The New York herald., 1872-12-15
THE COMMUNE.
Meeting at the Cooper Institute Last Evening in
Aid Of the Widows and Orphans Of the
Fallen-What the Commune Had for Its
Aims-Speeches in All Languages

meeting of the friends Of the Commune was
held last evening In the large hall OF the Cooper
Institute for the purpose Of adopting for
the relief OF the widows and children OF the men
who perished in the struggle against the ''men Of
Versailles" There was an admission charge OF
twenty-five cents, but the hall was very nearly one
third full, and the enthusiasm was tremendous in
its 'ecstatic vehemence. The platform was taste
fully adorned with numerous red flags, bearing
stxklngly original legends such as, 1.-THE spirit of
the Commune expands as the axe descends upon
the necks Of its martyrs;n equal rights, opportu-
mites and compensation :" .'The unemployed de-
mand work Of the government.n These were re-
garded with fixed attention by the audience in the
twenty minutes or SO OF delay that the projectors
OF the meeting forced them to endure before they
would condescend to produce their speakers.
The meeting was at iast
CALLED TO ORDER
by Mr.. Banks, who wore in his buttonhole . red
ribbon in honor Of the occasion. He announced
that the French Orpheon Club would formally open
the exercises OF the evening with song. which
was forthwith given and rewarded with a vocifer-
ous encore.
MIR. MEANS REMARKS.
Mr.. Mexican then spoke, and eloquenty defended
the cause for which the Communists SO nobly and
gallantly fought and which he said would yet be
recognized as the most liberal revolution in human
annals. True, they had been unsuccessful, and
Paris was again beneath the heel Of desptcable
and cruel tyranny 1t was true also that there was
prejudice against them in this coun-
try, though they simply battled for the rights
in earnest be equal But let us apply the case OF the
people Of Paris to ourselves. Suppose, had been
%ere "ny o e Ne n
be governed by them and not by its own people,
should we not resist to the bitter ends Just 50
long as the provinces OF France played the despot
! over Paris so long would the country be divided.
The Commune, In It's first manifesto, said that
they simply asked as Frenchmen for their own
rights, and declared that they would on their side
under no circumstances, attempt to tyrannize
over over the provinces THIS revolution had
! all over the world No newspaper to-day dared to
| defend the Commune and many of its most sincere
lest they should be socially ostracized. He for one
/ however lthe speaker) desired no better tnan to
6o S e ee % tine The
as q mob of boodthirsty ruflians; but who
could believe that the half a million of
were all or principally composed of such ele-
mentss Americans reproached them with having
| themselves In their own Revolution pulled down q
! monument in this city because 1t was memory OF
the monarchy Again, they talked OF the shooting
ease, but these clergymen who were shot were the
spies OF the government OF Versailles, and in the
many thousand stand Of arms destined to be used
against the government called to power by the
u
rible, how merciless how lnhuman and horribly
wicked was the slaughter OF the people Of Paris by
the butchers Of Versailles Nor had their thirst
for blood ceased with the laying down by the Com
munists of their arms and the plain Of Satory had
been stained with the gore OF hundreds OF victims
shot down tor the mere sake of gratifying the
malice of their foes.
THE IRREPREssIBLE TRAIN.
Mr Banks then said that he had received letter
from George Francis Train, which apologized for
his non-attendance on the ground that he had
learned that federal marshal intended to arrest
MIN when he should attempt to speak, and that he
did not wish to have the meeting disturbed. This
excuse, however, he fMr. Banks) thought ought
not to be accepted, and he proposed that COM
mttee OF three be appointed to go to the Metro
p0litan Hotel ana fetch Mr.. Train to the meeting
ThiS was accordingly done, and Citizen Schwab
Citizen Davis, and another gentleman, with an un-
prOnouncable name were appointed for this duty.
FOREIGN SPEECHES.
Speeches were then made by Mr. Weber in Ger
man and DR.. Parise in French. The latter gentle
man, In the earlier part OF his remarks. was some
nterpOsed.
six young ladies' then went round among the
| audience collecting money for the widows Of the
commune after which a letter from Wendell
Phillips, regretting his inability to attend, was
| read. Then Mr.. Ince declaimed a long poem about
certain Baron Rudiger. who was supposed ap-
to be INDUCING In last dying speech and c0nfes-
siOn
At about eleven O'Clock after several abortiye
attempts at disturbance, Mr.. Train not having put
In an appearance, the meeting adjourned.