The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-24
TUE VENDOME COLUMN.

incidents Immediately Preceding its De-
structiOn.
The destruction of the famous Yendome
Column, by the Paris Reds is now a matter of
past history; but as 1t is none the less instruc-
tive to understand the passions and prejudices
which we're at work in the Partisan mind before
the vandalic act was perpetrated, the following
from the LCndon Times correspondence Will be
read with Interest,"
PARIS, May S.-The event promised for to-day was
the fall OF the Colonne VeDdOme. 1t had been pro-
missed by NJ. Felix Pyat in the Vengeur one OF the
few journals now left u.s. For some days there has
been scaffoldng surrounding the lower part OF it,
and curtain of cloth at the top of the scahodlng
prevents any one seeing whether the work OF de-
structiou has actually commenced, there is no dis
proving the statement made by Imaginative or
courageous journalists, that the column has been
already more than half sawn through, and only
wants q strong pull with chain, held by jealous
Communists, TO make it totter to its fall. Crowds
weh' 'neryiGte YESTERDAY. Some ' of ' them
discovering Tor the first time that the column is not
quite straigna fact Witch must n n confess, naa
seur-spread report that 1t was already totterlng,
and this morning many went expecting to IND that
It hau fallen. 1hey appeared very pleased TO see 1t
stll standing, far as ore could udge, untouched
and with no preparations made for its Immediate
fall. HI. Pyat, with graceful bGd,fdge peculiarly
his own, had suggested that a huge dungheap
should be prepared to receive it, and, though this
suggestion be taken as joke, one may perhaps as
sumo that straw or some soft substance will be
thickly strewn over the Place Vendome before the
column is pulled down; otherwise, the Commune
the sale Of its materials to say nothing OF the shock
inflicted upon the nerves of the neighboring resi-
dents, ana the possible damage to their houses.
spent an idle haf-hour in listening to numerous
conversations about its promised destruction. The
only man l heard defend the policy Of the Commune
did so On the ground that monument recording
military triumpbs hurt the feelings OF all members
of the nations over which these triumphs had been
won. He declared, for himself that the sight OF the
| Lion OF Waterloo had made him experience a very
| uncomfortable sensation. His objection is only
| worth mentioning ia consequence OF the retorts
1pE irh nrpV Ep1 rel
significant OF the present temper OF large portion
| OF the Partisan population. He was told that
foreigners who were foolish enough to be hurt by
| the Coonne Vendome might stay away from Paris
that it much be much better for Paris If many OF
them would stay away-as, for instance DombrOw-
xxi and all the other foreign soldiers OF fortune,
whose business it was TO foster misery by which
they throve-whO made, in fact, living by killing
other people, and did not what ruin they
brought down on POOR Paris, because at the last
moment they could easily rush like rats from sink.
ing ship.
The whole conversation appeared to me significant
of the present temper OF Paris, don't think have
before heard the acts OF the Commune or the con-
duct Of its leading supporters openly criticized with
Sc mnch freedom in the face of the fact that the
streets swarn with lnformers and that the slightest
p, ssible pretexU-snch, for instance, that you
Office und,r the empire-s considered sufficient
ground for arrest. went into the Place xendome,
in charge OF the column-members o! the most 60
ahead battalions-were strongly opposed to it's de-
stTuctioD. Even who suggested, as u com
promise, that scsffOlding should be utilized t.
take ay the eagles and "le bOnhOnlBle" he dis
respectfully styled the great man at the top Of the
column, was Teminded that those formed an essen.
tal part OF the trophy and that the trophy belonged
to the nation and TO history. One of the Gardes
NationauX threw an odd and, to me- new light
upon The proposed demolition, 10y declaring thai
under the column lay buried, in coin OF all countries
a good round sum OF money. However, as my In
formant ADDED, they could easily enough get at this
treasure by digging underneath the column without
destroying it,