The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-08-17

Philadelphia Press, writing under
date o July 12th, devotes consider
able space to political matters in
France. We quoIe from what he
says of the Commune, and ask the
candid attention of our readers to
his statements:
Imprscticable radicalism is not q
characteristic of the Republican
party OF France. Ii is conservative,
practical, liberal in its policy, looks
TO the elevation of the masses, and
strongly opposed to the revolution
airy schemes OF the Internationalists
and Communists. The latter, des-
pite the infamy with which they
lowered themselves in 1871, are yet
secretly organized, and by no means
despicaDle in numbers. Through
the Internationale they correspond
with affiliated societIes, not only In
the Continental States, but also in
England and America. They are
recruited from the worst elements,
such as have no sympatby with the
existing order OF things, and who
desire q social as we'll as political
revolution. They are as hostile to
the Republic Of the United States
a. to the most absolute despotism.
They, in fact, hate 1t more than any
other, as the demonstration Of the
possibility of self-government pre-
vents the success Of communism.
IF they could destroy it they would
have removed the last obstacle in
their way, and would force the
adoption of their own theories as
the sole means of securing COM
plete individual liberty and univer-
sal equality of property and rights.
| Under their system there would
be no rich men. because all proper
tY would be held in common, and
the earnings of each would go to
the support Of all. In other words,
individual property would cease to
exist. To any one not bereft of
reason it is easy to see that this
would lead to the extinction Of per-
sonal enterprise, to the arrest of the
moral stagnation, and to social deg
relation. A more certain mode of
debasing the human species could
not well be devised. It is the re-
lentless foe of whatever has con-
tributed to the prosperity, happi-
ness, and development of modern
states and people; and, worse than
all, it Is in conflict with every prin-
ciple Of Republican freedom of an
cient or modern times. The right
of the individual to the unfettered
exercise OF his own powers, to the
gains of his industry, and to the
acquisition of property, and which
Is the essence of true republicanism,
is denied by communism. 1t is q
standing conspiracy against pro-
gress, liberty and Christian civilizs-
ton.
The Internationale is q secret or
gsnization, with salaried officers and
agents actively at work in Europe
and America, the declared enemy of
the political Institutions of every
country and every religion-atheis-
tlcal, enaFchiai, and subVersive or
established notions of right and jus
| tice. When the mot d'Ordre is Civ
en- to stir up strife, to raise mobs, to
kindie Instructions against govern
ments, 1t must be obeyed. Its ora
tors are specially instructed to de-
nounce corporations, the accumula-
tons of capitalists, the right of any
body to rule but the communists,
aud to advocate the redistribution
of property, the abolition of all dis
tinctions created by individual of.
fort, and the entire reorganization
of society. One of the leading In
ternAtionalists recently boosted that
the American Republic would ere
long be supplsnted by communism,
and that az there would then be no
| capital, there could be no further
stife between capital and labor.
0ne of the members of the French
| Commune thus defines its objects /:
"Their philosophy is atheism, mate
rialism-the negation of all religion.
Their political programme is abso-
lutte individual liberty by means of
the suppression of government and
the di, ision of nationalities into
cOmmunes more or less federated.
Their political economy consists
chiefly in the dispossessiOn, without
compensation, OF the present hold
era of capital, and in Assignment of
the coin, land, etc., to associations
Of working men,"
/ ask you, citizens of the greatest
Republic of modern times, If you
are willing to surrender your noble
institutions for such Q system of
villainy2 Are you, the descendants
of Washington, Jefferson and Frank
lin, to unlearn all that our revolu-
tiOnary sages have taught you, and
to become the pupils and followers
OF the mad men who, in 1871, acted
more like savage beasts than human
beinge, and attempted the destruc-
L NJ run1 -
Europep Wherever the Interna-
tiOnal society is in operation, 1t will
be q fomenter Of disorder, for Its
aim is, In the words of one of lite
most eminent leaders, "the suppress
sion of government" 1t will take
advantage of every commoti0n to
widen the breach between the diff.
ferent classes of society, and It will
enlist In its service all who are the
enemies of established authority,
and who, like the Communists. hope
to live on the labor and earnings of
others 80
The commune would not have
obtained control of Paris but for
the treacherv and Decentralization of
the national guard. The city had
hardly been evacuated by the Ger
mans before the worst elements OF
the Paris population came to the
front. They sWarmed into the CEN
ter Of the city from their hiding pla-
ces In the batignolles, the Fau6ourg
San Antoine, and the uuarries Of
Montmatre, demanding bread, mon
ey, and the punishment of the aris-
tocrats. In their speech this is q
general term, meaning all decent
people who live generally on the
means they have accumulated by
lives OF honest industry. Their
ranks were recruited from the pris-
ons, from the Warehouses, and the
haunts Of crime. Having establish
ed . mockery OF q government at
the Hotel de Vile, they closed the
gates OF Paris, refused to allow the
army to enter, and declared them
selves the rulers Of France. Com
missions were organized to hunt ap
suspected persons, 70 administer
Justice on the spot, to shoot, to hang,
and put to death ct will. The ordi-
Il nary forma of iustfce Were disnann.