The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-07-01
CORRESPONDENTS.
I'VE do hold ourselves rssFou ible for any opin-
IN expressed by our COIresI Ondents.
FROM LEIPZIG.
LEIPZIG, June s, ISL

To the Editor Of the WOAKHGNASs AIvcCATS
Vac VictiS. The Commune has been
conquered Commune has been in
the wrong. And not only in the wrong
but into the bargain loaded with all
crimes, enormiiies and infamies which
the frightened and depraved magma
ton Of the victors can create. All in
famies-one excepted-cowardice. That
the Parisians fought like heroes, or like
"devils," as a sAuddering correspond
ent expressed himself, is acknowledged
even by the most embittered and un-
scrupulous enemies. And | CAP bold
ly affirm the tribute paid to the courage
of the Communicates or Communists is
tho only true thing said about the Com
mune. 1t will be some time before we
know the whole truth. Under the most
favorable circumstances it is very diff
cult to find out the truth of complicated
events And now the circumstances
are as unfavorable as possible. Every
thing is done by those in power to hide,
to dstort the truth, the voice Of the
victims is stitled, many Of the most i'm
portant witnesses are killed-killed, no
doubt, in more than one case, with
view Of getting a dangerous witness
out of the way. Nevertheless rays Of
light are penetrating the thick cloud Of
lies and ISLANDERS, and though we are
not yet able to establish the truth, still
it is in our power already to tear tie
web Of falsehood, which the frantic
victors, aided by hireling press have
thrown over the dead body of the Com
mune.
Two facts are fully substantiated at
this moment:
LIST. The burning of Paris has never
taken place. 1t was a pious lie of the
party of order. There have been seve-
raj coDfagrations, and a few public
and perhaps hundred private build
ings were destroyed, but this happened
in the regular course of military action,
and to a smaller extent comparatively
than in most sieges of the late war. Mr..
Seingurlet, a well known blue Republi-
can, vehement antagonist of the So
clalistlc movement, writes from Paris
to the Frankfort Gazette, under the Both
of May, two days after the last rem
nants Of the COmmunalists were over
come "Altogether the statements con-
corning the destruction Of property in
Paris must be greatly reduced, as |
can assure from my own personal OBJ
servations. The quarters that have
suffered most are Tar from offering such
a desolate aspect of havoc and rum as
the FduJourg National, the FlaubOurg
des Pierres, and the Brog,ie at Strass-
bOurg.
So the bombardment Of StrassbOurg,
which our Teutonic patriots in Germany
and in the United States considered |
most glorious achievement, has caused
comparatively more destruction to
property-for which alone those people
care,-than the two months siege and
bombardment Of, aud the eight DAYS
street fighting in Paris What do YOU
say to that, you slanderers Of the Com
mune?
The other fact, raised beyond every
doubt, is:
%. The petroleum bombs that have
caused such a tremendous shrek of in /.
dignation have not been used by he
COmmunaists, but the VersailIese. A
letter Of one Of the chiefs of the Coma
mune, who wrote to me three days be-
fore the Prussians opened the gates Of
Paris to Mr.. Theirs bandits, alias the
army Of oder" completely settles
this point. 1t complains of the number
less barbarities OF the Versaillese of
their numbering the wounded and the
prisoners, violating and killing the nur-
ses Vi the ambulances and amongst
other lntamles, Of the practice of throw
ing petroleum bombs int the town.
This letter, the writer of which I am
afraid has lost his life on the barricades
was published in the ToLksstaat of Nav
the oath. You know now who were
the incendiaries. The only crime
committed by the Parisians was. that
they did not allow themselves 10 be
slaughtered like herd of sheep. Of
course, if they had had the kindness
o offer their throats 70 be cut quietly,