The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-11
Lonis Blanc on tho Republic and tho
Commune.

Commune.
Louis Blanc has written letter on tho
struggle now raging in France, which we
published in full in yesterdays HERALD.
The veteran republican declares himself
still a socialist, but not of that order of
socialists who indulge in the wild dream of
an equal distribution of property as the only
means by which happiness can be secured to
the citizen. M. Blanc's letter is plain and
practical, and it pronounces some wholesome
views on the unhappy conflict which now dis
tresses France, and that, too, to use his own
words, ''under the eyes of the enemy whom
our discords strengthen, and of the world,
which is scandalzed." ''The principle for
which / will fight" says M. Blanc,
in another part Of his letter, ''as long as l
can hold pen, is that which the revolution
proclaimed-that from which it derived the
strength to crush the coalition of the kings
that explained by these words which explain
80 many victories and recall 30 many deeds
Republic one and indivisibe.'" This cry,
which is uttered and cherished by so many
Frcnchmen to-day, will, we fear, be lost in
the noise of contention and the conflict of the
contending parties. M. Blanc is not the only
advocate of the "republic one and indivisible,"
but every day which passes over with Paris
and Versailles at each others throa!s
reduces the chances of the establishment of a
permanent republic in France. It is
even now, we fear, too late. The time
has passed when France might have risen
from out of the ruin which the war with Ger
many brought upon her to be The first nation
in Europe. 1t would, indeed, have crowned
the edifce of greatness if the country, which,
while robed in Imperialism was humbled into
weakness, yet possessed vitality enough to re-
cruit fresh power and develop its strength in
the great European republic. Such result
attained, and the war would not have been
fought in vain; but how different the pros
poets now! Two sections of great people
fighting each other and exhibiting to the
civilized world phase Of civil war scarcely
paralleled in history. That the Commune is
in a great measure to blame is true; but
who will argue that the Theirs govern
ment is faultless? From one Of the HERALD
correspondents in Paris we learn that even
from his cell in prison Archbishop Darboy, in
conversation with the American Minister, Mr..
Washburne declared that NJ. Theirs did not
understand the Parisians; and may we not
imply, from the other remarks made by the
venerable prelate, that proper understanding
and reasonable concessions by both parties
would bring this useless effusion of blood and
dreadful destruction of property to an
end? Louis Blanc himself in his let
ter, moreover, declares ''that those within
the Assembly and those without, who
would give their lives to see this sanguinary
problem solved in a pacific manner, are con-
demned to the torture of being unable
to perform single act, to utter a cry, to say
word, without running the risk Of provoking
manifestations contrary to the object they pro-
pose, or without rendering themselves liable
in this manner to irritate the malady, to en-
venom the wound" The situation is, indeed
one Of misery-decp direfnl and wretchcd
m;sery-for France, from which we fear she
can only be rescued by the strong arm of the
German empire.