s in history.
There was now no doubt that the Germans would, ere long, advance
seriously. By this time, the total of the French forces among the
Vosges mountains was considerable. Scarce a day passed without the
arrival of a corps of franc tireurs and--had all these corps been
animated with a spirit such as that evinced by the franc tireurs of
Dijon; and had they acted in unity, with discipline and
intelligence--they might have rendered immense services to France.

Unfortunately, this was very far from being the case. Very many of
the men had entered the ranks only to avoid being called upon to go
out with the Mobiles--or mobilized national guard. Others had only
entered from the impulse of the moment. Very many were altogether
unwilling to submit to any steady discipline while, in a great
number of cases, the corps were completely paralyzed from the utter
incapacity of their officers. Owing to these various causes, the
corps of franc tireurs distinguished themselves, in a great number
of cases, only by the extreme ingenuity and foresight which they
displayed in keeping at a prudent distance from the enemy. Some,
too, earned a bad name not only for themselves, but for the whole
body of franc tireurs, by their conduct towards the villagers;
helping themselves freely to what they required, and making
themselves almost as much dreaded by the peasantry as even the
Germans, themselves.

At the same time the villagers had, in very many cases, only
themselves to blame for the rough measures adopted by the franc
tireurs; for often, instead of doing all in their power for the men
who had taken up arms in the cause of France, the villagers looked
upon them only as strangers, out of whom the richest possible
harvest was to be obtained; and charged the most exorbitant prices
for all articles of necessity supplied to them. In fact, they
sometimes did not hesitate to say that they would not provide them,
at any price, with the provisions required; as these would be
wanted to satisfy the requisition of the Germans, upon their
arrival.

Perhaps in the whole world there is no class of people so
completely engrossed by the thought of gain as are the French
bourgeois, and rustic population. Every change of Government, every
political alteration, every law passed, is regarded by them simply,
and solely, from the view of how it will affect their own pockets.
Thus, instead of driving away their flocks and herds, at the
approach of the