Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-06-22
Paris scenes vividIy Pictured.

|
Commune from Minister Washburn's Off
cial dispatches to the State Department.
one of which is so interesting and graphic
that We give it in full. 't
His dispatch is dated Thursday, May
| 25th:
When 1 closed my dispatch last night
it was fire and battle. 1t is the same this
morning. There were frightful burnings
all night. The great Hotel de Vile with
all its traditions and souveniers of history
exists no longer The Cour des Camptes,
the Court of Cessation, the Prefecture of
| Police, and the celebrated old prison of
the Conciergerie have shared the same
fate. All has been the work of organized
incendiarism, and the insurrectienists have
done everything in their power to destroy
Paris If the entry of the troops had
been delayed much longer they would
certainly have succeeded. The Commune
had already made ''perquisitioDs' for all
the petroleum in the city, and prepared
petroleum boxes and other means of firing
the place. Bands of men, women and
children were organized to do this diaEoli-
cal work. During the past two days i'm
mense numbers of these persons have been
detected in distributing these boxes, and
in every case the most summary vengeance
has been inflicted upon them, without
regard to age, sex, or condition. An en-
ploye of this legation counted this after
| noon on the Avenue d'Autin the dead bo-
dies of eight children, the oldest not more
than 1 4 years of age. who had been seized
while distributing their incendiary boxes,
and shot on the spot. The state of feel
| ing now existing in Paris is fearful beyond
description. Passing events have filled
the whole population opposed to the Com
mune with horror and rage. Arrests are
made by wholesale of the innocent as we'll
as the guilty. Last night four Ameri-
cans, two ladies' and two gentlemen, inno-
cent as yourself of all completely with the
| insurrection, were seized while dining at
a restaurant and marched through the
streets to one of the military posts. They
| sent word to me as soon as possible of
their arrest, and lost no time in going to
their relief 1 addressed myself to Gen.
Donal, who, upon my statement, immedi-
ately ordered their release. lie express
cd much regret at what had happened.
| went down in the city this afternoon
to see for myself what was the progress of
events. Very little had been done to-
ward putting matters into shape i'll the
parts already captured from the insur-
gents. The barricades everywhere re-
main. The fire was still raging in Rue
RoyaIe. The Ministry of Finance is COM
pletely consumed, with every record and
raper, u loss that is utterly incalculable.
The insurgents having been driven be-
yond the Place Bastile, was able to go
much further than L went yesterday. L
passed at the Rue de Rivoli by the smok-
ing ruins of the Tuilleries, and had the
inexpressible pleasure of seeing for myself
that the Louvre, with all its noble and in-
calculable treasures had been preserved.
As continued up the street it seemed as
if were following in the track of an ar
nv. Rea hing the Hotel dc Vile, /
found the neighborhood had all the APP
pearancc of an intrenchcd camp. I'm
mense barricades were on every street
leading into the square. But L am told
the insurgents abandoned it without
fight, finding themselves upon the point of
being hemmed in. But before leaving
they applied the torch to that pile so in
terwoven with the history of Paris and of
France, and the pride of Frenchmen for
centuries gone by. Now there was moth
ing but mass of smoldering ruins. Two
squares of magnificent buildings on the
lower side of the Place de PHotel de Viii
lie had also been destroyed. 1t was in
deed sad sight to behold There was
regiment of the troops of the line On the
quay. but scarcely another soul was to be
seen in the entire neighborhood. Eight
dead bodies of the insurgents, partially
consumed by fire, lay on the ground right
in front of what was the main entrance
into the building, and presenting the most
horrible appearance, and sad sights every
where. At the Place dePOpera, saw
and children, who were being driven to
Versailles There was n squad of caval-
ry marching in front and in rear of them,
and foot-soldiers marching on either side.
| must say they were the most hideous
and sinister-lookiDg persons L ever saw In
the whole course of my life. The sight of
the prisoners excited the people to the
highest pitch of indignation, and every
approbrious epithet was heaped upon them.
and the escort alone prevented violence
from being inflicted upon the spot. An
officer told me this afternoon that the or
der was to shoot every man taken in arms
against the government / do not vouch
for the truth of what he told me, but do
know that large numbers of the National
Guard and many others caught in some
criminal act have been summarily execu-
ted.
Tt is with no small degree of satisfaction
that l am able to inform you that during
all these horrible exercises in Paris for
the past ter weeks no material damage
has been done tc the property of Ameri-
cans, neither to the property of the Ger
mans, with whose interest L still continue
to be charged. Among the last prisoners
to be released were eleven German nuns
who had been seized at the Convent Of
Pichus. After being set at liberty they
came to the Legation in body to thank
me for my efforts in their behalf
The only newspapers have been able
to get since the entry of the troops is the
Verite, two copies of which send you
The last number appeared yesterday
morning, although dated to-day. No pa
per has appeared to-day, as far as l can
learn. except little sheet called the
Consultation, which is out this evening
There is not an omnibus running in the
city, and scarcely cab can be found
No person except such as have q diplo-
matte character, or their bearers Of dis
patches, are permitted to leave Paris.
/ have not time now to speak more full
ly OF the scenes of carnage, fire, and blood