Paris under the Commune Part 37

His worst enemies have said of him that he was a good soldier in a bad cause.]

[Footnote 111: At the prison of Sainte-Pelagie, on Tuesday, the 23rd of May, the unfortunate gendarmes, who had been made prisoners on the 18th, were shot, together with M. Chaudey, a writer, on the _Siecle_, arrested at the office of the journal, and conducted, first to Mazas and afterwards to Sainte-Pelagie. (Appendix 11).

According to the _Siecle_, the "Procureur" of the Commune, Raoul Rigault, presented himself, at the office at about eleven at night, and having sent for M. Chaudey, said to him, without any preamble: "I am here to tell you that you have not an hour to live."

"You mean to say that I am to be a.s.sa.s.sinated," replied Chaudey.

"You are to be shot, and that directly," was the other's rejoinder.

But, on reaching the prison, the National Guards who had been summoned refused to do the odious work, and the Procureur went himself to find others more docile. Chaudey was led before them, Raoul Rigault drew his sword to give the signal, the muskets were levelled and fired, and Chaudey fell, but wounded only. A sergeant gave him the death blow by discharging his pistol at his head. The next day, a hundred and fifty hostages of the Commune, confined at the Prefecture of Police, amongst whom were Prince Galitzin and Andreoli, a journalist, were about to be shot by an order of Ferre, when the incendiary fires broke out and prevented the execution of the order. At eleven o'clock, Raoul Rigault commanded the prisoners to be released, and enjoined them to fight for the Commune; upon their refusal, a shower of b.a.l.l.s was discharged at them. The prisoners rushed for refuge into the Rue du Harlay, which was in flames, and were afterwards rescued by a detachment of the line.

That same day was fatal to Raoul Rigault. He was perceived by a party of infantry at the moment when he was ringing at the door of a house in the Rue Gay Lussac. His colonel's uniform instantly made him a mark for the soldiers; he had time to enter the house, however, but was soon discovered, gave his name, and allowed himself to be taken off towards the Luxembourg, but before reaching it, he began to shout, "Vive la Commune!" "Down with the a.s.sa.s.sins!" and made an effort to escape. The soldiers thrust him against a wall and shot him down.

The next day, the 24th, marked the fate of the hostages, who, in expectation of an attack of the Versaillais, had been transferred from Mazas to La Roquette. "Monseigneur Darboy," writes an eye-witness (Monsieur Dub.u.t.te, miraculously saved by an error of name), "occupied cell No. 21 of the 4th division, and I was at a short distance from him, in No. 26. The cell in which the venerable prelate was confined had been the office of one of the gaolers; it was somewhat larger than the rest, and Monseigneur's companions in captivity had succeeded in obtaining for him a chair and a table. On Wednesday, the 24th, at half-past seven in the evening, the director of the prison--a certain Lefrancais, who had been a prisoner in the hulks for the s.p.a.ce of six years--went up, at the head of fifty Federals, into the gallery, near which the most important prisoners were incarcerated. Here they ranged themselves along the walls, and a few moments later one of the head-gaolers opened the door of the archbishop's cell, and called him out. The prelate answered, "I am here!" Then the gaoler pa.s.sed on to M. le President Bonjean's cell (Appendix 12), then to that of Abbe Allard, member of the International Society in Aid of the Wounded; of Pere du Coudray, Superior of the School of Ste-Genevieve; and Pere Clere, of the Brotherhood of Jesus; the last called being the Abbe Deguerry, cure of the Madeleine. As the names were called, each prisoner was led out into the gallery and down the staircase to the courtyard; each side, as far as I could judge, was lined with Federal guards, who insulted the prisoners in language that I cannot repeat. Amid the hues and cries of these wretches my unfortunate companions were conducted across the courtyard to the infirmary, before which a file of soldiers were drawn up for the execution. Monseigneur Darboy advanced and addressed his murderers--addressed them words of pardon: then two of the men approached the prelate, and falling on their knees implored his pardon. The rest of the Federals threw themselves upon them, and thrust them aside with oaths, then, turning to the prisoners, they heaped fresh insults upon them. The chief officer of the detachment, however, imposed silence on the men, and uttering an oath, said, 'You are here to shoot these men, not to insult them.' The Federals were silenced, and upon the command of their lieutenant, they loaded their muskets.

"Pere Allard was placed against the wall, and was the first who was struck; then Monseigneur Darboy fell, and the six prisoners were thus shot in turn, showing, at this supreme moment, a saintly dignity and a n.o.ble courage."]

C.

Where are these men going with hurried steps, and with lanterns in their hands? Their uniform is that of the National Guard, and consequently of Federals, but the tricolour band which they wear on the arm would seem to indicate that they belong to the Party of Order. They are making their way by one of the entries of the sewers, and preceded by an officer are disappearing beneath the sombre vaults. Calling to mind the sinister expression of a Communal artillery commander--"The reactionary quarters will all be blown up; not one shall be spared," it is impossible to avoid feeling a shudder of terror. What if the incendiaries all wearing the badge of the Party of Order, be about to set fire to mines prepared beforehand, or to barrels of petroleum ready to be staved in! The wild demons of the Commune are capable of everything; an invention of incendiary firemen is quoted as an example of the diabolical genius which presided over the work of destruction; individuals wearing the fireman's uniform were seen to throw combustible liquids by means of pumps and pails on the burning houses, instead of aiding to extinguish the flames.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PARIS UNDERGROUND.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ENEMIES OF PROGRESS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CORPS DE GARDE DE L'ARMeE DE VERSAILLES.]

Fortunately, the fear is unfounded, the object of these men, on the contrary, is to cut the wires which connect all parts with inflammable materials, torpedoes, and other atrocious machines. They have already pa.s.sed several nights in destroying this underground telegraphic system.

The duty is not without danger; for not only are they exposed to the terrible consequences of a sudden explosion, but also to the risk of being taken and shot without trial, as traitors to the Commune. That is, should they chance to fall in with hostile bands, or appear in unfriendly quarters. It appears that these determined and devoted citizens have already lost two of their companions in the execution of this perilous duty. The intention of the Commune was to charge the whole of the main sewers and subways with combustibles; but luckily they had not time to mature their schemes, the advance of the Versailles troops being too quick for them. The Catacombs were included in the arrangement; for did not the able a.s.sy direct his agent Fosse to keep them open, as a means of escape? Alas! these subterranean pa.s.sages that underlie so large a portion of ancient Paris, what stories could they not tell of starved fugitives and maimed culprits dragging their weary limbs into the darkness of these gloomy caverns, only that they might die there in peace! Men and women, whose forms will in a few short weeks be unrecognisable, whose whitened bones will be crushed and kicked aside by the future explorer, who may perchance penetrate the labyrinths, and whose dust will finally be mixed up and undistinguishable from that of the bones and skulls taken from ancient cemeteries and graveyards with which this terrible Golgotha is decorated in Mosaic.

CI.

The fire is out, let us contemplate the ruins.[112] The Commune is vanquished. Look at Paris, sad, motionless, laid waste. This is what we have come to! Consternation is in every breast, solitude is in every street. We feel no longer either anger or pity; we are resigned, broken by emotion; we see processions of prisoners pa.s.s on their way to Versailles, and we scarcely look at them; no one thinks of saying either, "Wretches!" or "Poor fellows!" The soldiers themselves are very silent. Although they, are the victors they are sad; they do not drink, they do not sing. Paris might be a town that had been a.s.saulted and taken by dumb enemies; the irritation has worn itself off, and the tears have not yet come. The tricolour flags which float from all the windows surprise us; there does not seem any reason for rejoicing. Yet, of late especially, the triumph of the Versaillais has been ardently wished for by the greater portion of the population; but all are so tired that they have not the energy to rejoice. Let us look back for a moment. First the siege, with famine, separation and poverty; then the insurrection of Montmartre, surprises, hesitations, cannonading night and day, ceaseless musketry, mothers in tears, sons pursued, every calamity has fallen on this miserable city. It has been like Rome under Tiberius, then like Rome after the barbarians had overrun it. The cannon b.a.l.l.s have fallen upon Sybaris. So much emotion, so many horrors have worn out the city; and then all this blood, this dreadful blood. Corpses in the streets, corpses within the houses, corpses everywhere! Of course they were terribly guilty, these men that were taken, that were killed; they were horrible criminals, those women who poured brandy into the gla.s.ses and petroleum on the houses! But, in the first moment of victory, were there no mistakes? Were those that were shot all guilty? Then the sight of these executions, however merited, was cruelly painful. The innocent shuddered at the doom of justice. True, Paris is quiet now, but it is the quiet of the battle-field on the morrow of a victory; quiet as night, and as the tomb! An unsupportable uneasiness oppresses us; shall we ever be able to shake off this apathy, to pierce through this gloom?

Paris, rent and bleeding, turns with sadness from the past, and dares not yet raise her eyes to the future!

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE NEW MASTERS

PROCLAMATION OVER PROCLAMATION

PUBLIC PROMENADES.

CAMPS IN THE GARDENS OF THE LUXEMBOURG AND THE TUILERIES--THE SOLDIERS LOCKED IN, AND THE PUBLIC LOCKED OUT.

The damage done to the pier was by a Prussian sh.e.l.l in Jan. 1871.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PALACE OF THE LUXEMBOURG (STREET FRONT). NOW THE SEAT OF THE PREFECTURE OF PARIS.]

POOR PARIS!

[Ill.u.s.tration]

On August 15th, the _Times_ reporter gave the number awaiting trial at Versailles at 30,000. On the 7th September they had reached 39,000, daily arrests adding to the number; out of these, 35,000 only had their charges made out, of which 13,900 had been examined, 2,800 writs of release having been issued, though only a few hundreds have been set at liberty. There are only 94 reporting officers: 20 attached to the Council of War, 6 to the Orangerie, 4 to Satory, 3 to the Prison des Femmes, and 16 to the Western Ports: 17 more are to be added shortly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MARSHAL MACMAHON, Duc de Magenta.

Commander-in-chief of the Army of Versailles.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LIGHT & AIR ONCE MORE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FOSSE COMMUNE--THE END]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PARIS VERSAILLES]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 112: See Appendix 15, 16, 17, and 18.]

APPENDIX.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE PARISIAN INSURRECTION,

FROM THE 18th OF MARCH TO THE 29th MAY, 1871.

The dash (--) in each day after the commencement of military operations divides the civil from the military.

_Sat.u.r.day, 18th March_: Early in the morning troops take possession of the b.u.t.tes Montmartre and Belleville. The soldiers charged with the recovery of the pieces of artillery fraternise with the people and the National Guard. Arrest of Generals Lecomte and Clement Thomas: they are shot at Montmartre without trial. National Guards take possession of the Hotel de Ville, the Prefecture of Police is invaded by Raoul Rigault, Duval, and others.

_Sunday, 19th March_: The Central Committee of the National Guard take possession of the offices of the _Journal Officiel_. Arrest of General Chanzy. Gustave Flourens, imprisoned at Mazas, is set at liberty by the new masters of Paris. M. Thiers addresses a circular to the country enjoining obedience to the only authority, that of the a.s.sembly.

_Tuesday, 21st March_: Manifestation of the "Friends of Order."

Procession for public demonstration. Sitting of the a.s.sembly at Versailles. M. Jules Favre advises prompt measures. Appeal to the people and army.