin, correspondent of the Florence Nazione, the Prussian police have discovered that the French Government for the last twelvemonth has had a thoroughly organised corps of spies in Germany. The whole of the country was divided into districts, eacb of which had its inspector, and its two sub-inspec-tors, who were in direct communication with a director-general in Paris. Berlin, Hamburg, and Dresden were the headquarters of the spies., part of whose duties consisted in establishing military and political relations with the malcontents in the annexed provinces. The Prussian police have furnished to the Government at Berlin official proofs that France has been for a long time preparing for this war, and only awaited a convenient pretext.

A newspaper correspondent writing from Paris says :—" It is useless detailing the various ' military orders ' now being enrolled — sufficient to say that the fighting population of the country up to 50 yeara of age is armed and off to the wars, the married men remaining to defend the cities. To defend France no force is necessary to make her sons do their duty, the only difficulty is to arm and equip the thousands who voluntarily come forward—all classes, without exception, determined, like Caesar's soldiers, that if heaven would fall they would support it on their lances. Mitchell, brother-in-law of Offenbach, the composer, and chief editor of the Constitutionnel, and Cassagnac, jun. , the fire-eating editor of Le Pays, have joined the Zouaves as simple soldiers. Divinity students have fallen into line also, but the 40,000 Christian Brothers not having shown any sign to ' move on,' a deputy proposed to compel them. Napoleon the First would have brigad.ed> them by a decree in five njiautefc."