Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-08-04
The International Society.

The world has suddenly aroused to a con-
sci0usncss Of the most significant fact OF an
cient OF modern times and the council heads
Of Europe to the realization that they stand
upon the verge Of a volcanoes crater. which
is at any moment liable to belch forth its
long restrained fires and flames and engult
them in 4 common ruin. This world wide
organization, almost without note Of its com
ing. appears at the bead of important facts,
The London Times thus announces the IA
ture Of the International.
| have before me an elaborate account Of
this society, from which it would appear
that. although nine years have elapsed since
its foundation, IL counts upward Of >, 5oO,OUO
members. But even this does not include
all the affiliated societies which are assisted
in their various political and revolutionary
enterprises by the International. and which
comprise the Fonians, the Marianne, the
Brothers Of the Republic Of Lyons and Mar
seilles, the numerous secret societies OF Rus
sia and Poland, and the Carb1nari generally
all over Europe. The Central Committee OF
this association, which has ? branch IN
America, is in London, and It's presiding
spirit is a German, who conceived the idea
Of organizing in Berlin, in definite and tan
gible form, the theories Of BlbGnf, deb
neck, jacob, Proudhon and others. There
is 10 President, but the central Office is com
posed Of @ Secretary General and fifteen
members. Each country composes branch
of the association. Each branch Is divided
into sections. Each important centre is sub
divided in other sections, with central bu
reau. Every week each central bureau sends
to the London ollcc-l, detailed report on
the political and commercial events Of the
ncighborhood >, statement Of additional
members g. financial statement 1, a state
ment by name Of the principal merchants
and tradesmen b, statement by name Of tile
principal proprietors and capitalists IS, cop
les OF minutes of meetings held. There are
of course, many other secret rules regarding
the expulsion of members and the means Of
pressure to be employed in cases of strikes,
&c, which have no means Of Obtaining :;
but it will appear from the above that the
organization is one conceived on a scale ca
ppble of indefinite expansion, and appealing
to the sympathies of the largest and least re
putablc class OF the community in all coun-
tries. The catastrophe of Paris, 50 far from
operating as a check to it, growth, will
probably give it powerful impetus, as, un-
happily, the more Infamous the nOtouety Of
such an association becomes the more attract
i've viii it prove to that large section of soci-
ETY. over whom such celebrity exercises an
irresistible fascination. The popularity Of
this association is, therefore, that while it
appeals to the whole working classes Of the
civilized world by an argument which the
simplest can comprehend, and offers ref
ugc and support 10 the revolutionists OF
every country, it has a philosophy and a po-
litical economy Of its own sufficiently spe-
cious to attract theorists ard would be re-
formers. 1t reaches the loftiest and basest
natures, those who unselishly wish to raise
Others and those who selGshly desire To rise
themselves at the expense Of others. 1t en-
braces in its thrceiold political, social and
moral character political agitators, paupers
and philos0phers-a combination Of forces
which imparts to this organization altogeth-
er special powers Of action. As it raises Its
head in one country after another, We shall
see how far the special conditions of politi
cal morals and society which exist IN each
are calculated to cope with 1t.