New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-21
THE TERROR IN PARTS.


duct of the people of the great metropolis
during the last two days will 20 FAR TO destroy
any lingering sympathy for them which might
have survived the folles and disasters of'sCgc
and surrender. Of course we cannot blame
the good citizens for that momcntary outbreak
Of revolt that intrenched a few of The Red
leaders on the flights of MonmartIc; but in
crisis so tremendous there should have
been enough of public virtue 10 isolate
and so suflOcate the mad cmautc. On the
contrary, the defiant attitude of the rioters
seemed to infect the entire p0pulace with the
contagion of instruction The moderate and
reasonable delay accorded by HE Government
to allow the senselcss revolt to lay down its
arms, seriously affected the situation for the
worse And when at last the authorities fCt
! themselves forced to take active measures to
! dispense the bands who dcfcd the law on the
slope of the great hill which bounds Paris on
the north, the poison Of treason had worked
so far that the National Guards frtornizcd
with the rioters, refused TO execute their or
ders, and gave up their commanders to be
condemned and butchorcd by the misguided
men who pretended to be working in the in
tercst of republic of peace and universal
brotherhood
There is something grotesque in this uncon-
scious mockcry Of all their professions These
insurgents of MontmartTc, who are exhibiting
all the tigeIish instincts Of the uutaucht say
age mind, are in great part thco-
rists, idealsts, non-resistants, oiicious
philanthrOpists. They are men who
have suffered prescription in Paris IN def nsc
of human rights. On many platforms they
have renewed again and again their devotion
to the principle OF the fraternity OF peoples.
| They are the men who overflow in the peace
| assemblies of Brussels and Geneva in lyric
| apOstrOphes TO the spirit of love and good
will. They are not conscious hypocrite', but
their conduct in these great emergencies Is
too apt to demonstrate that they deceive them
selves when they imagine they are lovers OF
their kind. They are OF that unhandy and
implacable class Of Teformers for whOm rs ST.
Just glOomily said, there is no rest but IN the
grave. They mistake their hatred OF
governments for love of the people
1t seems like sinister farce to think of
the President of the international League of
Peace sitting in cOUTt-maridl behind his bar
rcades, and ordering the slaughter OF helpless
prisoners who have done no wrong, who have
simply obeyed their orders, and VINO only q
few days ago were spending their lives ON the
batte-felds of the Republic. These eccentric
and morbid grOwths are seen in the track of
every great revolution. We had them III ours;
they haunted the corridors Of Congress and
the halls at Wizards in those early days of
exaltation when the nation threw OIL It's apathy
of years and rejoced in its novel emotions.
| But with us they gained no authority. They
might have presented that mixture of tiger
! and ape which is so revolving in days of ter
ror at Paris, if they had only gained credit
enough. But we had the good fortune to see
only the apish tricks that lasted Il little while
and went out of sight. The nation is doomed
to imperfect development that cannot keep
| this pestilent vermin under.
They do not constitute the Republican party.
They form but small and insignificant
minority, but, so Ear as appears from our dis
patches, there is enough of the yeast of treason
| in their numbers to set the entire community
in fermentation. This is the consideration
which saddens the true friends Of freedom all
over the world; that though the moderate Re
publicans are the greater number, though the
Government is nominally in the hands Of the
soundest and wisest men in France. there is
so little of true loyalty in the popular mind
| lildU lUe UISb Spun VI lCNblI Stlo Jht toNn VIZ
fire and paralyzes the Government in its
functions. For two days the mob has pos
sessed Paris. The militia refuse TO obey their
commanders. The emeute has pushed down
from the hill of Montmartre into the heart of
the city, has seized the Headquarters of the
Army of Paris in the Place Nend0ne, and
thence the inundating tide has poured across
the bridges of the Seine, Selling the Hotel dc
Vile and most of the Ministries. The vine
shops alone are open. llOrdes Of bacchants
throng the frightened strects-men and women
! mingled in the dishevelled license of anarchy
The murder of Gems. NinOy, Clemcnt-Thomas,
and LecOmte by the c0wardly ingates they
have fought for is confirmed. Ii WAS thought
that Chanzy would be shot yesterday. The
Government, finding the army aud the militia
Enthusiastically as broken reeds, has moved out
10 Versailles, leaving the Capital in the bloody
hands of the mob. 70 show the uttcC hope
lessness of the situation, il is announced that
tbe Diplomatic Body, headed by Mr. Wash
burne. who stayed unhinchiDgly by the city
after Sedan, after the Investment, when pinched
ly hunger. when stofmed with shell, has at
last resolved to leave the ill-starred town and
follow the Government precipltaicly 70 Yer
sailles. The outside world shakes from It's
feet the dust of Paris, and gives the beanti-
! full city over to be buiIcted Of the devils that
/ possess IL.
/ There is 10 be the pretense Of Communal