Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-07-13
The Fall of the Commune.


rise and fall of the Commune, gives
in Tile L0nClm Daily Ne'cS interesting
details of the scene prior to the over
throw of the Paris revolutionists. His
position gave him peculiar facilities for
observing and narrating dramatic incl
dents which otherwise would have re-
manned long untold. He says:
I saw many proofs of the logged ad-
herence of these people to the cause
they had espoused. A fellow of about
40 years of age was brought to me with
a bullet through his lungs. He had not
above half an hour to live, and having
been bandaged in n somewhat careless
manner by the barber, he was put into
q corner Of the room on the dirty floor.
l proceeded with my work, when / sud-
denly heard loud cry behind me. 1t
came from the wounded man, who was
trying to raise himself on his hands and
knees. [ ran to ask him what he want
ed, and, after some struggles, he said I:
"Citizen, I am a soldier of the Univer-
sal Republic, and have fought in '48,
and now l am dying in II. Tell my
friends that died crying out "Vive Ia
Commune !" A few more struggles,
and he was dead. A young fellow, n
Pole on Dombrowski's staff, received q
bullet in the abdomen, and was brought
in breathing his last. He was, however,
attended to, and his brother sent for
When he arrived-a tall, handsome fell
low--I took him to see his younger
brother, who received him saying, 81
shall join my regiment in half an hour ;
tell Dombrowski that / want little rest,
and that it is not from cowardice that
am here" The elder man looked at him
for one minute in a manner [ cannot de-
scribe, took his hand, wrung it in great
agony, and saying, eyes, come then, "
left the room. I heard his spurs clank-
ing on the floor of the hall, and before
his last footsteps died away, his poor
brother was dead. A body of men like
these Guards, if only properly com
manded, might have done wonders.
Dombrowski came to see me in the eve
ming, and was delighted to find that our
men fought so well. He was a very
pleasant fellow, and talked with great
deal of SENSE. He deplored the want of
discipline and management, but hoped
that the Commune would be finally vic.
torious.
Thus we continued day after day the
final struggle. Then the confusion was
totally indescribable. We had heard Of
the disaster at Issy-the men were de-
moralized. Not knowing what to do,
and finding myself the only officer fol
whom the men had any respect, l gave
orders to retreat on Paris to the last
barricade, and telegraphed to Dombrow.
ski for re-enforcements, as our battalion
was now reduced to little more than TIC
men. We received orders to retreat into
Paris, which we accordingly did, and
took up our positions at the Porte dc
Passy, doomed in few days to be the
gate by which the Versailles troops were
to enter. There I saw for the first time
the troops called Volunteers of the Re.
public. They were splendid fellows,
full of pluck, thoroughly convinced that
the Republic was the only thing worth
living for, and resolved to fight for il
like demons. There were two regiments
of them, and they numbered about
1000 men. Ont Of all these men, SOC
only survived the battle, and they were
taken prisoners, and were shot in the
Champ de Mars. The Versaillestroops
were let into Paris by remnants of the
Gath battalion. This / know to be 8
fact. The traitors Immediately consti
tuted themselves prisoners, and We're
shot for their pains in the Chaussee dc
la Muette. had on the previous eve.
ming gone to Paris to give orders at the
attendance for bands, lint, &C., and had
slept at my hotel in the heart of the
city. / can scarcely describe my sur.
prise when told by the concierge, with
II terrified look, not to go out, but tc
hide in the celIars--for the troops were
in Paris and would be probably in ON
quarter in an hour from that time.
/ quickly took my decision. | knew
at once that to think of joining my com.
rades was madness, as they were entire
ly surrounded by the troops, and were
probably long ago shot. l therefore
sailed forth, armed with my commission
as q safeguard against the press-ganq
for making barbados, and forced my
way with the best possible speed to the
Hotel de Vile. Horrible confusion still
prevailed, and | was not even asked by
the drunken sentries what my business
was. mounted the grand staircase to
the first floor. The place was crammed
No one knew where the officers We're
When l entered, a Deputy, whom it is
prudent not to name, was telling his
hearers with great eloquence that the
time had come for the last struggle OF
the GLORIOUS Commune" The speech
was listened to with great attention,
When he had finished Delescluze was
sent for. He told them in a few short
sentences that the cause was utterly LOST
unless the Versailles troops refused tc
march, and that the only thing the
Commune had to do was to show by ex
ample that the men who had urged them
to fight and die were not the last to die
themselves when the time had come fol
them to do so. "For me, he said, 81
feel that my last political struggle against
Monarchy and Imperialism has come tc
an end. l shall die myself know
but, gentlemen, l feel convinced that
for every drop Of mine and of the Com
mune's blood five men will one day
spring forward and avenge us and to es
tablish in future years that which, owing
to our backward education, we bave fail
ed to establish now" He finished hi:
speech amid dead silence.
WHAT CAUSED A Wharf.-The "Grass