New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-06
TNIHERS1L BROTHERHOOD.

In so far as recent demonstrations in this
city assumed any general interest or share in
the crazy dOingS of the Paris Communists
among American wOrkingmen, or workngmen
of any foreign nationality, they were absurd.
1t is only natural that after the flames which
the Commune kindled have been eXtinguished,
and the blood has been stanched, and the hid
eous cloud has been lifted from over the ruins
of Paris, there should come a popular Euro
pean reaction against Republicans of every
school. The brutal fury which in the last
century pursued as an enemy of the state
every man who wore good coat and clean
face, was the national vengeance for centuries
of aristocratic vice and msrule The maniacs
of the Commune must pay the wages of sin
as surely as the licentious old noblesse of the
Bourbon courts. We shall have frightful dis
closures of their secret projects, plans OF gene
raj massacre and pilage, schemes to wrap the
whole continent in flames. We shall listen
with sort of horrible fascination to
the rawlings of few crazy survivors
from last weeks butchery, and believe, per-
haps, that far worse remained behind than
even the nameless Outrages of the past month.
There is a story now from Versailles that the
conhagration of Paris was but part of
project to destroy all the great capitals of the
world. London and Liverpool, Berlin and st.
Petersburg are already marked for the torch
of the incendiary. This was no petty war for
the possession of France. 1t was the old, old
battle between labor and capitalize ire
pressible conflict that must rage until the
world is all made over again, property de-
stroyed, wealth dispersed, culture forgotten,
and all political power transferred to work
ingmen who wont work.
1t is perhaps true that the Commune has
been under the direction of the leaders of the
WOrkingmen's International Association at
London and Berlin, but that there has been
any concerted scheme of general devastation
we do not believe. That Association has ex-
tensve ramiications and q most efficient or
ganization. 1t has taken the place of the Re-
publican secret societies of 1S4S, embraces
many of the ablest Democrats and Socialists
of the continent, and probably has very nu-
merOus roll of members, though statistics are
of course unattanable. But it would be a
great mistake to suppose that the European
workingmen as class are Communists, or
that the Association, despite its perfect ma
chinery, can move them en- mdsse in any one
direction. The Society differs greatly in
character in different parts of Europe. In
England il is little more than combination
of Trades Unions, concerning itself chiefly
with strikes and wages. In Germany 1t min
giles economy and politics, and muddles itself
with theories of universal brotherhood, and
dreams of the golden age in which every man
shall be his own king. In France it has
aimed at wilder excuses than anywhere else.
There the cry was to be, "DOwn with every
"thingm We are all brothers; let us go rob
the bank, and shoot the archbishop, and burn
the palace, and live rich and happy ever after.
There shall be no more wars, for the working
men will not fight each other We have in
vented a phrase-the Solidarity of the Peo-
ples-that reforms everything. The Inter
national Association shakes hands across the
Rhine and the Channel.
We heard great deal of this talk about
year ago, but France and Prussia went TO
war all the same, and who was SO bellicose
then as the French workingmanf In Germany