The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-12 00:00:00

SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 1870_

intidte score, tined the umn di power out of Otllce. as.
awned to themaelthe the roles, and sent instantly all. ever
Paris for men of (mark who can command respect. onoh so
Dorian, Louis Blanc and Viet,' r Hugo, to join there.
The affair of Bourget was pleceof errant Intileilog. The
Freeshooters of the Prete wanted some work to do. They
were tired of their idleness, and they cf f trod retake Bourget.
They gut leave from General Bellemare, the Commander it
the district of St. Denis: they were supported by some
Moblots, mid they went og to have—what will beat be under-
to Inehind in • phrase which la not classical, but
premier—a lark. They got in among the Prassians, and
drove them out in their nightshirts at four in the morning
of Friday last. Great was the Om, aud these youeg fellows
had all the joy if feeling what a glorious genie is war—the
most glorious of all genies. The Sloblots put on the hare
and other ovencoata of the Riuiwians ; they t oh cff
their keeis and dunned the spiked helmets
the entree, °nem7, and in the merriment of masquerade marched
back to Pat,. Their merriment, however, soon eagle I
end, for the Forts, seeing troops of soldiers with apt ,
, helmet, approaching jail., took them for Priulsiaus and be•
! grin to drop shells upon therrn. The mistake did not last
thug the Mohlota threw off their Magni.° ned acarepered
off, and there waa • day of pleasure for Pell. in the story
or • thiccessful exploit full of amusing details. But It so
happened that General Tee ohu did not want Bourget to be
token—ii was uo part of his plau, it interfered with hie
operations to be obliged to look alter a village which, Is. his
view, tether lin importance . . Next day, however (hunday),
the Germans came with an overwhelming -especially thi
overwhelming force of guns—end they re-link Ihttreet In an
hour this, too,. with witch needless loss to the trees Cl the
defence. 'this it was that 'frith, .1 Park; more tnan the
surrender of Metz, and this It who that gave Mango, ad his
Pet a chance of oversetting the ,ioveriduent. began
in a Indio elided in disaster. I, wee very notr outtalk' ,a the
complete overthrow of the Government, and • eence
In the titter dthorganisatfoo t the and runs of
Fraece, and the triumph eththelation of ti., ''or-
moan power. General Ire, ha and hi- ,Isagaee w
souers In the hand., t [b./rabb(e for ue, hetirs,iw,atately
after M. Titters lett them, are-1 ! toe German, nail but
'mown it they e, 'it the same hi rr-i nave wasikeu into Paris
without thy thouole .
The revolutioo, solar as it we.,, was a i arpriae, and all
was to quietly done, Gist 'at thug 1 May speak for myself),
being by accident at the Hotel de and moving about
among the crowds, I kites, retideg—simpected nothiug—of
what was going on. I had le lour to spare In the afternoon,
and drove to um Boulevar, Eaaeue to see the statue
of Voltaire, which has repl.. oci that of the Prince Eugene.
. . Passing along this Boulevard, I met immense muses
of the National Guard coming from the Hotel de Ville be-
twee, three and lour in the afternoon, and, wheeling round
by the Place dole Bastille, I met more and more Column. of
the National Guard, all coming gaits peaceably from the
thme point home of the battaliona carried placard.,
on which were inscribed, "rho Commune tor ever I" "No
Armistice!" .No Pother But all were moving away quietly
to their reapective quarters, holding their muskets Mitt end
up wards, ea if, havisig made their demonstratlou, they had
done enough, and bad nothing more to Bay. l'he fact It
that all the National" (limed. of Parts had determined on
a manifestation that day In the midst of all the pelting
ca1......1dy cab got blocked in among the masses of troops
that crowded round the Hotel de Ville, I got out to see whet
was to be seen. All was in perfect order, each battalion
waiting quietly for its turn to =welt before the gateway of
the Hotel de Vile to make its declaration, and to pass on.
And yet at this very time, amid leo much external order,
there was lands the Hotel uproar, confusion and dismay.
Some of the battalions of hellevllle. One with Ylourens
at its bead, got into the splendid saloons of the
Hotel and assailed the Government with reproaches
and demands. General Trachu made several apts.:ht.,
to them, In one of which he is reported to have said
that he only wanted fourteen days to i alse the siege of Paris.
But the mob were not to be pacified, and insisted on the in.
stout election of the Commune of Path, together with •
point blank refuel of any Armistice. There are diftereut
reports of what happened best, but, as far aa I can make
out, a member of the Government—but whether with or
without the consent of him .11eagues la the point most call-
cult to determine—held at,. placard on which was inscribed,
as the future programme of the Governmeet—. No Annie.
tree, No Pears—the Commune of Paris and the Levee en
mow." Still the mob Mate not aatialled, and Fleurens,
Bithqui, sod the rest began further to !Mitt on the resig-
nation of the Govendnent and Ihe trial of General

rspTrl

irochu by court.msrtiaL The Government refused to
resign, and they were immediately voted defunct ;
they were placed under arrest, and the Guards of
Belleville were ordered to keep them in safe cus-
tody. They were accordingly made prisonen and strictly
guarded—all but M. Ernest Picard, the Siloliner of Finance,
who iu the conituton of the moment managed to slip out
unobserved.... They here got the Government under their
thumb, all, as they Imagined, fast priershers. The sent
thing, to elect anew Government They elect themselves,
and, to give themselves an appearance of rispectability,
they add, without any authority, the names of men who had
too much good sense to act with them—louis Blanc, Victor
Hugo, Dorian, the Minister of Public Works. All these,
when tent for, refused to join the mew Government M.
Dorian was in their power, and was carded out of custody
into the presence of the assemb'ed rabble, to be iidiemed
of the honour conferred upon him—that he hod been voted
by acclametlon President of the new Government. B.
Dorian, mounting upon stable, said -

"Citizen., I am not a member of the Government, I am
simply Minlater of Public Works charged with the duty of
arming Paris. lam ready to do all that in me lie. for the
safety of the Republic. As for aa work goes, I eau he a
good workman; but l feel myrrh incapable of managing
the affairs of the country, and 111, not mere modesty which
makes me declare that I also feel myself incompetent to
form a Ministry. I beg you to accept my thanks.''

Still B. Dorian wee Iproelaimed President; be might refuse
as much aa he liked; but the new Government needed some
good names, and they Mended on retaining that of D:rian.
They even Issued • proclamation which they signed with hie
name—a proclionatigai convoking the Commune of Part;
and requiring that aff Paris should proceed to elect at this
day at twelve o'clock—that is, in less then twenty bourn
But, first of all, it was necessary to be upon the new Govern.
meet. Ever mo many lisle mace prup.lsed—nanies Of men
whom Paris either abominates or holds in utter ridicule. In
101 the lists Dorian was President, and then followed Pyat,
Motto, Dourest, Dodescluse, Bonvalet, Orem., Joigneaus,
Loden Rollin, and • heap of Republican nobodies, with Louis
Blanc and Victor lingo to give them weight. . . .

M evening wore on came later newspapers, with later
news, anti the Boulevards began to oscillate betas,: Judie
station anti terror Paris in the hands of that oisorderly
and contemptible crew which all the intelligent portion
of the people abhor ! It waa too Innen, it was too disgrace-
ful, it was too terrible. It teemed as if a gorilla had
escaped into a powder magazine with a gaming torch in his
hand. IL seemed as if there must be an instant explosion,
and as 11 the last hour had come upon a moat megeilicent,
but most rniterable hope.funaken cdy. Paris in the hands
of the Beds, who are not merely Beds, but mnseless semi in-
capable lied,? It was despair, damnation, eternal perdi-
tion. . . . Paris in the hands of these Reda, ehy it meant
simply that the Germans were to he mast, rot the city in •
couple of day., and that France should be laid low never again
to rise. What Frenchman, indeed, worthy of the name would
wan to mrvive the descent of his country into such an ohms
of degradation ! No wonder there was agitation and trem-
bling on the Boulevards, end, indeed, throughout all Paris,
if we except Belleville. No wonder that. the news epreming
like wilofire last at the dinner hour of 7, appetite was gone,
and the evening meal went untested. What waste be done?
AU seemed helpless and hopeless There seemed suddenly
a ray of hope in the presence of the names of Dolan, Louis
Blanc, and Victor lingo among those of the el tvernment,
albeit there were tlwr• without authority. The crowds
upon the Boulevards knew nothing of this, hut their
momentary feeling was "These men Doriab, L
Blanc, and Victor 11 ago have destroyed theumelves
by Joining the rabble Government ; but peradventure
they may save Porte; they may delay destruction un-
til we can °mania° an opposition to bind them all
hand and foot." But how was lite be done? Who was to
be their nailer?l All the members of the old Government
were in the hand, of the enemy. The reaction that set in
was wondertul—reaction I mean from the discontent with
. .

the Government which was felt in the morning Paris
cowering with fear, shutting up Its doors and greet gateway.
at eight o'clock In the evening. putting out every unnecessary
light In the houses PO su to shun observation, and barring
the windows, wished for nothing better than to have Trochu
once more free and at the head 01 the unhappy, ill-starred
city which seemed to have been abandoned to wrath and de-
struction by all the gods she trusted in. 0, to have Troche
hack ! And some might be excused even for feeling—Better
than this, the Empire !

Paris was saved chiefly by the calm courage and presence
of mind of one man. It ha. been already meutioued that
whets the Government were arrested H. Ernest Picard con.
trived to make lila escape. U. went straight to his Hotel In
the Ministry of Flusuce, and Issued him order, right and left.
First of all he barred his gates, and summoned Guards to
protect them 111 a strong body. Then he sent orders for a
!strong force of Mobiles to protect the Louvre, in wach
Genet.' Trochn has lii. Head-Quartera lie sent orders to
the blot-major in the Place Veml,dae, orders to the Pre-
fectir is of Police, orders to the Post Office, orders to
Ike National Printing -Office - orders, In fact, every ehere,
',eluding order. to every battallou of the National Guard to
turn out and save the Government... . The ernisnaries of
the insurgents with written orders from Mange' found that
they were forestalled, and that they must rest con Met
with 110111108.011 of the Hotel de Ville. Aud now the way
was ready for the action of another determined man—M.
Ibion, the commandant of the 106th Battalion. Ile marched
down to the Hotel de VIII. determined to release the Govern-
ment. The Guards installed there tried to keep him out, but
he ts as determined; they could not succeed, and they did
net dare to draw blood. They had, indeed, talked of blood.
It had been proposed by the mob at one time to shoot
General Trochu. By eight o'clock General Trochu and M.
Jules Ferry were released. A lierculmeof the 100th Bat-
talion took General Troehu under his especial protection
end partly by force, partly by stratagem—giving the Genera
the kepi of a National Guard—got him out. The mob and
the Guards who were In league with them, when they saw
the General eicaphig, tried to recover posuasion of him, but
In min, and they were obliged to cootent themselves wish
the other members of the Government .1 hostages lu their
possession. The env. of Trochu was the turn of the
tide. The General free and in command of the troops all
else must follow.
Boon the alarm drum beat all over Parte, and troops of
every description were gathered together in immense bodies,
all ready to beer down upon the Hotel de Ville and to sur-
round it. There was an Incessant gathering of troops for
hours, and the Place de tOpera as well as the Place Von-
demo was crowded with legions of Molslots resting on their
arms (the night bad turned clear). calling out every row and
then with great eagernes. " rice Troche !" bat I.
Commune !" and wanting to holed against the Hotel de Ville.
I went down to the Hotel de Ville about 11 o'clock, expect-
ing to see coefuston and riot. All wu in appearance quiet
and orderly. Ike Hotel was surrounded with troops, and
every avenue leading to it and all the open apscesabout were
filled with troops—here Moblots, there National Gnarls.. ..
The greet Mass of the people had hireetaway to their tent.
for safety. Whatever uisturbances there might be wa. all
concealed from view within the Hotel where libinqui
reigned supreme with neurons for lAnumanderon-
chief of the troops. The mob and the Guards who
skied with them were holding a horrid revelry, They had
beeu slime luld-day without toed, and they took to driek.
It Is stated that they get into She cellar. of the Hotel de
Ville and made sad havoc among the more precious bins.
Another account gives it that they got liquor from the eeigh.
hoernig tavern.. Anyhow, they soaked themselves in
courageous drinks and made • dreadful mess of the splendid
apartments of the Hotel ; Imre upsetting the w lee, there up-
setting the Ink, tearing the rich stuffs of curtains and colas
and carpets, spitting everyWbere, breakieg the backs of
chaffs, numbing the mirrors, puck/Mug eterything on the
tables that could be poeketed, and enctiwbering the velvet
carpets with • litter of cigar ends, mud, and an annuity of
torn paper. Toe chiefs were Inning their .ham orders and
all discussed lu a wild hullabaloo of voices; one shouting
against another, and no one able to male himself hoard in
that oppreadve atmosphere.
By eleven o'clock all the more important dispoeition, of
troops were eompleted, told nll was rase), f or action. Al.
Jule. 16.,rty then went op with his Guards to the gate of the
Hotel de Ville, near the Church of St Gervais; he announced
to those inside that the Hotel was eurrouuded ; that he sum-
moned oil to surrender, and that, in particular, he lial.ted
on the release of the members of the Government, MB
Jules Fame, J ales Simon, Gander Page., and others Atilt in
°utterly.... He was Informed, in reply, that it there should
be oily attempt at force M., Jules Pas re would instantly
, be shot. It war retorted that this waa a game at which two
°Mad plays, and that if any member of She Government was
hurt hundreds of M. Illauqui's friend, would suitor for it.
This sort of parleying went on for two hours—two long dull
hours to us who were outside, and who tonnT everything
still and colourless, nothing to show excetement but the
moving of shadows against the blinds of the Hotel de Ville
sod the frequent pulling aside of the blinds by peseta
angiras to know what wee going on ontside. It teemed as
If nothing Would be done. M. Jules Ferry and the Natlonel
Guards seemed to be boot on the policy simply of starving
eat the Motel dr. Ville Pa OK GerWrlme one trying to stapve
oat Paris, and es this policy, however succeuful it might
be, was rather wearying to the spectator, I found lay
patience exhausted anti went home. I had scarcely
left—it was one in the morning—when M. Jules Leery
found that his patience also was exhausted, and no deter-
mined to assault the Hotel de Vills. A detachment of
Mobiles was ordered to force its way into the Hotel by a
subterranean passage from r.eighbouring berrack., and NI.
Ferty himself, at the head of detachment, from three oil-
fereut battalions of the National Guard, entered the Hotel.
. . 11. Jules Ferry pushed his way into the Hotel de Ville
without any difficulty, It was like pricking a bladder. It
collapsed. The members of the Government, faint with
hunger and Weary with talking, were free, and &NNW wan

glad to escape muter the protection ot °mural laurisser,
whin bad been hls prisoner. . . .
Bat, as I have said, Park woke up in ibis full emurance
that it wits under Ike rule of the Red itepulille, and the
earlier newspapers publiahed today All &Meta' Dry, one of
the most strict bolyda>r in Paris, every she., being chub, as
they ate with us on Good Friday .d Christmas Day) old the
same tale, Crest was the relief when It was known that the
iionr,en,r wt., front In their original insignificance, and

tt, I •no hands of

•
ha o‘uo. gars. Mete eai but one
I egret, that thee miserable rtbels, who did so much to
endanger tho safety of Paris, should be allowed to escspo
scot-free. lu ordec to avoid bbodsbed they were promited
their liUtrty, aud, indeed, it matters little, as boom-forth if
they mow, • Sager they will bane' Lynch law with
pantie.