New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-13
The Story of a Communist.

A correspondent OF the Pal IuoH Gazette,
wr..iIg from Paris under date Of June ID,
has been at some pains to cOllate the facts
Of tie biography Of NJ. Arthur Ranc, whose
name is now prominently before the world
as the first victim Of MacMahOn's scheme of
moral order:
NJ. Arthur Ranc, whom General Ladmi-
raUIt is to prosecute for the share he took
il the Commune is not a vulgar or COM
moup!ace radical. Born in 1881, he went
through a brilliant school career, and came
10 PARIS to study law in l849, when the new
republic was at the climax OF its nOisiness,
and the students of the Latin Quarter
mixed more than was perhaps good for
them in the politics Of the day. Ecole Nor
male was then shinih g with pleads Of ex-
cited youngsters, almost all of whom
have since shone in the word. Edmond
About. Provost Paradol. Francisque Sarcey,
Henri Taine, j. j. Taine, Elme Caro-
were the most conspicuous OF them. At the
Cafe Fleurus, in the street of that name,
the painters, Gerome, Hamon, Courbet, who
is 10 pay for the Vendome Column, and
several others, who have since become
equally well known, formed club to which
students we're admitted, and to which the
most violent social theories were imbibed
along with beer, which was none of the
best and whitfield over Paris in series Of
turbulent demonstrations, which were of
daily recurrence, and cost Count de Fal-
loux, the Minister Of Public instruction,
many night Of wakefulness. In 1848
procession of students and painters, headed
by NJ Gerome (nOw officer in the Legion
of Honor and q member of the insti-
.Utel, had gone to the Constituent AS
senDly with petition for the abolition Of
marriage: M. Ledru Rollin, the Home Min
ister, had encouraged the formation of a
10, fnv = off ntf ho
lie; and NJ. de Lamartine had assured
Gepu.aticn from the Medical School that
memorial of theirs advocating the conver-
siun Of tie cathedral into lecture room Of
positive philosophy should have his most
anxious consideration. N. Eugene Sue was
then the prophet by whom all the students
swore, and swore profanely. This gentle
man, who. like Seneca, wrote his praises Of
poverty on a table lacking none of the
good things of this life, had SO sat
ura-ed the minds Of his younger con-
jailbirds and saintlike fallen women, that
Tie students howled despairingly among
themselves over the pickle to which their
elders had brought the world, and founded
q noble newspaper, La Rehabilitation,
Which scored the crimes committed by in
Gividuals 10 the debit columns OF society.
NJ Arthur Ranc had been factious while
studying law; he continued to be so after
he had taken his degree, and the only use
to which he seemed inclined to put his legal
was to handy words with the
public prosecutor from behind the rail of
the criminal dock. Indicted for keditiOn in
1853 he got off with a fine and warning, but
was less lucky in 1855, when arraigned for
concern in the plot against the EmperOr's
life. known as lie cOmplOt de rOpera
Comique." This was serious business,
and, despite mis- cOOlness at the assizes, Ranc
was sentenced to transportation for life and
shipped of to Lambessa. He contrived to
escape soon, and returned 10 France after
the amnesty Of 1859; but in many
respects he was an altered man. His
in the convict settlement of
Africa had sObered him. and, if not less
radical. he was infinitely more cautious
Having no fortune and few friends, he was
to earn his living as reader to the
Opi:,,On Rationale, but contributed also to
the NeU, Jdune and the Journal dc Paris.
He was . bold writer: sarcastic but cold,
vigorous but cunning. Ii prudence could
have kept him out of hot water, he need
never have been scalded again. But mod
Grafton was NOT Always a safeguard under
the empire. and ar article OH the revolu-
tlon OF ISiS, which was trltie too earnest
and graphic, landed MIN ioc four this
at Saint Pelagie NJ. Ranc now made
a vow. and contided !: 80 ali his friends.
that he would never Ge caught tripping
again. He was quiet, reserved man.
who expressed himself elegantly and had
exquisite manners. You wculd never have
taken him for a revOlutionis:. or indeed for
anything that was not perfectly respect
able and orthodox. Stout. full bearded.
always well dressed, and given to smiling,
with an appearance o: a demure approval
at everything people said to him. he re-
minded one most of lady 8 doctor in good
practice. He never practiced at the bar.
but varied his journalistic exploits with an
occasional novel. He published one in
1869 IN the Receil, ''Le Roman dune Con-
spiration." which was very powerful and
dramatic
In 1870 he was elected member from
Pans: when the Commune came he re-
eeivea a large majority as member. The
BonapartIsts detest him as the organizer
OF detective system that baitisd them in
the crisis Of their fortunes