The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-04-13
GaeGateILiaereer.
Causes Of the Paris IpsurrectiOn.

From the Philadelphia Record.
The present condition Of Paris Is by no
means inexplicable, and the further we
pierce into the true grounds Of the revolt,
the more utterly do they ALLEVIATE thesym
pathies Of every lover Of free government
as well as Of every friend Of law and
order Stripped OF the deceptive non
sense with which the leaders so adroitly
cover Il, aud minus the high sounding
phrases with which its sinister designs
are cloaked, the cause Of French commun.
ism seems TO be simply that ofpublic and
private plumber. The commune proclAims
the right o: Paris to govern ITSELF and
TO fix the size, the duties and the pay Of
the national guard. What does this
mean, except that the communists are de-
termined 10 saddle France with an enor-
nous city army, whose pay shall be as
great in peace as In war; Most Of them
have been living all winter rent free, be-
cause no landlord would or could collect
bis dues; they have been supplied by the
government gratis with food and cloth.
Ing, the food OF the men being the regular
army rations and their clothing the uni.
forms they wore, while their wives and
children were clothed by the regular dis
tributions iron the government soup
houses and the benevolent societies fol
furnishing garments. In. word, the
winter has been passed by the Parisians,
who are now so fierce for the commune
in a most satisfactory way, they mourning
no expense whatever, besides being regu'
larlY supplied with pocket money on pay
day.
This pleasant sort Of life the return OF
peace has broken up; and the Commune
therefore, Is protest, not agninst the
"rOyalistn tendencies Of the Versailles
government, but against the resumption
OfEents aud Of the laws Of buyer and sci
Ter. Hence the idle, the improyident, the
reckless, the prOfigate, are only too ready
TO continue state Of war, in order that
food, clothing, and all the daily needs o.
life may be opened TO them. They oil
want 10 be National Guardsmen, and they
all want 10 have their regular pay and
quarters, and rations aud raiment; and
because the provisional government has
declared that the watchword Of the hour
for France must be economy; that al
useless expenses must be cut down; that
the National Guard must be reduced; ant
that all classes must share the financial
stress until The war indemnity Is paid, the
patriots Of Paris cry out for q Commune
and raise tho red banner over the Column
Of July.
Such, we repeat, seems 10 DO the rea
subslratum Of the communist demonstra
tons. On tue other hand, many OF tht
leaders, and perhaps not a few OF tht
followers, are men whose circumstance
are such that the desire for living at tn
expense OF the city can hardly be thei
motive. Some Of these are sheer fanatics
tue genuine jacobins Of France, who hayl
always associated the idea Of freedom
with that Of comparative laUlessness, ant
certainly with that OF laxity Of restraint
Then there arc tue ambicltlOus, who taxi
up communism as q means Of self.al
grandizement, and their dupes, VIII
really believe that they are somehow help
ing on the cause OF the universal repub
lic." Universal republic, indeed II TIL
cause Of popular government Is not per
manently set back In Europe for the res
of the century; If the newborn hope q
liberty In Franco Is not quenched as 500
as il Is formed; IL that germ Of free institu
tlnns now represented In tho Theirs repub
lie Is not killed 10 the very bud, It vii
certainly not be the fault Of the peopl
who arc drenching In blood the street
and suburbs OF Paris. Wehave spoken G
the parallels daily revealed between III
days Of the first French revolution an
those Of the Paris revolt Of our times
and, we might add, that when sucl
hideous extravHgances and slaughters ar
laid to the account Oft universal reput
lie" we are reminded afresh Of that men
orablO exclamation of Madame RolanC
Liberty what crimes are committed
thy name!"