New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-18

The Paris correspondent of the London
Daily Nesos writes, under date of April 6:
81 was on the. Boulevard Montmartre at III
o'clock, and passing by group OF brilliantly
lighted cafes, of which the best known are the
Cafe Madrid and the Cafe du Cercie, lad
twitched my coat and said in low voice
have a copy of the Lberte to sell for la sous
myself paid 10 sous for it-not word; here
it is The Liberte let'me remindyou, is sup
pressed, and yesterday it was partly printed
when the order of suppression arrived. bought
the surreptitious copy, took a chair in front OF
one of the cafes / forget the name, ordered
some refreshment, and began to read. la
little while lady, who was sitting near, tap
ped me on the shoulder and said: Pardon me !;
am sure you will excuse me for what | am
going to say. You are reading the Ltberte.
My companion here is a National Guard, al
though he is not in uniform, and he tells me
that you will be arrested if you are not careful
thanked the unknown fair one, put up the news
paper, and turned round to talk to the stranger
who was so kind.
In doing so | saw in the open doorway OF
the cafe, which was all ablaze Of light, cap
tain of National Guards talking to a lady
quietly. Whatever words passed between
them seemed to be void of emotion and yet,
amid all the quietness of features, gesture, and
voice, what did see? The captain suddenly
lifted his hand and gave the woman tremen.
dous slap on the face. The woman screamed
and staggered back, with the strangest expires
sion of bewilderment. There are few things
in human life more pathetic than this look OF
beWilderment, which is the first expression oil
a woman's heart when she is insulted without
reason. had merely one glance in which to
notice this, and | saw no more OF her. My
attention was fixed on the captain. He was a
man to look at-not ungainly OF iorm-youHg
and strong, and with considerable amount OF
decision marked in his features, though his
manner, after the slap, was full Of furry.
! gaZed upon him. because here at last had
found that wonder-a brave National Guard
l have heard and written so much Of cowardice
that for a change / like to contemplate real
bravery. The people collected around and
called him coward, and | admit that from
some points of view the act Of slapping wo
man is very cowardly. The man was ruffiar
to do what he did but when we come to tall
Of courage and cowardice, | do think that il
required an immensely of courage to slap 9
woman, amid blaze Of light, in an assemblage
| of Frenchmen
They did not dare to touch him, because
he wore the three silver braids of captain il
the National Guards and the proprietor die
not dare to turn him out for the same reason
Paris is thoroughly cowed, and more afraid to
day than it was yesterday for, after the decree
of which | have spoken, people are afraid o
being arrested and shot. Once arrested, wha
is to prevent your being shot, when your con
domination to this Sate depends not on YOU
guilt, but on the guilt, or supposed guilt, o
the Government at Versailles Innocent vic
Tins are to be shot and how can we forese'
by what caprice they may not be selected p