The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-14
fear ana hunger and facing the re In front merely
through fear OF the are In the rearf

/ Empire-How tho Army stnnds-Lord
Lyons and the Bombardmeut-M. THEIRS
1 and sac Archbishop Of Paris-Thc Executive
Head disappearing AGairs-There Have
been Outrages Perpetrated by tho ver-
| saiiles Soldiers.
| VERSAILLES, April 81, 1871.
In M. Thiers' salon the other day the topic OF an
imperial restoration came up and the little Old gen.
tleman warmed into eloquent declaration OF the
utter absolute and eternal 1mpossibillty OF such an
occurrence. He was quite without reserve or quali-
cation in the opinion that Bonaparte could never
in any circumstance again sit on throne OF France
The famous "jdnaais' OF M. Rouher was not in Its
way more positive. This Is one more encourage
ment for the mperlalists, who reason from the
known to the unknown in the argument that
NJ THEIRS POLITICAL Prophecies
being so commonly ialsided by events, whatever he
is very certain will not happen is in high degree
likely to take place There many. very many who
like the empire quite as little as M. Theirs does who
are far less certain OF the future, and this quite
VIGOROUSLY the case with a large number of royalst
Deputies in the Assembly. Among these gentlemen
there is growing disr osItion to reconsttute the
government with The present Assembly, and not to
go before the county for another election. They
tear that IN another election Imperialism would get
an overwhelming majority, 80 they will seize any
casion TO make the present Constituent Assembly,
| and to elect monarch. They consider
THE CASE OF THE MONARCHY HOPELESS
without this. II Is pretty clear. however, that a
monarchy thus established could not stand for it
would be cheating the country, and government
that steals power can only hold 1t by armed force
while the army Is at this moment absolutely in the
hands or the OF the empire; so that the imperial
| prospects brighten hour by hour, and M. Theirs
prophecy that the empire can never come again
seems like final rainbow In the sky OF imperial
| hopes.
SPEAKING OF NJ. THEIRS
failures in political prophecy. 1t Is an odd circum-
stance to the papers reproducing the wOrus he
tlon OF Paris was under discussion. He said
1T Is q calumny against any government
pose ' that may wnae may 10 SUP
sustain itself by bomoarding the capital What
aier having sent ITS bombs through the dome Of
dated the homes OF families with its fires-it
would present itself before you to demand the
would be hundred times more impossible after
such victory than before It," strange is the
way In which the whriigg OF time has put Theirs
himself IN the position he has described as that OF
an impossible government. his prophecy as to the
tain TO prove true lie must go down.
LORD LYONS AGAINST THE BoMBARDMEST.
Lord Lyons, as informed you few days since,
had spoken against the bomDardment of Paris, In
an Informal conversation with M. Theirs. Since
tnat he mas IN more formal manner demonstrated
with NJ. Jules Favre against this repetition on the
part OF the government OF the very acts, the bar
spoken against the Prussians. Naturally the Minis
ter OF Foreign Affairs found his position difficult
from it with dignity Tie said that the nombard
ment only resulted from 'bad shooting, !" ana then
acknowledged against himself that this was also the
very excuse the Prussians have made He even
laughed at this maladroit defence.
NJ. THEIRS AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS.
NJ. Theirs has just published over his signature
letter 10 the ArchDishop OF Paris, which does not
give favorable impression either OF his love OF
truth or OF his knowledge OF the daily course OF
events occurring almost III his presence. The Arch
bishop II Will be remembered, is held by rulers
OF Paris as hOstage-t0 be executed II the men OF
Versailles murder any more men taken with arms
in their nandsand he felt naturally interested in
knowing whether the men defending the national
government really had killed their prisoners and
whether they proposed to continue that severity lie
addressed an inquiry this subject therefore to the
Executive, and the letter Just published in the
answer. NJ Theirs says that the statements are
absolutely false,' and that the .army has never
crimes a. are attributed to by the calumniators
their prisoners killed the wounded on the field
OF battle" From this distinct declaration he slips
his wonder that "a preiale so Intelligent could have
admitted Tor a moment that such statements might
or rebuKe does the executive put down any one who
doubts OF the refinement, cvility ana gentecl con-
FAcrs-M THEIRS.
Now, 1t Is shameful If NJ. Theirs does not know
what has really taken place In the killing or prison.
ers, ana II he does know it Is shameful for him to
commit himself to a statement so distinctly and |
positively o, untrue Hn int seems That he
tured three Isolated National Guards on outpost,
had them
and published an order Of the day clarifying him.
sell for the act. Ills order printed in the ver-
Now, the government observes the papers very |
closely, as It's suppressions prove. Here, then is
one TACT. Another IS that General
vINoY PERSONALLY ORDERED THE SHOOTING
DUvAL AND HIS AIDEs-DE-oAMP
nessn In so doing he probably would not deny the
circumstance even II spoken to on the subject
STOOD though ali the force engaged in the early com.
bats at Lourbevoe and at ChatiIlon, that General
insurgents In tho uniform OF The army should be |
shot az soon as taken. and this understanding
acted upon. on the first Sunday morning at Courbe-
vote six such shot In group, and their
blood made but one pool. At Meudon half a dozen
different groups were shot in the same way In the
history Of OF the massacres OF the Middle Ages
Is recorded that an officer about to storm rerac-
tory town asked bishop now he should distinguish
between Catholics and Protestants, and the bishop
mildly replica
"KILL ALL-THE LORD WILL KNOW HIS owY:r
and 1t certain the soldiers, executing Vnoy's
order, were no more particular than the bishop.
They had received the order shoot men on
observing certain sign OF their identity. They knew
very well that the sign very one, and So
after few hours and especially the next day, they
did not even require that Sign. They shot. in TACT,
till they wearied OF it. men in the uniform of the
army ana men without 1t.
REFLECT, NJ. THEIRS.
Before. therefore, Nd. 1hiers so loftily rebuked
Monsgneur Darboy for believing such things poss.
bic he should have assured himself tnar they had
not taken place and he should not have made pub.
lie declaration that Is only excusable the suppo
sitOn that he was ignorant OF what he was talking
about.
". THEIRS PLAN.
People are not much encouraged by the working
so far. of NJ. THEIRS "plan" IL reminds them too
much OF TrOchu and the defence OF Paris. Coniured
to be patient, to fold their hands and sit down aud
wait for the development OF this great plan, and
not TO criticize the executive because II seems to be
doing nothing. They remember the disastrous
suits which followed nearly the same objurgatiOns
from the government OF National Defence, and they
give way TO their fears NJ Theirs plan Is certainly
not distinguished by any OF the sudden energy that
illumnes his rhetoric. His plan Is TO pay five hun
bred millions TO the Prussians and get them away
from Paris He Will then command all the avenues
to the capital and starve IL out. This he cannot
do because the russians require certain lines
to be kept OPEN With all the lines In the control
OF the Versailles government, famine will be brought
TO bear the reduction or the city. But the Com