Empress Frederick should have prepared us for this amiable surprise. But
because the august mother of the German Emperor was received by us with
nothing more than cold politeness, the _Cologne Gazette_ gives us a sound
drubbing, as witness the following--


"The French have no right to be offensive towards the august head of the
German Empire and his noble mother, by insulting them after the manner of
blackguards (polissons). Every German who has the very least regard for
the dignity of the nation must feel mortally insulted in the person of
the Emperor."

"The German people have the right to expect that the French Government
and the French nation will give them ample satisfaction, and will wipe
out this stain on the honour of France, by sternly calling to order the
wretches in question, creatures whom we Germans consider to be the refuse
of human society."

And we who belong to this "refuse," who flatter ourselves that we have
made extraordinary efforts of self-control when we refrained from saying
to the Empress Frederick: "Madame, spare us; let it not be said that you
went one day to Saint-Cloud, and on the next to Versailles, lest our
resolution to be calm should forsake us"--we, I say, now perceive, that
all our prudence has been wasted, and that we are still "refuse," the
refuse of human society.


The character of William II continues to develop its series of
eccentricities. With him, one may be sure of incurring displeasure, but
his favours are shortlived. His mania for change is manifested to a