Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-04-21
RanuhIInue Rouge =.

IT does seem a strange fatality tud
every time the friends of true repuDhca
government in France have seen, as the
thought, fair opportunity to establish II
some fanatics and demagogues, assumln
to be the real republican party have pro
claimed doctrines and committed act
whose effect was to drive back at once a.
the men of moderation with all the sup
porters of order to the shelter OF strons
government, either Monarchy or Empire
Jt is evident that the same result mus
soon happen again, and in view Of the pre-
sent state of affairs, the sooner the better
It has been asserted that great cities are
ulcers on the body polite. Nowhere ha
that saying been verified SO completely az
in France. 1t is only in Paris and Lyons
that Socialism, with it's pernicious doc
trines, has established strong foothold
Even in Marseilles and Bordeaux it never
gained much ascendancy and at present
the socialist instruction seems to be con
fined to Paris alone.
It is hard to tell exactly what are the
purposes of the insurgents, or their grey
ances. Perhaps the squib OF the Paris
"Charivari " during the instruction OF
1849, would hit off the present situation as
well. That paper published the following
decree as emanating from the Repu6H-
que iSociale ct DeneocratiQHe " of that day.
Art. I. Everything is abolished.
Art. II. There is no longer anything
Art. III. Everybody is charged with
the execution of this decree.
Signed, Louis Blanc, Flocon and good
many other names now figuring again up
on the DEGREES of the Commune OF Paris.
Really, if it were not for the misery and
bloodshed, the crashing of shells among
women and children, the loss Of life ln1lct-
ed upon each other by citizens of the same
country, the present instruction would be
a huge farce, an absurd mockery, hardly TO
be explained upon any other hypothesis
but epidemic insanity. But unfortunate
ly, it is mingled with enough of terror to
make il fearful tragedy. AT the last &C
counts the insurgents were claiming
success, and the government was waiting
for achievements. To our mind, 1t seems
utterly impossible that such an insurrec-
ton can succeed in extending itself, even
though it meet transitory success. Our
reason for thinking so is this The insur-
rection is avowedly Socialistic. Now, So
ci alism has multitudes of adherents IN the
large cities, more in Paris than anywhere
else, among those immense masses OF me-
chanics of all trades, who, on account OF
the density of population and the compe-
tition of trade, are obliged to work for
wages so small that they can never accu-
mulate any property. The utmost that
they can do is barely to subsist Even the
best paid, skilled mechanics under the
most favorable circumstances, can only, as
o general thing, acquire little household
furniture and this he loses as soon as
work fails him, or he is taken sick. 1t
must go to the pawnbroker's or the auction
block to buy bread. Such Il thing as an
artisan being enabled by his labor to
acquire, in time, little house and q piece
of land, and to look forward to rest and
comfort in his old age, as we see every
day around us in this country, is almost
unheard OF in Europe. This is why Com
munlsm makes so many proselytes IN the
great manufacturing cities. The work
men, living from hand to mouth, are very
ready to listen to the demagogues who
preach to them division of property, In
which they have nothing to lose and every
thing to gain.
But in the country, among the agrlcul-
tural population, who form by FAR the
great majority Of the nation, very diff
ferent feeling prevails. In the first place,
the peasant, while more ignorant than the
city workman, is also less discontinued
with his lot and less irritated by the con
trast of wealth around him. But especially
the French peasants arc to great extent
land owners. Since the Revolution of
ITO, the chief aim of peasants life has
been to acquire land. He will delve and
toll and starve himself so that he may but
purchase his acre or two, if no more. Thus
lt is that while the entire landed property
of England has become concentrated IN
the hands of 80, 900 holders, that of France
is distributed among 15,O0O,0 600. Now, q
man may be Communist SO long as he
has notbing-but once let him be pro-
prietor, though it be only of a mud cabin
and potato patch then let Louis Blanc or
Pyat or anybody else talk to him of
dividing with those who have nothing. and
he will reply with his pitchfork or his
musket. This is human nature, and it
will prevail. The Rouges may keep Paris
in agony and terror for few days longer,
but France will put them down with the
strong hand, and all the people will say
amen Let mercy be shown to the de-
luded masses but in the name of civiliza-
ton, OF religion, of national honor and de-
cency, let there be stern retribution Gealt
out 20 those who, unsatiated with the IN
paraileled calamlties of their country,
have, without even specious pretext,
shed the blood Of their fellow. citizens and
brought dishonor upon the cause of liberty
and the name Of their own native landl