The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-01 00:00:00

TROUBLES IN MARSEILLES

The Red Republicans, whose crimson flag has during
the last few weeks been the emblem of turbulence and
disorder at Lyons, seemed to have reappeared in Mar-
seilles, where they threaten to counteract the efforts being
made for the national defence. The special correspondent
of the Indipendance Beige, writing from the south coast on
the 24th of September, gives the following account of their
proceedings Since the new municipality at Lyons has
acted with vigour against the Bed Flag Committee,
and has put a stop to the arbitrary arrests of magis-
trates and officials ordered by these Revolutionists, the
demagogues have endeavoured to establish themselves at
Marseilles.' The Governor, M. Alphonse Esquiros, ex-
Deputy of Marseilles, has personally sbewn conciliatory
intentions, but he found at the Prefecture a privileged
body of democrats, who CGnstituted themselves guardians
of the new prefect. The Prefect, whose name is Labadid,
is a supporter of order, and is said to be a man of
character and energy. However he allowed this kind of
Praetorian guard to force themselves upon him, and to
hoist the Phrygian Cap on the balcony of the Prefecture
in token of their power. It 'is 'reported that
these three hundred guards carefully examined the
cellars and kitchens of the Prefecture. They drove
out all the former agents of the secret police, and sta-
tioned themselves at the doors of the ante-chambers, so
that no one could pass through unless escorted by their
bayonets. The National Guard took offence at the arro-
gant pretensions of this special, or, as it termed itself,
Civil Guard ; but as the citizen militia was not fully armed,
they could 'not interfere as they would have liked to do.
On the 21st the Civil Guard, without any orders, arrested
M. de Lagueronnibre, who arrived froth Constantinople.
They seized his papers, his luggage, even his money,
and compelled his wife to remain at the hotel where they
disembarked, while they carried off the ex-Ambassador to
prison. On the same day the commander of the ironclad
frigate the Normandie suffered similar treatment, his
offence being that he had prevented his crew from
crying " Vive la 116publique ! ' M. de -Lagueronniere
was released after a few hours' incarceration by an order
of M. Cremieux's, telegraphed from Tours. His papers
and property, among which nothing compromising was•
found, were returned to him. It is said that on receiving
the news of the humiliating capitulation of Sedan, the
diplomatist immediately sent his resignation to the
Emperor, with a protest. he naval officer was
also released after a time. The next day the
rumour spread that the civil guard had ventured so far
as to arrest M. Esquiros and M. Labadi6. This was in-
correct, but it was so generally believed that it was
thought advisable to call out the National Guard, and the
Governor and Prefect passed through the town to reassure
the people. During their passage they were received ,
with repeated cries of " Vive l'Ordre i Vivent Esquiros
et Labadid !” On the 23rd the excitement continued.
The chief editor of the Peuple, M. Naquet, had sent in his
resignation as member of the departmental committee.
After having assisted in the creation of the Civil Guard,
he thought that it exceeded its object, and was becoming
unpopular, and proposed that it should either be sent
against the enemy or absorbed in the ranks of the National
Guard. As this was not agreed to, he resigned. Mean-
while the Provisional Prefect took a very serious step in
publishing. a letter which he had written to the Presi-
dent of the Civil Tribunal, reminding him of the elec-
toral pressure attributed to the magistrates, and requesting
film to-resign, as his presence at the Tribunal irritated
public opinion. This letter vista submitted to the Minister

of Justioe. Some hours after the. Chamber of Correc-
tional police was trying a bourgois who was accused
of resisting one of the Civil Guard and broken
his bayonet. His comrades of the Guard, hearh;g
that the accused was about to be acquitted, burst into the
Chamber armed, and arrested the prisoner's advocate, the
three magistrates, and the clerk. They were all led off to
the Prefecture between bayonets, while the public looked
on stupefied. These fresh arrests were not of much
longer duration than the others. The authorities were
embarrassed and confused—but from whom did the order
proceed? No one can tell. Everything is irregular and
disorganisrd.

SEPT. 25,

The agitation continues at Marseilles, though no
blood has yet been shed. After the invasion of the police
tribunal, and the arrest and release of the magistrates,
M. Esquiros reproached the guards with their excessive
zeal, and pointed out the excitement and confusion they
had produced. He also addressed the judges, remarkin
that the errors of the Imperial magistrates had irritated
the Democrats. Soon after the lawyers. came in a body
to make a protest to M. Esquiros. He promised that
measures should be taken to guard against any more such
arbitrary arrests, but the advocates were not quite
satisfied. A meeting of the bar was held, at which
it was resolved that unless sufficient precautions
were taken within two days they would address a formal
protest to the Provisional Government. M. Esquiros
tried to pacify the public by issuing a notice recalling the
people to the respect due to law and justice. How-
ever he would not, or could not, arrest the authors of the
coup de main. It is said there were fifty , but a good deal
of ingenuity is exercised in order to avoid a conflict
between the Civil Guard and the National Guard. The
latter are to be passed in review for the first
time on the 29th. They will form an effective
force of 40,000 men, not exactiy under arms, since
the greater part are as yet without rifles, but
at least in line, and the coup d'ceil over their ranks will he
something imposing. The old uniform is abandoned as
too costly for the mass, and a dark blue blouse, with red
binding, and kepi of the same colours, is to be adopted as
economical and effective. The news of the postponement
of the elections for the Constituent Assembly has been
favourably received in the south, as there was no time for.
concerted action or intelligent selection of candidates.