The Portland daily press., 1871-05-06
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1871.
Paris under the Commune.
correspondence cf the London Times.
PARIS, April IS, 1871

Paris under the Commune.
Correspondence Ct the London Times.
PARIS, April IS. 1871.
We woke up this morning with a renewed
nope that our term of suspense may be draw
ing near Its close. About midday the insur-
gents became aware that troops were passing
around .Gennevilhers, and spreading over tbe
Plain OF Argenteuil, crossing the river at Be-
IONS by bridge OF boats, which has been re.
Gently established. The batteries of Cour
bevoie and Bezons opened fire simultaneously
upon the battalions of National Guards en-.
trenched behind the Cemetery barricades,
scattering the hastily built walls in all direc.
tions, while pair of mitrailleuses, suddenly
unmasked stu farther to the right, spread sur
prise and death along the Federal ranks. A
general panic ensued the soldiers of the IT. b
and S6th battalions retiring in disorder from
their post at the railway station of AsIuere
carrying with them in their flight the rea
guard and other corps which had been poste
at Courcelles in case Of call for reinforce
ment. The streets of Levallois were full of
terror stricken men, calling loudly to the
shop'keepers to close theirj houses, as the
"Prussians of Versailles" were on their heels
Women and children took refuge in the eel.
lars, while the cannon still roared on and
shells fell thick upon the retreating throng.
Arrived at the rivers brink their dismay was
great, for their bridge of boats had been re-
moved by order of the Federal chief, who i'm
agined his men to be in safety. Some took to
the water and sank under the weight of their
accoutrements, or were swept away by the
current; others attempted to cross the stream
on barges amid merciless rain from the bat
teries above. Along the railway series of
ir0ncased cars had been established some
days back, and these might have protected
the retreat; but, unfortunately, they wers
nearly all directed upon the island of the
Grande Jatte, with the intention of lombard.
ing the Gendarmerie who were supposed to
be imprisoned there, at the mercy of the Fed
erals. In the hurry and confusion only one
was available, and that one was speedily 81.
fenced by a bomb from the opposi te side,
which dismounted the gun and stretched the
artillery men dying upon the ground. Al
though Asnieres was entirely evacuated, the
Versailles party did not Immediately occupy
the village, but contented inseif with coz
tinued fire from the entrenched positions of
Gennevilliers and Colonies. In the course
of the afternoon the Federals made an ad
vance, and succeeded in re-occupying the
right bank of the Seine and establishing a
battery OF seven guns on the railway embank-
ment; q line of tiraieurs spread along either
side of the river and kept up violent fusill-
adc, shells from the Chateau of Becon sue
ceeded in siencing the Federal guns lately
placed In position, and by o'clock the route
was complete. Crowds came hocking to the
gates of Asnieres and Bneau, urgently de-
manding sdmittance to the city-men on
foot, unarmed, and muddy-men on omnibus
horses, their traces cut and their collars still
about their necks-National Guards and ar
tilIerv-men. ragged Zouaves and soldiers Of
the Line. At first the gates rem aimed
pitilessly closed, while the Guards
within urged a return to the scene OF
action; but the motley crowd increased
each moment and became more clamorous
and threatening, till the panic communicated
itself 10 those inside, when the bridge was
hastily lowered, and the Boulevards OF Batig-
nolles and Clincby became alive with ges-
tlculating mob, each man explaining his story
to the terrified inhabitants with such improve
ments and mystifications as might tend TO his
own glory and explain his precipitate flight.
Paris has become so accustomed to war and
the clash Of arms that all this produced but
lttle allee;sf sfisSs upon the lopngers Of the CATS
ion nf hA k1s.n
that the Commune Is near its death struggle
men congratulated themselves on a speedy So
luton of present dificulties, while the menu
bers OF the Commune for once displayed fore
sight by intercepting on the outer line of
Boalevards the groups of the disbanded, and
preventing their carrying inconvenient It'd
ings into the centre of the town. eas
At Neuily affairs appear TO be in statu quo.
A violent struggle still goes on about the
streets and gardens and around the church.
II is said that the houses are choked with
dead and dying, no ambulance men daring to
venture amid the hail OF bullets, and no inter
val being allowed for the gathering up of the
fallen. 1t is impossible to arrive at definite
facts concerning the position of either side.-
Such of the Federals as crawled, MANNED and
bleeding, to the ambulance headquarters close
by relate that both parties fire so TO speak in
the dark-bulets A. the air, coming no one
knows whence. The hapless inhabitants of
the village have been tor many days lying per-
dus in the cellars, and some OF them, exas-
pcrated and hali-starved, have seized their
iowlingpiet es and Joined the combatants,
firing indscrimh,ately on men of either par
ty in their Iage. Those who have been
caught in .fagrdnte delicto have been Instant
ly shot down without mercy. A ieeling OF
disbursement and lassitude is evident
among the National Guard; they begin to
ask themselves what will be the result even
when they have succeeded in obtaining pos
session of the streets and bridge Of Neullly.
| The falsehoods Of the Commune are not
l without their effect upon the more sensible
and earnest of the Reds, while another DIM
Guilty is beginning TO thrust itself forward
the payment OF the troops. While l was
standing yesterday in the yard outside Dom
browski's quarters became aware OF q COL
/ slider able amount of murmuring; certain ar
l tiilsrymen declared they would desert theii
posts unless their arrears were paid IN iul De
/ fore nightfall, while cdntiniere became loud
l In anger, on account of what she termed the
| wrongs of her battalion. Her men, she said
| were almost shoeless, and had received no
| pay whatever for six days. VI can't provide
l them all with drink for nothing. you know,
i and they feel the want of little stimulant
| before going into actiop.n 1 quite agreed
with her that they certainly did, remember
| ing to have seen most of them "half sea-
| over before advancing under fire, and mar
i yelled over the probable result should they b'
expected to be heroes in cold blood. Evidently
the Commune find it not easy TO procure mon
ey. A certain extent oftrade'still goes on VIII
the outer would, which is just sufficient Z
produce an ebb Of specie without ascorrespond
i ing flow. The Government must obtain II o
4 some means or other, aud do not enjoy rep
l utation for excessive scrupulodsness. Hene
a feeling of insecurity among bankers AM
others who are in possession OF ready money
and q general eesire to exchange gold anC
l notes iOr bills and paper securities. The Banl
of France holds bills upon well. known com
mercial house for seventy thousand francs
A partner of that firm presented yesterday tn
sum in gold, aud the Bank dec.ined to take j
on the plea that business matters OF the KIM
are temporarily suspended, The Bourse ma
hardly be said to do anything at all an occa:
ional broker may be seen fitting sadly unde
the shadow 0f Its pillars-poor phantom oil
l day which, fol the present, has ceased 10 De
l When the Prussians retired from lns eit.
/ dormant trade sprang suddenly into NE, am
i the pent-up stream of Partisan mahuiacture
j flowed forth with renewed vIgonr 10 meet ~
i excessive demand. One firm alone oi MILL
i ners aud haberdashers received oruers IRON
| Now York for articles of attire oil the value Q
| aoOM 10 be delivered within month; whil
i envovs arrived from Japan with commission
/ to a fabulous amount. /. is by a strang an
| rsnid turu of Fortunes wheel That Prussia
| occupation, for which scarce two months ag
l il was considered necessary to veil the statue
| of Place de la ConeOrde in black, should
now considered by the greater number OF IL
respectable classes as the only solution of II
difficulty and safeguard against bankruptc