Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-08

LFrom Am the Year Ronnd.l

w men we passed into the region OF carlcature,
and set ourselves to collect specimens of politi-
cal cartoons which have been published in Paris
during the last nine months, our task was en-
vironed with difficulty. 1t was dangerous to
ask for, and still more dangerous to display and
sell some of these. But we peered below the
surface and persevered We secured the dis
trictS of La Chapelle, Belleville and Montmar-
tire, and whenever we found print or newspa-
per shop endeavOred 10 establish confidential re-
lations with its proprietor. We frequently
failed. Our noble British accent might be as
sumed-thOugh | flatter myself an average
Frenchman is far too sharp witted to think that
possible: or we might be English spies in the
pay of Thiers so the prints offered for sale were
as a rule, either of to-day, or of a period ante
rior to the commune. The Emperor Napoleon
in every attitude of ignominy; as a shoeblack
at work on the boots of William; as mendi-
cant with his pockets turned inside out to at
tract pity; as a thief making off with millions
OF the nations money; as a traitor handing
France over to murderers for pay; all these and
scores of others in the same vein, were pro-
duced without hesitation, whenever the shop
keeper had any of them remaining in stock
The caricatureS of the siege time WERE we
found, much in the same vein. Monsieur Jules
Favre weeping copiously, and at the same time
pocketing Bismarck's gold; Monsieur Theirs
negotiating at foreign courts on behalf of the
committee of national defence and slyly offer
ing for sale crown, for which the Orleans
princes and the Compile Chambord are bidding;
General Vinoy SURPRISING half dozen jour
mails, and being bribed by the editors of others
to let them alone; General Trochu studying his
plan, and handing large metal key over the
walls of Paris to figure in Prussan helmet
in exchange for bag of gold-are specimens
OF the tone and taste of the comic draughts-
men whose productions were most widely APP
preciated by the people of Paris.
albums of the Siege" are TO be bought in
plenty at all the best print shops. They consist
of highly colOred engraVings, in which mag-
nary incidents of the siege are told; and where
the PrussianS, horsefesh, the absence of gas,
the coarseness of the bread, and the straits to
which fashionable people were reduced, are told
comically and broadly. There are albums, too,
of the imperial menagerie, showing the late en-
peror and empress, and the ministers and IA
vortes of their court, in the guise Of the beasts
and birds to which their public or private char
acter is popularity supposed to give them affin-
lty; as well as of the same people in the pillory,
and with exaggerated and distorted heads. But
these cost some francs each, and are intended
for the libraries of those who are curious in
such matters, and who can afford to collect L
wanted the back numbers of the cheap publica-
tons issued for and bought by the million, as
rejecting day by day the passions, prejudices,
and feelings which were uppermost. 1t was
when we asked for those which appeared under
the commune that our difficulties began. They
were all sold. There never had been any. The
speaker was too much grieved at the infamies
the himself probably having been the
hero of barricade) to think of his
trade; and he was in consequence en-
hrely ignorant of the prints and
publications we spoke Of At last after many
protestatons in bad French, after producing our
passports and asking jocularly if we looked
like spies, or emissaries of Monsieur Theirs or
his police we succeeded in some cases in estab-
fishing confidence. Then and not till then did
the shopkeeper invite us TO his dwelling ROOM
and UrOdupp from 70 -,
one instance from the mattress of his bed,
bundles OF printed and pictorial matter. These
were not for sale. We were to understand that
clearly. They we've part Of the private collec-
ton OF the speaker, and shown to us, his
friends, as curiOsties. He would, for his part,
be sorry, indeed, to vend such atrociouS cal
umnies on the administration, and so forth. 1t
was odd to note how thoroughly it was under
stood that these things were literally curiosi-
ties, commanding fancy price. A small bum
die OF haltpenny prints representing a daily
publication of Infamous character, which APP
peared and was suppressed under the commune,
could not be bought under two napoleOnS, OR
about two thousand per cent. more than its
cost.
The political cartoons of the same period.
when the international ruled Paris, and while
the Versaillists were kept at bay, were only
parted with as a personal favor, backed up by a
substantial consideration These last were the
only ones we met with which gave evidence
of the serious purpose we are accustomed to see
in our own great draughtsmen in times of ma
tional crisis. " The people learn their strength"
is giant Samson squeezing the lives out Of the
pigmy rulers he holds in each hand, while the
PhilistineS in the persons of the leaders of the
national assembly are crushed beneath his feet;
the Departure of the commune is a figure of
death on the white horse, waving a
red flag, and leaving fire, blood and
destruction in his train. Others are bias
phemous adaptations of the most awful
incidents in sacred history to the purposes of
the hour. Priests are the objects of special de-
rision, as are the governing classes generally;
but, amid much that is indecent and much that
is profane, it is impossible to deny that the
popular caricatures published under the COM
mune have reality and force about them
which may be looked for in vain in other periods
of Frances recent agony. They are savage but
earnest, and as such show with advantage
against the miserable gibes against the emperor,
and the personal calumnies which have been
leveled against every other public man in turn.
As we look over folio after folio of caricature it
seems as if we read the real history of this I'M
happy nation.