The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-26
The situatisa In Psris-Ths Csnnune
Knlcd-vcrsaiIIos Triunphass-Whar Of
the Futuree

According to special cable dispatches to the
NEW YORK HERALD and other telegraphic
intelligence the situation in Paris seems to be
very much what we reported yesterday. 1t
was our opinion yesterday that fuller news
details might prove that things were not
quite so bad as they seemed. We now
know for certain that the Louvre has
been saved. General vinoy, according to .
| despatch to the London Daily Neps, has,
with his troops, occupied the Hotel de Vile,
and President Theirs, In circular issued for
the information Of the provinces, emphatically
states, 1--WE are masters of Paris, except q
small portion, which will be occupied to-day.
The Louvre has been saved" 1t is no longer,
however, possible to doubt that the grand
palace of the Tuileries-a palace which the
world for the last hundred years has been
accustomed to regard as the headquarters of
the French government, whether monarchical,
consular or imperial-is, with all its wealth
| and interesting historical memorials, gone.
In the circular from which we have just
quoted President Theirs says 1.-THE Hotel
Of the Minister of France has been partially
burned, and the Tuileries and the Palais du
Quai dOrsay Tin which the Council of State
has been in the habit of holding It's sessions)
are wholly destroyed" This, certainly. is bad
enough; but it is not so bad as rumor had it.
| One report, which we print this morning, has
| it that Archbishop Darboy and other promi-
| nent Parisians who have been held by the
Commune as hostages in the prison of Mazas,
have been shot. Another report has it that
while the most gloomy apprehensions are
entertained regarding the Mazas prisoners,
nothing certain is known as to their fate.
In the British House of Commons Mr.. Gladstone
opposed vote Of sympathy with France on
the ground that the government had no reason
as yet to believe that the reports were not
greatly exaggerated.
Meanwhile we are left no room to doubt that
the Commune is killed. 1t is possible that
the reports are, regarding certain particulars,
exaggerated. We shall be glad to know that
they are exaggerated. 1t will be source of
pleasure to us to know that the Tuilcries are
not completely destroyed; that the Arch
bishop of Paris and his unhappy companions
are still alive, aud that generally the situation
is not 80 bad as at first described. We shall
rejoice If 1t turns out to be true that the
Communists are not the brutes and firebrands.
the men Of the gutter and the garnet, which
we have been taught to believe they are; and
there are many besides ourselves who will be
glad to retract hard words if the evidence
shows that the burning Of the public build
ings has been the result of the shells of the
Versaillists rather than of the wilful and
wicked inoendiarism of the Paris reds. We
would not blame without reason; we would
not load the innocent with abuse; but we
must be allowed to say that, whatever be the
guilt or innocence Of the Communists in these
last horrid scenes, they have already done
enough to shut themselves out from our SYM
patty and respect. They, and they alone,
are to blame for the agony of the last three
months. The blood of Thomas and Lecomte
is on their heads, and the blood Of how many
more! Their treatment of the Archbishop of
Paris, their invasion and spoliation of
churches and converts, their destruction of
the Vend6me Column and numerous other
acts of Vandalism have convinced us that
the spirit Of the Commune is radically and
essentially bad. If they are not 80 bad as
recent reports have made them seem to be
they at least 30 bad that their fall is felt to
be relief by Paris, by France, by Europe, by
the world at large. Lord Macaulay, In one
Of the most eloquent passages of his '.History
Of England, questions the wisdom of Gibbon
when he says that modern intelligence has
made barbarian inroads upon civilized
centres impossible. Macaulay's reason for
doubling the wisdom of his great predecessor
and brother historian was that Gibbon did not
foresee that our modern great cities might give
ever issued from northern wilds. The Paris
Commune has justified Macaulay's judgment.
II they have not burned Paris we cannot give
them credit for not having the will. The
Commune in all that 1t has done has given us
a bad illustration of our modern civilization.
The Commune killed, as we now believe it is,
checks our despair and bids us hope on and
still believe. Once more in. bad centre right
has won once more goodness has prevailed.
The Versailles government triumphant raises
the question, What of the future? Will
Paris ever again be the pride and glory of
France2 Is it or is it not to be the future
capital? We know the weakness of French
men for Paris. 1t has 20 long been the eye of
the civilized world, the brilliant and intelli-
gent centre of social life, Vt literature and art,
that much as 1t has sinned, it will, like pet
child, be readily forgiven and easily restored
to favor. If the French people are wise; if
learned in the school Of misfortune, they will
never again allow the national government to
be at the mercy of the Paris mob. How they
may act we know not. How they ought to act