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PROLOGUE.
PROLOGUE.
"Osons, ce mot renferme toute la politique de cette heure."— Rapport de St. Just à la Convention . HOW THE PRUSSIANS GOT PARIS AND THE RURALS FRANCE. August 9, 1870. —In six days the Empire has lost three battles. Douai, Frossart, MacMahon have allowed themselves to be isolated, surprised, crashed. Alsace is lost, the Moselle laid bare. The dumbfoundered Ministry has convoked the Chamber. Ollivier, in dread of a demonstration, denounces if beforehand as "Prussian." But since eleven in the mornin
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
"Le chef du pouvoir exécutif, pas plus que l'Assemblée Nationale, s'appuyant l'un sur l'autre et se fortifiant l'un par l'autre, n'avaient en aucune manière provoqué l'insurrection parisienne."— Discours de M. Dufaure contre l'Amnistie , Séance du 18 Mai 1876. FIRST ATTACKS OF THE COALITION AGAINST PARIS—THE BATTALIONS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD FEDERALISE AND SEIZE THEIR CANNON—THE PRUSSIANS ENTER PARIS. The invasion has brought back the "Chambre introuvable" of 1816. After having dreamt of a regene
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
"Cette république a été menacée par l'Assemblée, a-t-on dit, Messieurs, quand l'insurrection a éclaté, l'Assemblée ne s'était encore signalée au point de vue politique que par deux actes: la nomination du chef du pouvoir exécutif et l'acceptation d'un cabinet républicain."— Discours de M. Larcy, du Centre Gauche, contre l'Amnistie, Séance du 18 Mai 1876. THE COALITION OPENS FIRE ON PARIS—THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE CONSTITUTES ITSELF—M. THIERS ORDERS THE ASSAULT. To the rural plebiscite the Parisian N
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
"Nous avons donc fait ce que nous devions faire; rien n'a provoqué l'insurrection de Paris."— Discours de M. Dufaure contre l'Amnistie, Séance du 18 Mai 1876. THE EIGHTEENTH OF MARCH. The execution was as foolish as the conception. On the 18th of March, at three o'clock in the morning, several columns dispersed in various directions to the Buttes Chaumont, Belleville, the Faubourg du Temple, the Bastille, the Hôtel-de-Ville, Place St. Michel, the Luxembourg, the thirteenth arrondissement and the
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
"Nos cœurs brisés font appel aux vôtres."— Les Maires et Adjoints de Paris et les Députés de la Seine à la Garde Nationale et à tous les Citoyens. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE CONVOKES THE ELECTORS—THE MAYORS OF PARIS AND DEPUTIES OF THE SEINE TURN AGAINST IT Paris only became aware of her victory on the morning of the 19th of March. What a change in the scene, even after all the scene-shifting in the drama enacted during these last seven months! The red flag floated above the Hôtel-de-Ville. With the
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
"Je croyais que les insurgés de Paris ne pourraient pas conduire leur barque."— Jules Favre, Enquête sur 18 Mars. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AFFIRMS ITSELF, REORGANISES THE PUBLIC SERVICES, AND HOLDS PARIS. Thus no agreement had been come to, only one of the four delegates having, from sheer weariness, given way to a certain extent. So on the morning of the 20th, when the mayor Bonvalet and two adjuncts sent by the mayors came to take possession of the Hôtel-de-Ville, the members of the Committee una
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
"L'ideé de voir un massacre me remplissait de douleur."— Jules Favre, Enquête sur le 4 Septemre. THE MAYORS, THE DEPUTIES, THE JOURNALISTS, THE ASSEMBLY COMBINE AGAINST PARIS—THE REACTION MARCHES ON THE PLACE VENDÔME, AND IS PUNISHED. On the 21st the situation stood out in bold relief. At Paris—the Central Committee, with it all the workmen and all the generous and enlightened men of the small middle-class. The Committee said, "We have but one object—the elections. Everybody is welcome to co-ope
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE TRIUMPHS OVER ALL OBSTACLES AND CONSTRAINS THE MAYORS TO CAPITULATE. The Central Committee was equal to the occasion. Its proclamations, its Socialist articles in the Officiel , the truculence of the mayors and deputies, had at last rallied round it all the revolutionary groups. It had also added to its members some men better known to the masses. [98] By its order the Place Vendôme was provided with barricades; the battalions of the Hôtel-de-Ville were reinforced; strong p
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
"Une portion considérable de la population et de la garde nationale de Paris sollicite le concours des départements pour le rétablissement de l'ordre."— Circulaire de M. Thiers aux Préfets, le 27 Mars. PROCLAMATION OF THE COMMUNE. This week ended with the triumph of Paris. Paris-Commune again resumed her part as the capital of France, again became the national initiator. For the tenth time since 1789 the workmen put France upon the right track. The bayonets of Prussia had laid bare our country,
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
"Toutes les parties de la France sont unies et ralliées autour de l'Assemblée et du gouvernement."— Circulaire de M. Thiers à la Province, le 23 au soir. THE COMMUNE AT LYONS, ST. ETIENNE, AND CREUZOT. What was the state of the provinces? For some days, without any of the Parisian journals, they lived upon lying despatches of M. Thiers, [102] then looked at the signatures to the proclamations of the Central Committee, and finding there neither the Left nor the democratic paragons, said, "Who are
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
THE COMMUNE AT MARSEILLES, TOULOUSE, AND NARBONNE. Since the elections of the 8th February, the advent of the reactionists, the nomination of M. Thiers, the patched-up and shameful peace, the monarchy in prospect, the defiances and the defeats were as bitterly resented by the valiant town of Marseilles as by Paris. There the news of the 18th March fell upon a powder-magazine. Nevertheless, further details were looked for, when the 22nd brought the famous despatch of Rouher-Canrobert. The clubs,
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
THE COUNCIL OF THE COMMUNE WAVERS FROM ITS FIRST SITTINGS—THE MAYORS AND ADJUNCTS ELECTED DESERT EN MASSE. The Place of the Hôtel-de-Ville was still astir when the newly elected members of the Commune assembled in the municipal council-hall. The ballot had returned sixteen mayors, adjuncts, and Liberals of all shades, [107] a few Radicals, [108] and about sixty Revolutionists of all sorts. [109] How came these latter to be chosen? All must be told, and virile truth at last substituted for the st
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
SORTIE OF THE THIRD APRIL—THE PARISIANS ARE REPULSED EVERYWHERE—FLOURENS AND DUVAL ARE KILLED—THE VERSAILLESE MASSACRE SOME PRISONERS. That very day, the 2nd April, at one o'clock, without warning, without summons, the Versaillese opened fire and threw their shells into Paris. For several days their cavalry had exchanged shots with our advanced posts at Châtillon and Putteaux. We occupied Courbevoie, that commands the route to Versailles, which made the rurals very anxious. On the 2nd, at ten o'
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE COMMUNE IS VANQUISHED AT MARSEILLES AND NARBONNE. The same sun that saw the scale turn against Paris looked also on the defeat of the people of Marseilles. The paralytic Commission still continued to dose, when, on the 26th, Espivent beat the réveille, placed the department in a state of siege, and issued a proclamation à la Thiers. The municipal council began to tremble, and on the 27th withdrew their delegates from the prefecture. Gaston Crémieux and Bouchet were at once sent to the Mairie
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE GREAT RESOURCES OF THE COMMUNE—THE GREAT WEAKNESS OF THE COUNCIL—NOMINATION OF CLUSERET—DECREE CONCERNING THE HOSTAGES—THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE—THE BANK. After an armistice of seventy days, Paris again took up the struggle for France single-handed. It was no longer the territory only which she strove for, but the very ground-work of the nation. Victorious, her victory would not be sterile as those of the battlefield; regenerated, the people would set to the great work of remaking the social edi
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
THE FIRST COMBATS OF NEUILLY AND ASNIÈRES—ORGANISATION AND DEFEAT OF THE CONCILIATORS. The rout of the 3rd April daunted the timorous but exalted the fervent. Battalions inert until then rose; the armament of the forts no longer lagged. Save Issy and Vanves, rather damaged, the forts were intact. All Paris soon heard these fine cannon of seven, which Trochu had disdained, [119] firing so lustily and with such correct aim, that on the evening of the 4th the Versaillese were obliged to evacuate th
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE MANIFESTO OF THE COUNCIL—THE COMPLEMENTARY ELECTIONS OF THE 16TH APRIL SHOW A MINORITY WITHIN THE COUNCIL—FIRST DISPUTES—THE GERMS OF DEFEAT. For the second time the situation was distinctly marked out. If the Council did not know how to define the Commune, was it not in the most unmistakable manner, and before the eyes of all Paris, declared to mean a camp of rebels by the fighting, the bombardment, the fury of the Versaillese, and the rebuff of the conciliators? The complementary elections
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
OUR PARISIENNES—SUSPENSION OF ARMS FOR THE EVACUATION OF NEUILLY—THE ARMY OF VERSAILLES AND THAT OF PARIS. The glorious flame of Paris still hid these failings. One must have been enkindled by it to describe it. Beside it the Communard journals, in spite of their romanticism, show pale and dull. It is true the mise en scéne was unpretending. In the streets, in the silent boulevards, a battalion of a hundred men setting out for the battle or returning from it; a woman who follows, a passer-by who
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PUBLIC SERVICES—FINANCE—WAR—POLICE—EXTERIOR—JUSTICE —EDUCATION—LABOUR AND EXCHANGE. The insufficiency and the weakness of the Executive Commission became so shocking, that on the 20th the Council decided to replace it by the delegates of the nine commissions, amongst whom it had distributed its different functions. These commissions were renewed the same day. In general they were rather neglected; and how could one man attend to the daily sittings of the Hôtel-de-Ville, to his commission and
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CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE FREEMASONS JOIN THE COMMUNE—THE FIRST EVACUATION OF THE FORT OF ISSY—CREATION OF THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. M. Thiers was fully acquainted with the failings of the Commune, but he also knew the weakness of his army. Besides, he piqued himself upon playing the soldier before the Prussians. In order to appease his colleagues, eager for the assault on Paris, he received haughtily the conciliators, who multiplied their advances and their lame combinations. Everybody intermeddled, from the g
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CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XX.
ROSSEL REPLACES CLUSERET—THE RIVALRIES—THE DEFENCE OF THE FORT OF ISSY. The last act of the second Executive Commission was to name Rossel delegate at War. On the same evening (the 30th April) it sent for him. He came at once, recited the history of famous sieges, and promised to make Paris impregnable. No one asked him for a written plan, and there and then, as on the stage, his nomination was signed. He forthwith wrote to the Council, "I accept these difficult functions, but I want your entire
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CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXI.
"La plus grande infamie dont l'histoire moderne ait garde la souvenir, s'accomplit à cette heure, Paris est bombardé."—Jules Favre, Jules Simon, E. Picard, Trochu, Jules Ferry, E. Arago, Garnier-Pages, Pelletan. Proclamation du Gouvernement de la Defense Nationale à propos du bombardement Prussien. "Nous avons écrasé tout un quartier de Paris."— M. Thiers à l'Assemblée Nationale, Séance du 5 Août 1871. PARIS IS BOMBARDED—THE FORT OF ISSY SUCCUMBS—THE COUNCIL ELECTS A NEW COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFE
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CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE CONSPIRACIES AGAINST THE COMMUNE. The Commune had given rise to the various trades of the plot-monger, the betrayer of gates, the conspiracy-broker. Vulgar sharpers, Jonathan Wilds of the gutter, whom a shadow of police would have scared away, they had no other strength than the weakness of the prefecture and the carelessness of the delegations. The evidence relative to them is to a certain extent still in the keeping of the Versaillese; but they have themselves published a good deal, often
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CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIII.
"C'est par le canon et par la politique que nous avons pris Paris."— M. Thiers, Enquête sur le 18 Mars. M. THIERS' POLICY WITH REGARD TO THE PROVINCES—THE EXTREME LEFT BETRAYS PARIS. Who was the great conspirator against Paris? The Extreme Left. On the 19th March, what remained to M. Thiers wherewith to govern France? He had neither an army, nor cannon, nor the large towns. These possessed arms, and their workmen were on the alert. If that small middle-class which makes the provinces endorse the
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CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE IMPOTENCE OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY—EVACUATION OF THE FORT OF VANVES AND OF THE VILLAGE OF ISSY—THE MANIFESTO OF THE MINORITY—THE EXPLOSION IN THE AVENUE RAPP—FALL OF THE VENDÔME COLUMN. At the advent of the new Committee on the 10th May our military situation had not changed within the line from St. Ouen to Neuilly, where both sides faced each other on the same level; but it was becoming serious from La Muette. The powerful battery of Montretout, that of Meudon, of Mont-Valér
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CHAPTER XXV.
CHAPTER XXV.
PARIS ON THE EVE OF DEATH. The Paris of the Commune has but three days more to live; let us engrave upon our memory her luminous physiognomy. He who has breathed in thy life that fiery fever of contemporaneous history, who has panted on thy boulevards and wept in thy faubourgs, who has sung to the morns of thy revolutions and a few weeks after bathed his hands in powder behind thy barricades, he who can hear from beneath thy stones the voices of the martyrs of sublime ideas and read in every one
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CHAPTER XXVI.
CHAPTER XXVI.
"La porte de St. Cloud vient de s'abatre. Le général Douai s'y est précipité."— M. Thiers aux Préfets, le 21 Mai. THE VERSAILLESE ENTER PARIS ON SUNDAY, 21ST MAY. AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON—THE COUNCIL OF THE COMMUNE DISSOLVES. The great attack approached; the Assembly drew up in battle-array. On the 16th May it refused to recognise the Republic as the Government of France, and voted public prayers by 417 voices out of 420. On the 17th the army established its breach batteries against the
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CHAPTER XXVII.
CHAPTER XXVII.
"Les généraux qui ont conduit l'entree à Paris sont de grands hommes de guerre."— M. Thiers à l'Assemblée Nationale, 22 Mai 1871. MONDAY 22ND—THE VERSAILLESE INVADE THE QUARTERS OF THE EAST—PARIS RISES. At two o'clock Dombrowski arrived at the Hôtel-de-Ville, pale, dejected, his chest bruised with stones ploughed up by shot. He told the Committee of Public Safety of the entry of the Versaillese, the surprise of Passy, his useless efforts to rally the men. As he was pressed for news, as they appe
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
TUESDAY 23RD—MONTMARTRE IS TAKEN—THE WHOLESALE MASSACRES—WE LOSE GROUND—PARIS ON FIRE—THE LAST NIGHT OF THE HÔTEL-DE-VILLE. The defenders of the barricades slept on their paving-stones. The hostile outposts were on the watch. At the Batignolles the Versaillese reconnaissance carried off a sentinel. The Federal cried out with all his might, "Vive la Commune!" and his comrades, thus warned, were able to put themselves on their guard. He was shot there and then. In like manner fell D'Assas and Barr
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CHAPTER XXIX.
CHAPTER XXIX.
"Nos vaillants soldats se conduisent de manière à inspirer la plus haute estime, la plus grande admiration à l'étranger."— Discours de M. Thiers, à l'Assemblée Nationale le 24 Mai 1871. WEDNESDAY 24TH—THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL EVACUATE THE HÔTEL-DE-VILLE—THE PANTHÉON IS TAKEN—THE VERSAILLESE SHOOT THE FEDERALS BY HUNDREDS—THE FEDERALS SHOOT SIX HOSTAGES—THE NIGHT OF THE CANNON. The defenders of the barricades, already without reinforcements and munitions, were now left even without food, and al
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CHAPTER XXX.
CHAPTER XXX.
THURSDAY 25TH—THE WHOLE LEFT BANK FALLS INTO THE HANDS OF THE TROOPS—DELESCLUZE DIES—THE BRASSARDIERS [192] STIMULATE THE MASSACRE—THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL EVACUATE THE MAIRIE OF THE ELEVENTH ARRONDISSEMENT. A few thousand men could not indefinitely hold a line of battle several miles long. When night had set in, many Federals abandoned their barricades in order to snatch a little rest. The Versaillese, who were on the look-out, took possession of their defences, and the glimmering of dawn saw
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CHAPTER XXXI.
CHAPTER XXXI.
"Le commandant Ségoyer a été pris par les scélérats qui défendaient la Bastille, et, sans respect des lois de la guerre, a été immédiatement fusillé"— M. Thiers aux Préfets, le 27 Mai. THE RESISTANCE CENTRES IN BELLEVILLE—FRIDAY, FORTY-EIGHT HOSTAGES ARE SHOT IN THE RUE HAXO—SATURDAY 27TH, THE WHOLE TWENTIETH ARRONDISSEMENT IS INVADED—THE PÈRE LACHAISE IS TAKEN—SUNDAY 28TH, THE BATTLE ENDS AT ELEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING—MONDAY 29TH, THE FORT OF VINCENNES IS SURRENDERED. The soldiers continuing
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CHAPTER XXXII.
CHAPTER XXXII.
"Nous sommes d'honnêtes gens; c'est par les lois ordinaires que justice sera faite. Nous n'aurons recours qu'à la loi."— M. Thiers à l'Assemblée Nationale, 22 Mai 1871. "Honest, honest Iago!"— Shakespere. THE VERSAILLESE FURY—THE SLAUGHTER-HOUSES—THE PREVOTAL COURTS—THE DEATH OF VARLIN—THE BURIALS. Order reigned in Paris. Everywhere ruins, death, sinister crepitations. The officers walked provokingly about clashing their sabres; the non-commissioned officers imitated their arrogance. The soldier
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CHAPTER XXXIII.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
"La cause de la justice, de l'ordre, de l'humanité, de la civilisation, a triomphé."— M. Thiers à l'Assemblée Nationale, 22 Mai 1871. THE CONVOYS OF PRISONERS—THE ORANGERIE—THE ARRESTS—SATORY—THE DENUNCIATORS—THE PRESS—THE LEFT INSULTS THE VANQUISHED—DEMONSTRATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Happy the dead! They had not to mount the Calvary of the prisoners. From the wholesale fusillades one may guess the number of arrests. It was a furious razzia; men, women, children, Parisians, provincials, foreig
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CHAPTER XXXIV.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
"La conciliation, c'est l'ange qui plane après l'orage."— Dufaure à l'Assemblée Nationale, 26 Avril 1871. THE PONTOONS—THE FORTS—THE PRISONS—THE FIRST TRIALS. The human lakes of Versailles and Satory were soon overflowing. From the first days of June the prisoners were filed off to the seaports and crowded into cattle-waggons, the awnings of which, hermetically closed, let in no breath of air. In a corner was a heap of biscuits; but themselves thrown upon this heap, the prisoners had soon reduce
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CHAPTER XXXV.
CHAPTER XXXV.
"A Versailles, tous les moyens ont été employés pour assurer l'instruction la plus sérieuse, la plus attentive, la plus complète de tous les procès qui ont été juges.... Je tiens donc que les jugements qui ont été rendus ne sont pas seulement en droit, d'après toutes nos lois, inattaquables, mais que, pour la conscience la plus scrupuleuse, ils sont des jugements qui ont dit la vérité.—('Très bien! très bien!')"— Le Garde des Sceaux Dufaure, Discours contre l'Amnistie, Séance du 18 Mai 1876. [25
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CHAPTER XXXVI.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
"Les déportés sont plus heureux que nos soldats, car nos soldats ont des factions à faire ... tandis que le déporté vit au milieu des fleurs de son jardin."— Discours de l'Amiral Fourichon, Ministre de la Marine, contre l'Amnistie, Séance du 17 Mai 1876. "Ce sont surtout les républicains qui ne doivent pas vouloir l'amnistie."— Victor Lefranc, Séance du 18 Mai 1876. NEW CALEDONIA—EXILE—BALANCE-SHEET OF BOURGEOIS VENGEANCE —THE LIBERAL CHAMBER AND THE AMNESTY. Two days' journey from France there
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APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
I.—(Page 29.) The Central Committee found in the bureau of the War-Office, and the Officiel of the Commune published on the 25th April, the following letter from the supreme commander of the artillery of the army to General Suzanne:— " Paris , 12th December 1870 . "My dear Suzanne—I have not found among the young auxiliaries your protégé Hetzel, but only a M. Hessel. Is it he who is meant? "Tell me frankly what you desire, and I will do it. I will attach him to my staff, where he will be bored,
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