introduce these irritating measures with the object
of reducing the inhabitants of Alsace-Lorraine to
despair and driving them to revolt, when it will be
possible to say that the civil government is useless
and that martial law must be proclaimed."

This would mean that the civil law would be sus-
pended, that the summary process of courts-martial
would represent the highest justice. In that case,
also, the few concessions hitherto made to Alsace-
Lorraine could be annulled.

This then was the culmination of twenty years of
German rule in the conquered provinces. The pas-
sage quoted is a sufficient commentary on the states-
manship displayed by the government which knew
better what was good for the people of Alsace-
Lorraine than did the people themselves.

What the people thought of it, however, was
shown in the elections of 1890. Alsace-Lorraine
again sent a delegation largely of "protesters" to
the Reichstag in Berlin.

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