Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-06-02

The fairest portions of Paris-one
correspondent says two~thirds of the
vast magnificent city--were i'm flames
yesterday. The only doubt now IL
whether the city itself Is not being
completely destroyed. Such news Is
the saddest which could possibly
come TO cloud the long chapter of
shameful disasters by which France
has been lowered from the proudest
position in Europe, to one not supe.
rior to that of Spain or Turkey
Even the first official circular of M.
fhiers, that the Louvre has been
saved, is contradicted by subsequent
kilograms, showing that o large part,
If not the whole, of that great rcpos-
itory of art has been destroyed. All
the palaces identified with the past
history of the government as a mon
archy are destroyed, as well as the
churches. Such has been the de-
moniac protestof the dying Commun-
lists against monarchy in government
aud religion-of the pauper mob Of
Paris, brutal and sensual against the
wealth and aristocracy of France,
equally sensual, but more refined.
Nandalic as the whole career Of ths
Communists has been, aud as the up
rising OF the lower strata of society
against the upper always are, they
are not destitute Of meaning--deep
and significant. Their destruction of
the Napoleon column. in the Place
Fendome, was not blind hatred of
art or beauty, but a concentration in
to a single outward act of the disgust
felt by the ignorant laboring class at
those ideas of military glory which
had enabled the Napoleons to rule,
bleed, dsbauch, and swindIe the
French people. When Napoleon
was overthrown, republicans every
where rejoiced at the declaration of
the Republic in France. But the re-
public was born In Paris, and would
not have been born at all but for
those elements and forces which are
now crushed in the Commune. The
leaders of the State and army repre-
sented at Versailles are monarehists
Thiers has never professed faith In
the republican principle, not even
when he assumed nominal leader.
ship of its government. Mcmahon
his Chief, is u Marshal of
the Empire of Napoleon III. The
Assembly which co-operates with
them, represents thu rural popula-
ton only OF France, n population
that sustained monarchy and Napo-
leon III. by six to one in every pie
biscitun. The fall and burning OF
Paris are rendered doubly sad by the
fact that they foreshadow the oblit-
Grafton of the Republic, and the
speedy restoration in some form of
the old, concentrated despotism.
Whether IL Is the Communists who
have proved that, though protesting
republicanism, they know nothing
| whatever of the essentials OF self
government, or the Thiers' admins.
tratien which has shown it's incapac.
ity to understand the wants of the
republican party of France, we need
not discuss. Ii is sufficient tn know
that, as the result of their conflict,
the speedy restoration of conserva-
tism Is assured, aud Theirs and Nc.
Mahon, OF France, like Serrano and
Prim i'm Spain become virtually the
guardians OF the restored monarchy,
until satisfactory candidate for the
| throne can he selected. For il is not
to be expected that men who have
never avowed sentiment of faith
republicanism, will risk their own
necks I'm trying to maintain its per-
manence.
AS the full causes which led to the
war with Germany can be better uns
derstood now than while that war
was pending, so the full effects of
the suppression of the Commu-
nists or Federalists will be better un-
derstood when the future govern
ment of France is settled Chicago
Tribune, Nay 2Gth.