The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-03-25 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1871.

THE NEW REVOLUTION IN
FRANCE.

France is emphatically the land of revolutions,
and since the great Revolution of 1789, as it is
called—which had its germs further back, and
which lasted for years—there have been more re-
volutions, insurrections, and enrollee, more
changes of dynasty, and forms of Government,
than we care to reckon up. The lapse of more
than four score years does not seem to have
brought wisdom to France, who is once more in
the throes of revolution. The terrible news
which has been flashed to us by telegraph, and
detailed in correspondents' letters during the
last few days is none the less disastrous and sad•
dening because it cannot be said to have conic
upon us by surprise. It may even be said that
the wonder has been that the insurrectionary
elements in Parisian society were so long repres-
sed, and we know that it was with difficulty that
the Red party were kept from their sanguinary
work the moment peace was decided on, and the
preliminaries signed. Paris, if not France,
must have painfully felt that she had to choose
between the continuance of war, with the enem-
ies of the country as her virtual guardians
against civil anarchy, and the probable outbreak
of insurrection ; and scarcely have the Prnssians
rd. seed their grasp of the ill-fated city than it
is deliver d over as a prey to the enemies of
0r..., Ms %%lid enthusiasts of communism, the
urmial.n patriots whose politics vary with the
hour, mod who trust neither any constituted
imnient nor themselves. This state ot
things cannot be regarded as unexpected. A re-
vulution when the war was closed was confident-I.

y-sdicted by many of ii eloo4ift observers of ,
current history, and indeed 11.5 expectation of
au insurrection in Paris. if not a revolution in
France, had become pretty genet al. kle need
not remind one readers that France wa virtually
without a cid-istituted tdovernia..lit , that her
National Assembly oat but a,h ;Ping and trans-
itional Parliament of safety , and that while M.
Theirs, the head of the Ministry, was hated by
the extreme Republican jonty, very little confi-
dence was reposed 111 Lilt., front various reasons,
by the majority of the iiddle classes. Had the
Government been strong and determined, and
bad it possessed the support of the middle classes
of Patio, there is little doubt that the insurgents
of Montmartre and Belleville might have been
speedily brought to their senses and suppressed,
but earnestly may it be hoped that while order
has not been able to prevent insurrection, insur-
rection may produce, front the mere spirit of
self defence, such a Government as will not wily
repress insurrection, but powerfully aid France
in her at present hapless struggle to secure peace
and prosperity.
What may be the special aims and objects of
the insurgents it would be very difficult to de-
cide ; probably very ninny of them do not them-
selves know what they require, and certainly
their proceedings afford no key to their policy if
they have anything worthy of being called a
policy. Nor will we attempt to follow the chain
of events throughout this exciting political
drama; they are narrated in another part of this
journal. But we will glance at some of the
striking episodes in the tragedy which will be
read with interest, not only now, but when the
play has been fully played out, and when to the
long list of French revolutions is added, in due
time, the sober unimpassioned narrative of the
revolution of 1871. We have to real of the
Government—not "infirm of purpose," but weak
and dilatory in action —seizing cannon front the
insurgents of Montmartre and making 400 pri-
soners ; and then, speedily afterwards, we read
of the National Guard, who ought to have been
the guardians of order, releasing these prisoners
and fraternising with the insurgents. Rapidly
following on this significant fact came, as might
have been expected, fighting in Paris, during
which several people were killed ; and the heights
of Monimartre strongly occupied by the revolu-
tionary party. And then rapidly also follow
other exciting events—an officer's horse being
pierced with bayonets, and the carcase being im-
mediately cat up and distributed as food to the
crowd ; barricades being erected in various parts
of the city, men, women, and even children,
working at this deadly task; more taking and
re-taking of guns from Montmartre, Generals
Leconite aud Thomas being shot by the insur-
gents ; excited crowds on the boulevards, look-
ing at the erection of these barricades, business
meanwhile being suspended except the business
of drunkeness ; and the flight of Ministers to
Versailles, and their proclamation in favour of
order. The existing drama is being played as
we write, and we do not venture to anticipate
the denouement. Every scene and every episode
are watched with deep interest throughout the
civilised world, and everywhere there must be
aspirations for the welfare and safety of un-
happy France, now suffering the horrors of civil
war after a terrific contest with a more mighty
and relentless Power, leaving the conquered
prostrate, bleeding, and mournful over the loss
of territory, pecuniary wealth, and thousands on
thousands of her slaughtered sons. France is
just now deeply to be commisserated, but with
the insurgent party, the Red Republicans, the
enemies of Government in any form, the great
majority of the civilised inhabitants of the world
can have no sympathy. In France herself the
rouge party are a pitiful as well as a pitiless min-
ority, and we earnestly hope that they may be
speedily brought to submission.

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