The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-07 00:00:00

THE WAR.

THE CRISIS IN FRANCE.

PARIS, MONDAY.

The excitement still continues, though in a more modi-
fied degree, for the fear of riot and civil disturbance has
considerably diminished since the pacific proclamation of
the Republic. It has been evident ever since Saturday
evening that the fate of the dynasty was inevitable, but
the scene at the Chamber yesterday was very exciting
nevertheless. The sitting was fixed for midday, but from
an early hour the word was given to all the battalions
of the National Guard to hold themselves in
readiness to marched unarmed to the Palais Bourbon,
and demand the deposition of the Emperor and the
Regent and the proclamation of the Republic. Special
precautions had been taken by the military authorities
for the protection of the National representatives.
Picquets of gendarmes and Paris Guards, both horse and
foot, were stationed round the Palace, on the quays, and
in all the environs. Long before midday an immense
crowd assembled in the Place de la Concorde, and as
the deputies began to arrive they were greeted
with vociferous shouts of "Vive la 116publique ! " Some
members of the Right who were recognised were hooted.
So great was the crowd by this time that even the best
known politicians and journalists found it very difficult
to get through it The National Guards were fraternising
with the people, and all alike were cheering and decorating
the statue of Strasbourg. Several citizens harangued the
people, advising -a ley& en masse against the
Prussians, tut, as the first step towards the
discomfiture of the enemy, the overthrow of the
system of government which had led France into an
abyss. The people applauded these sentiments, vocife-
rously 'shouting for la dech6ance # and la nation ! some-
times, though more rarely, for la Republique! Meanwhile
the scene inside the Chamber was no less agitated. The
sitting commenced at about twenty minutes past one,
some delay having been occasioned by the difficulty of
getting through the crowd. After the reading of the
proem verbal M. Glais-Bizoin desired that his name might
be attached to the proposition of M. Jules Fevre, which
was, he declared, their only plank of safety. The
Minister of War asked leave to speak, but M. de
K6ratry interrupted him with a motion of order. He
accused the Minister of War of having failed in his duty
in putting a guard on the Chamber. The office of dis-
posing of the Parisian troops belonged to General Trochu
alone. The Minister protested. General Trochu
had only the command of the troops on
the fortifications, those not required for defences
were still under the orders of the War Minister.
And besides, what had the Deputies to complain of ? That
they were too well taken care of ? " Vous plaignez vous
que I,marie6 est trop belle ?" This attempted jest in the
midst of such serious surroundings gave dire offence to the
Chamber. Parisians are now fully awake to the fact that
they have been treated like children, soothed and
flattered and amused by specious and hollow,
promises of triumph and success which have
turned into terrible defeats, and the Minister's light
phrase seemed too much in keeping with the preced-
ing conduct of the officials. There was a violent uproar,
which M. de Palikao listened to with, folded arms, and
when it had a little subsided he proceeded to read the pro-
position which the Ministerial Council had decided upon.
Under this a council of government and of na-
tional defence was to be formed, consisting
of five members elected by the Corps Legislatif,
The Ministers were to be nominated by this Council, and
General Palikao was to be Lieutenant-General. The
Left protested loudly, and Jules Fevre, in the midst of
great commotion, demanded that his previous
proposition -should have the priority. When
Thiers rose, silence was restored. The
zseteran. .statesman first declared that •he put
Ms own personal preferences on one side, for union was
iiadispensahla in face of theanemy, and he then reed a third
.proposition„ whieb also proposed the establialunent
of a committee of Government and of national defence
to be appointed by the Chamber, but with the addition
that a Constituent Assembly should be convoked as soon
as circumstances permitted. M. de Palikao partly agreed
to this. The country, he said, should be consulted as soon
as they had emerged from the present embarrassment.
Gambetta demanded that the three proposals should
be voted urgent, and they were sent to the same com-
mittee for consideration, and the President having sus-
pended the sitting until they had been discussed, the
deputies withdrew to the Bureaux. Meanwhile, the
battalions of the National Guard had assembled en masse
outside the grille of the Chamber. They were greeted with
acclamation, by the public in the galleries, by some mem-
•hers of the Left, and by the journalists of that party.
Greetings were exchanged across the bars. This did not
last long, however, for the guards endeavoured to make
their way in through a gate which had been left ajar.
The porters resisted for a while, but the guards pro-
tested loudly against their exclusion. M. Steenackers,
one of the deputies of the Left, tried to pacify them in
vain, and finally agreed to their entry without arms. At
first it was thought that only a deputation would be ad-
mitted, and it was attempted to close the gate, but once
open this was impossible. It would have been as easy to
keep back the advancing tide as to stay the onward pro,
gress of the excited crowd who poured into the'Chamber,
into the Salle des Pas Perdus, into all the corridors. In
one of the galleries an angry discussion was going on, and
eager questions were shouted to the deputies, who leisurely
returned to the Chamber. The President ascended his
chair and tried vainly to restore silence. Gambetta and
Cremieux came up together and the former begged the
people to be quiet. " You may be sure," he said, "that
you will get what you want, only allow the Chamber
to deliberate undisturbed." This appeal produced a
temporary lull, but it was only temporary. The invaders
pushed on and on, and as they could not find standing
room in the galleries they entered the corridor behind the
deputies' seats. Some efforts were made to dislodge them.

but very ineffectually. A renewed appeal for silence on
the part of the President produced, however, something
like order for a few moments, but on the entry of M. de
Palikao, hat in hand, the noise broke out again. The minister
and his colleagues withdrew, returned and retired again,

and finally vanished altogether amid a cloud of dust, and
a deafening sound of confused voices, shouts, and mur-

murs. It was a sensational, if not a very dignified, end-
ing for the short-lived war ministry. Meanwhile Jules
Favre had gained a momentary hearing, and implored

the people to reserve their arms and their opposition for

the Prussians. At that moment the first thing wanted
was union, and that was why they did not pro-

claim the Republic. Here there there were violent
interruptions, and cries of " Vive la R4publique I " The
clamourers ascended the tribune and surrounded the

speaker. One of them wanted to make a speech, and was
with difficulty prevented. The tumult was great. The
crowd kept pushing in, while the seats of the deputies,
with a few exceptions on the Left, were empty. The
President had left the chair, though his bell was rung

from time to time by one of the National Guards.

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So matters went on, until about three o'clock a cry was
raised for Rochefort, and it was proposed to seek him in
St. Pelagie. After some hours of confusion fresh cries
_ _

were raised for the Hotel de Villo and the Tuileries, and
the crowd commenced to thin. Those who took the road
to the Tuileries arrived there soon after three in a state of