The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-07-29

contemPorAneous wrsag; and had our
lot been cast IN Paris, we women would
have been Rolands, and You men would
have met the fate OF ROchefort ard
Cluseret. With our whole hearts We
can sympatbize with them, however
much we may regret and deprecate
that party with sublime separations
should have been mislead by passion
ate zeal into some excesses. Such il
The bitterness bred of long ages Of ers
ror. Disorderly as have been these oc-
currences, they have been un lccompa-
MED by those terrible atrocities that
distinguished the revolution Of '0B, and
have characterized many OI the riots OF
this country and besides, the accounts
Of them hare been greatly exaggerated,
coming, as they o,fiom the oppont uts
Of the revoIutionists.
For destroying the Column Vendome
the Communists are censured. glory
IN the act / join my voice to those Of
French Republican, who wrote that
IN destroying that column the Com
mune proclaimed themselves the "baters
of that bloody satire on christian civil
zatIon of the nineteenth century-mil-
itary glory"
Because of these so called outrages,
many will refuse sympathy and Call
these Reformers a mob OF wild fanatics;
but all revolutions where a radical
change in the character Of the govern
ment is attempted, are accompanied
with excess. Our own is almost the
only exception but with us the change
Of government was 50 slight, and the
American people so calm and earnest in
their determination, that Anglo-SaxOn
steadiness of temper, which does not
easily lose its equiPoise, that it was ac-
complished without any Of those orgies
that have marked almost every other
attempt TO throw off the yoke OF OPP
pressIon.
Many highly respectable, industri US
and educated Frenchmen we're active
workers and martyrs 10 this fierce out
break. Spare your censure and think
OF people who had been enslaved
with tyrant's heel pressing them
iown-people with dreams and hopes
fur liberty. They sought the good Of
Just those whose good as reformers you
seek. They had been burdened and
suffering with the oppression Of ages;
that poor laboring Class, hardly con
scious of their ills, having been in
structed that they had rights az human
boIngs, that freedom was their birth
right, when the propitious hour arrived
that seemed to promise change. They
were dazzled by the first glimpses OF
the glorious light, and sought the in-
toxication of vengeance. How can
men be calm and temperate when fren-
zied with the sense Of wrong? How
can a man be wise, amazed, temperate
and furious? Loyal and neutral in 3
moment? No man Only the fully de-
veoEed man and y ilosopher has learn
ed the divinity Of patience. To err is
human to forgive error is divlnely hu-
man.
From such conduct committed in the
search for reform, we have yet TO learn
that whilst we are reformers, with more
wisdom and knowledge, teach the mass
es only their rights and wrongs, We
have omitted greater lesson il we do
not commend to them those christian
virtues charity and brotherly love, which
torbids violence and murder. We must
teach that men cannot be forced by law
nor by revolution to be just, generous
and right-minded. A true education"
is needed /; new morality and an or
gained religion of social duty. Nor
nave the victors in this contest been
less ferocious. Thirty three Communists
and seven women brutally shot to death
by I 500 soldiers. "--~~Aaus
Among the martyrs ia this cause, We
should not forget to mention the name
Of Cluseret, who has for years been the
soldier Of freedom, fighting for Cara.
baldi, for Mexico against Macmillan,
laboriDg as a military agent for the Fe-
MARS, aud sympathizlng in every rev
dictionary movement in Europe. In
our own war Of the Rebellion be attained
TO the rank Of Brigadier- General, and
distinguished himself in Virginia
against Stonewal Jackson, as a bold
and interchangeable leader.
Mrs. Mckinley then offered the fol-
lowing resolutions, which were adopted
with but one dissenting voice
ResolUed, That VIC, as reformers Of
America, extend our heartfelt sympathy
to our sisters aud brothers in France
and throughout Europe, and regret
that the hopes Of the people have again
failed, and that they must still abide
the time Of their liberation from those
ancient expressions in which the wrongs
of the many are forgotten, and every
true aspiration Of the human soul re-
pressed.
Resotved, That we recognize that the
cause OF the Commune has triumphed,
however cruel the reaction il may SUIT
fer. Their great political programme
is effectually founded in France, il suf.
6ciently suggested to Europe, and the
bloody vengeance of the me anarchists
will not blot it out from the memory Of
The future.
ReSolUed, That with all our hearts we
hope and pray shat for the sake of
human nature, the present French
government will not sacrifice, on the
altar of vengeance, our brother and
co-worker, Henri Rochefort.
ReSolUed, That in him the cause of
he people has one Of its abIest, most
earnest and nobIest advocates; one
who throughout his life has braved
death and spurned peace and power
and fame ia tile service Of liberty and
truth.