Paris under the Commune Part 6

"a.s.sy, Billioray, and others."

Placarded up also is another proclamation[17] signed by the citizens a.s.sy, Billioray, and others, announcing that the Communal elections will take place on Wednesday next, 22nd of March, that is to say in three days.

This then is the result of yesterday's doings, and the revolution of the 18th March can be told in a few words.

There were cannon at Montmartre; the Government wished to take them but was not able, thanks to the fraternal feeling and cowardice of the soldiers of the Line. A secret society, composed of several delegates of several battalions, took advantage of the occasion to a.s.sert loudly that they represented the entire population, and commanded the people to elect the Commune of Paris--whether they wished or not.

What will Paris do now between these dictators, sprung from heaven knows where, and the Government fled to Versailles?

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 14: No one may use white placards--they are reserved by the government.

The following is an extract from the _Official Journal_ of Versailles, bearing the date of the 20th of March, which explains the official form of the announcements made by the Central Committee:--

"Yesterday, 19th March, the offices of the _Official Journal_, in Paris, were broken into, the employes having escaped to Versailles with the doc.u.ments, to join the Government and the National a.s.sembly. The invaders took possession of the printing machines, the materials, and even the official and non-official articles which had been set up in type, and remained in the composing-rooms. It is thus that they were enabled to give an appearance of regularity to the publication of their decrees, and to deceive the Parisian public by a false _Official Journal_."]

[Footnote 15: Here is an extract from the _Official Journal_ upon the subject (numbers of the 29th March and 1st June):--

"In the insurrection, the momentary triumph of which has crushed Paris beneath so odious and humiliating a yoke, carried the distresses of France to their height, and put civilisation in peril, the International Society has borne a part which has suddenly revealed to all the fatal power of this dangerous a.s.sociation.

"On the 19th of March, the day after the outbreak of the terrible sedition, of which the last horrors will form one of the most frightful pages in history, there appeared upon the walls a placard which made known to Paris the names of its new masters.

"With the exception of one, alone, (a.s.sy), who had acquired a deplorable notoriety, these names were unknown to almost all who read them; they had suddenly emerged from utter obscurity, and people asked themselves with astonishment, with stupor, what unseen power could have given them an influence and a meaning which they did not possess in themselves.

This power was the International; these names were those of some of its members."]

[Footnote 16: _Travailler pour le Roi de Prusse_, "to work for the King of Prussia," is an old French saying, which means to work for nothing, to no purpose.]

[Footnote 17: "THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.

"Inasmuch:--

"That it is most urgent that the Communal administration of the City of Paris shall be formed immediately,

"Decrees:--

"1st. The elections for the Communal Council of the City of Paris will take place on Wednesday next, the 22nd of March.

"2nd. The electors will vote with lists, and in their own arrondiss.e.m.e.nts.

"Each arrondiss.e.m.e.nt will elect a councillor for each twenty thousand of inhabitants, and an extra one for a surplus of more than ten thousand.

"3rd. The poll will be open from eight in the morning to six in the evening. The result will be made known at once.

"4th. The munic.i.p.alities of the twenty arrondiss.e.m.e.nts are entrusted with the proper execution of the present decree.

"A placard indicating the number of councillors for each arrondiss.e.m.e.nt will shortly be posted up.

"Hotel de Ville, Paris, 29th March, 1871."]

V.

Paris remains inactive, and watches events as one watches running water.

What does this indifference spring from? Surprise and the disappearance of the chiefs might yesterday have excused the inaction of Paris, but twenty-four hours have pa.s.sed over, every man has interrogated his conscience, and been able to listen to its answer. There has been time to reconnoitre, to concert together; there would have been time to act!

Why is nothing done? Why has nothing been done yet? Generals Clement Thomas and Lecomte have been a.s.sa.s.sinated; this is as incontestable as it is odious. Does all Paris wish to partake with the criminals in the responsibility of this crime? The regular Government has been expelled.

Does Paris consent to this expulsion? Men invested with no rights, or, at least, with insufficient rights, have usurped the power. Does Paris so far forget itself as to submit to this usurpation without resistance?

No, most a.s.suredly no. Paris abominates crime, does not approve of the expulsion of the Government, and does not acknowledge the right of the members of the Central Committee to impose its wishes upon us. Why then does Paris remain pa.s.sive and patient? Does it not fear that it will be said that silence implies consent? How is it that I myself, for example, instead of writing my pa.s.sing impressions on these pages, do not take my musket to punish the criminals and resist this despotism? It is that we all feel the present situation to be a, singularly complicated one. The Government which has withdrawn to Versailles committed so many faults that it would be difficult to side with it without reserve. The weakness and inability the greater part of those who composed it showed during the siege, their obstinacy in remaining deaf to the legitimate wishes of the capital, have ill disposed us for depending on a state of things which it would have been impossible to approve of entirely. In fine, these unknown revolutionists, guilty most certainly, but perhaps sincere, claim for Paris rights that almost the whole of Paris is inclined to demand. It is impossible not to acknowledge that the munic.i.p.al franchise is wished for and becomes henceforth necessary.

It is for this reason that although aghast at the excesses in perspective and those already committed by the dictators of the 18th March, though revolted at the thought of all the blood spilled and yet to be spilled--this is the reason that we side with no party. The past misdeeds of the legitimate Government of Versailles damp our enthusiasm for it, while some few laudable ideas put forth by the illegitimate government of the Hotel de Ville diminish our horror of its crimes, and our apprehensions at its misdoings.

Then--why not dare say it?--Paris, which is so impressionable, so excitable, so romantic, in admiration before all that is bold, has but a moderate sympathy for that which is prudent. We may smile, as I did just now, at the emphatic proclamation of the Central Committee, but that does not prevent us from recognizing that its power is real, and the ferocious elements that it has so suddenly revealed are not without a certain grandeur. It might have been spitefully remarked that more than one patriot in his yesterday evening walk on the outer boulevards and in the environs of the Hotel de Ville, had taken more _pet.i.t vin_ than was reasonable in honour of the Republic and of the Commune, but that has not prevented our feeling a surprise akin to admiration at the view of those battalions hastening from all quarters at some invisible signal, and ready at any moment to give up their lives to defend ... what? Their guns, and these guns were in their eyes the palpable symbols of their rights and liberties. During this time the heroic a.s.sembly was pettifogging at Versailles, and the Government was going to join them.

Paris does not follow those who fly.

VI.

The b.u.t.te-Montmartre is _en fete_. The weather is charming, and every one goes to see the cannon and inspect the barricades, Men, women, and children mount the hilly streets, and they all appear joyous ... for what, they cannot say themselves, but who can resist the charm of sunshine? If it rained, the city would be in mourning. Now the citizens have closed their shops and put on their best clothes, and are going to dine at the restaurant. These are the very enemies of disorder, the small shopkeepers and the humble citizens. Strange contradiction! But what would you have? the sun is so bright, the weather is so lovely.

Yesterday no work was done because of the insurrection; it was like a Sunday. To-day therefore is the holiday-Monday of the insurrection.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BEHIND A BARRICADE: THIS MORNING MEAL--THIRTY SOUS A DAY AND NOTHING TO DO.]

VII.

In the midst of all these troubles, in which every one is borne along, without any knowledge of where he is drifting--with the Central Committee making proclamations on one side, and the Versailles Government training troops on the other, a few men have arisen who have spoken some words of reason. These men may be certain from this moment that they are approved of by Paris, and will be obeyed By Paris--by the honest and intelligent Paris--by the Paris which is ready to favour that side which can prove that it has the most justice in it.

The deputies and maires of Paris have placarded the following proclamation:--

"RePUBLIQUE FRANcAISE.

"LIBERTe, eGALITe, FRATERNITe.

"Citizens,--Impressed with the absolute necessity of saving Paris and the Republic by the removal of every cause of collision, and convinced that the best means of attaining this grand object is to give satisfaction to the legitimate wishes of the people, we have resolved this very day to demand of the National a.s.sembly the adoption of two measures which we have every hope will contribute to bring back tranquillity to the public mind.

"These two measures are: The election of all the officers of the National Guard, without exception, and the establishment of a munic.i.p.al council, elected by the whole of the citizens.