The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-04
THE DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNE.

A Novel Declaration OF Principles-The
Paris Revelation a New Ere In Politics,
Positive and Scientific.
From the JOp nal OGeiel, April 10.
It is the duty of the Commune to confirm aud
ascertain the aspirations and wlshessot the peo-
pie of Paris. The precise character of the
movement of the 18th of March Is misuuder-
stood and unknown, and is illuminated by the
politicians at Versailles. At that time Paris
still labored and suffered for the whole of
France, for whom she had prepared, by her
battles, an intellectual moral, administrative
and economic regeneration, glory, and pros
perity.
WHAT DOES SHE DEMAND? ?
The recognition and consolidation of the erepuo-
lie, and the absolute autonomy of the Commune
extended at all places in France, thus assuring
to each the integrality of its rights, and to
every FTenchman the full exercise of his tacul-
ties and apttudes as man, citizen, and
producer. The autonomy of the Commune has
no other limits but its rights. The autonomy is
equal for all communes who are adherents OF
the contract, the association of which ought to
secure the unity of France.
THE INHERENT RIGHTS OF THE COMMUNE
are to vote the Communal budget of receipts
and expenses, the improving and alteration of
taxes, the direction of local services the organi-
zatiOn of the magstracy, internal police, and
education. The administration of the property
belonging to the Commune; the choice by cleo
tion, or competition, with the responsibility and
permanent right of control and revocation of the
Communal magistrates and officials of all classes;
the absolute guarantee of individual liberty,
and liberty of censcience;. the permanent
intervention of the citizens in Communal affairs
by the free manifestation of their ideas and the
free defense of their interests; guarantees given
to those manifestations by the Commune, who
alone are charged with securing the free and
Just exercise of the right of meeting and pub
licity; the organization of urban defense aud of
the National Guard which elects its chiefs, and
alone watches over the maintenance of order in
nttw De
head of local guarantees on the well-understood
condition of regaining in
A GRAND CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION
and delegation from the federal communes the
realization and practice of those principles; but
in favor of her autonomy, and profting by her
liberty of action, she reserves to herself to
bring about, as may seem good to her, admins
trative and economic reforms which the people
demand, and to create such institutions as may
serve to develop and further education. Fro
| duce exchange and credit have to universalize
| power and property according to the necessi-
| ties of the moment, the wishes of those inte-
rested, and the data furnished by experience.
| Our enemies deceive themselves or deceive the
| country when they accuse Paris of desiring
! to impose its will and supremacy upon the rest
of the nation, and to aspire to dictatorship
which would be a veritable attempt to overthrow W
| the independence and sovereignty of other COM
munities. They deceive themselves when they
accuse Paris of seeking the destruction OF
French unity established by the revolution. The
unity which has been imposed upon us up to
| the present by the empire, the monarchy, aud
the parliamentary government, is nothing but
Capitalization, despotic, uninteligibe, arbitrary
| and onerous.
THE POLITICAL UNITY AS DESIRED BY PARIS
is q voluntary association of all the initiatives
| the free and spontaneous cooperation of all iu
| dividual energies with the common object of the
| well-being, liberty, and security of all. The
| Communal revolution Initiated by the people on
! the 18th of March inaugurated new era in
| politics, experimental, positive, and scientific
| 1t was the end of the old governmental and cleri
| cal world, of military supremacy aud bureau
| cracy, of jobbing IN menopolies and privileges
| to which the proletariat owed its slavery and
the country its misfortunes and disasters. The
siege between Paris and Versailles is one OF
those that cannot be ended by an illusory com
promise; the issue should not be doubtful
domitable energy by the Commune will
remain with the idea and with the right
| We appeal to France, which knows tha
| Paris in arms possesses as much calm al
bravery. Where order is maintained with as
much energy as enthusiasm, who is ready tC
sacrifice herself with as much reason as energy
Paris is only in arms in consequence of her de-
vOtion to liberty, and the glory of all in France
ought to cause this bloody conflict to cease. Il
is for France to disarm Versailles by a solemn
manifestation of her irresistible will. Sum
moned to profit by our conquests, she should
declare herself identified with our efforts-shC
end by the triumph of the Communal idea or thu
ruin of Paris. But for ourselves, citizens o
Paris, we have O mission to accomplish
modern revolution the greatest aud the mos
fruitful of all those which have illuminated his
tory. 1t is our duty to fight and conquer.