The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-13
The Paris Commune nj the Point Of
Death.

Up to an early hour this morning no news
had reached us of the making of the grand
assault upon the enceinte of Paris. San
culinary encounters had, it is true, taken place
between the belligerents, but the rebelious
city still remained in the hands of the insur-
gents and no general engagement had been
fought 1t is probable enough that the Com
munists recaptured Fort Vanvres on Thurs
day morning, but their resumed occupation
of the place cannot impair the pros
poets Of the Versailles forces. Fort Issy
was the real key to Paris, and that MacMa-
hons army has got possession ofa and will keep.
As soon as this fort is armed again vanvres
must surrender Internationally but, even if
1t persists in holding out, it cannot effect the
operations against the enceinte. When the
final assault will be made is problematical
at present. In front Of the ramparts
Of Paris is continuous ditch, which
must be filed before the assaultinc
columns can reach the top of the works,
and this will be no easy task to perform in the
face of an energetic resistance. Neverthe-
less, the terrible bombardment to which Point
du Jour and the fertilization on the southwest
have been subjected indicate that the French
will endeavor to fight their way into the city
by that side; aud it may be that stimuli
taneous attack viii be made on Porte Maillot,
which, by the way, has been utterly
destroyed by shells from the batteries at
Courbevoie, Neuilly, Puteaux and Asneres,
aided by the guns Of Fort Mont valerien. One
thing is certain, and it is that the Versailles
troops are in the Bots de Boulogne, and the
fact Of their being there makes it evident that
the insurgents have been compelled to aban-
don their positions at Neuilly and Asnieres
and retire within the walls of the city.
Sngularly enough, we have q report from
Versailles announcing the storming of the
Convent Of Issy by the government forces on
| yesterday. This gives an air Of plausibility
| to the claims of the Communists that they had
driven the Versailles troops from the village.
Our latest dispatches represent the Parisians
as beiny much depressed by their reverses The
| Commune, however, continued as defiant and
| hopeful as ever, although its members must
certainly perceive the desperate nature of
| their situation. To shout ''mourir pour la
| pdtyie' on the streets and boulevards does
not cost much but when the Communists, every
one of whom will wear a smile of pity when
| you speak TO him Of God and the hereafter.
| and will tell you that the idea of God Is a
superstition which never troubles his
miud-when these fellows are led forth
to die for their country they
sing to smaller tune, and finally make tracks
for the protection Of the ramparts. We do
not, however, think lightly Of the courage of
the Parisians. 1t is quite natural for them to
feel depressed, considering how everything
has gone against them since they tried to
march on Versailles. If the government
troops can only succeed in giving them one
more sound thrashing outside the walls it will
be an easy matter to storm the ramparss. for
the Army Of the Commune would disappear by
self disbandment, without so much as asking
leave Of M. Delescluze and the other heroic
gentlemen who sit in the Hotel de Vile and
send men out to be shot down like beasts, with
out risking their own precious persons to the
bullets of MacMahon's men. But whether
the misguided men abandon their leaders
or not, 1t is clear that the hour of the
final overthrow OF the Commune is rapidly
approaching.