The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-05
THE DAYSOF THE COMMUNE
THE STORY OF ROSSEDS RESIGNA-
TON AND FLIGHT.
A Brave Mans Admissions.

number of Rossels writings, intended for
posthumous publication, have appeared IN
print In Paris. The author, In the extract
following, explains the exact nature OF the
circumstances which attended his reslgna-
ton. contemplated arrest and final flight:
son the 9th of May the chiefs Of legion as
sembled to enter their protest against the
Formation of regiments. Many of them
who were sent to me for this purpose de-
clared that their authority was sufficiently
established to enable them to put troops IN
the field at once, and promised me 1or tne
next day twenty-five battalions, oil 1Ye num-
dred men each, In marching trim. dld not not
place much dependence on this promises put
success was urgent Te5e de,erg,nss ey W srs n
thew brought me few battalions IN good con-
dtion. TO 70 out with them and engage the
pnemy In The open field. gave orders at the
same time for Bergeret's regiment to be pres.
ent, as knew 1t 10 be better prepared tnan
the others. Bergeret promised, but gaVe an
excuse at the eleventh hour f0r the absence
of three battallons which would not march
for want of certain accessories. Several
chiefs of legion came also In the evening TO
apprise me that they would not be able to
provide the troops which they had promised.
It was then that dictated my resignation,
copies of which I sent to the most widely CIR,
culated journals. The next moment ieaTnea
which had been abandoned on the preceding
evening by the garrison, and which In vain
attemuted TO reoccupy. i went aterWard, lot
conscience sake, TO see the troops which the
chiefs of legion had assembled, and caused
their effective strength to be counted. Thls
effective did not amount to five Thousand men,
and was composed OF wretched troops. Tne
letter.
deputations, one after another, to persuade
me to Withdraw my resignation. On my
refusal, they ordered the commission
of war to assume the direction OF
delegation of war, and to place me under ar
rest. At the same time, the central commit
tee, which was sitting az the ministry OIL war:
was sending me dpputation afler deputation
to AJAX me to present myselfat their meetings.
/ was Obliged to Yield 10 their pressure, and l
rave them The explanations which they re-
ouIred, pointing out to them that could not
be exppcted TO do all the work-to be at once
cornoral and captain-to run hlher and thitll-
er after men who were tired OF lighting, Wnlle
oil those who onght to have been working
were occupied In very unreasonable delioera-
tjons The central committee was slupe-
| fed On leaving, went and dined Win
Dombrowski, where I received q messenger
| from The central committee, VINO informed
me that the committee was going to ask the
| Commune to allow me full powers. re-
turned to the ministry at about ten O'CLOCK,
sion of war, reinforced with Johanard ana
| DeIescluze. After the first compliments had
passei between us, Delescluze reproached me
with having publicly placarled the capture OF
Fort Issy. answered him rather Sharply
| that the people ought to be The hrst TO near
news of this Importance. We argued ior
some time on this point, which was the great.
est grievance the Commune had against me;
| and the commission, which had brought with
If a warrant of arrest, went away without
| communicating this warrant TO me, ana a1ter
| having beqped that I would continue to
discharge NV functions till The next day.
This ! agreed to do only on the con-
dItion that should be allowed 10 retain
one of the members of the commission
to Sign all documents. On the iolloWlng
| morning the commission, very much
perplexed at not having carried out Its formal
order. sends two of Its members TO invite me
| 10 accompany them to the Hotel de Vile, and
| remained at the Questure till five O'CLOCK
without being either free or prisoner. az
five o'clock Gerardin Joined us, and informed
me that he had come 10 constitute himself
! mime had been uproarlous. No reason would
he listened to, and an act Of indictment had
been. decreed against me. They had even
named the court-martlal, of which Coet was
10 be the president. could not bear the Idea
of appearing as an accused before this Collet,
whom had seen In abject fear OF the shells al
Issy, and 1t was then determined TO ny from
the Justice of the Commune. brought Gerar-
din away with me 10 my carriage, which set us
down in The Boulevard ST. Michel, and each OF
us went in search of q lodging.
"I served the revolution faithfully, blindly,
I'LL the day when experience had convinced
me of the vanity of the hopes had founded
on this venture The Commune had no states.
men, no soldiers, aud did not wish to have
any. It accumulated ruins on Itself, without
having either the power or even the desire OF
creating anything atresh. Opposed 10 public
| ity because 1t was conscious of ITS folly, op-
| posed to liberty because 1t existed IN an un-
Stable equilibrium, from which the slightest
move was bound to make 1t fall, this ollgarchy
was the most odious despotlsm that could DC
imagined. Possessing only one Idea OF gov
eminent, which consisted In keeping the pe0-
pie in It's pay, 1t sqaandered by It's expendl,,
tnres the savings OF the Democracy and ruined
the hopes of the latter by causing the people
to lose the habit of working. When ! saw that
this evil was beyond remedy-that every ef
fort, every sacrifice, was barren-my role came
to an end"