The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-07-29
CORRESPONDENCE.
I'VE do not hrld ourselves responsible for any opin-
ions expressed by our Correspondsnts
FROM LEIPZIG,
LEIPZIG, June %. 1871


To the Editor Of the woRKmeuAS's ADvocArE.
And fearful deeds they have done at
Paris, these missionaries of Mr.. Bis
marck I! But to return to my subject
when the Guards, Turcos and Zouaves
were all sent back to France, for some
time no further French prisoners Of war
were released, though meanwhile the
peace had been concluded They had
to W ait till the Commune was compile
tely strangled, and the danger Of arts
ing in the South had disappeared. The
reason OF ibis delay will become clear
to you by the following little fact Last
Monday about 500 soldiers, who had
been stationed here in Leipzig, depart
ed for their native country they were
soldiers of different regiments, regular
and irregular when they entered the
wagons, they shook hands with the
people, mostly workmen that had as
sembled to look at the scene, and as
soon as the train had started, from all
windows slips of paper were thrown
out with the words in French written
upon them, Long live the Republic.
Down with the Kings and Emperors
that the world may have peace, and all
people be brothers! Ece IA Commune!
VI've Mumanite ~
Now, you know why those soldiers
were not sent to France sooner. And
you must not think this to be solitary
example. From all places, where French
prisoners were garrisoned, we hear,
that democratic and socialistic opin-
ions are widely spread amongst them,
and that they pronounce an emphatic
adherence of war. So, for instance,
| find in to-day's paper a correspon-
dence from hamburg, stating that
several hundred French officers have
just returned home, and that while
taking leave of the inhabitants, they
tried, as if by common accord, in the
little broken German they have picked
up here, to tell the people: we do not
hate the Germans, and we are Repub-
licans, and as such detesU war on prln-
ciple.
We see from this, that the French
army, which already at the Plebiscite
gave 10000 votes for the Republic,
is deeply imbued with republicanism
and socialism we must not allow our
selves 10 be mised by the events at
Paris the crimes committed there have
been committed hv the corps d'elite, Sc
lected expressly for that purpose. /
am finally persuaded, that neither the
regiment Of the line nor the gardes
mobiles and all the military bodies,
formed after the proclamation OF the
Republic, would have done this infa-
nous work and / do not doubt, that
the army will prove an insupera5le OBJ
stacle to the reactionary Vaccinations
OF The versailles monarchlSCs, instead
of being their instruments.
The Berlin festival was very agreea-
BILE for those persons that had come TO
see something, and had managed to
get good places, but it was very disa-
greeable for the actors in this spectacle:
the poor soldiers. They had to stand
or march in full accoutrement, with
filed knapsack, unInterruptedly, from
5 in the morning till in the afternoon,
most Of the time under burning sun.
When the torture was over whole COM
panies dropped down to rest on the
pavement-some soldiers never to rise
again. Eight soldiers are already re-
ported as dead, 4s as dangerously i'll,
aud more than 200 as sick. The King,
of course, enjoyed the festival, and said
himself that he never felt happier!