Litchfield enquirer., 1878-08-22
THE FRENCH COMMUNE.

Ill eA-MlnlSCer WaSnDurnS OlSpatcneS re- garding hls official career in Paris under the Commune, the following, among many other interesting letters, occur:
 On April 23 he wrote to Mir. Fish:
 You are aware that Monseigneur Darboy, the Archbishop of Paris, was seized some time since, by order of the Commune, and thrust in- to prison to be held as hostage. Such treat ment of that most devout and excellent man could have but created great sensation, par ticularly in the Catholic world On Thursday night last l received a letter from Nonseign- eur Chigi, Archbishop of Myre and Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See, and also communi- cation from Mir. Louoner, Canon of the Dio- cese of Paris; Mr. Lagarde, the Vicar General of Paris and Messrs. Bourset and Allain, Can mons and members of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Church of Paris, all making strong ap- peal to me, e,in the name of the right of nations, humanity, and sympathy, to interpose my good offices in behalf of the imprisoned Archbishop. have thought that should have been only conforming to what believed to be the policy of our Government, and carrying out what I conceived to be your wishes under the circurn- stances, by complying with the request of the gentlemen who have addressed me. l, there fore, this morning put myself in communica- tion with General Cluseret, who seems, at the present time, to be the directing man in affairs here. Under the existing circum- stances he thought it would be useless to take any steps in the direction of his release. 1, myself, thought the Commune would not dare in the present excited state of public feeling in Paris to release the Archbishop. I told General Cluseret, however, that 1 must see him to ascertain his real situation, the condi- tion of his health and whether he was in want of anything. He said there would be no ob- jection to that, and he immediately went with me, in person, to see the Procureur of the Commune and upon his application receiv- ed from the prefect permission to visit the Archbishop freely at any time. In company with my private secretary, Mir. McKean, l then went to the Mazas prison, where was admitted without difficulty, and being ushered into one of the vacant cells the Archbishop was very soon brought in. I must say that I was deeply touched at the appearance of this venerable man. With his slender person, his form somewhat bent, his long beard, for he has not been shaved apparently since his con- t1nement, his face haggard with ill-health, all could not have failed to have moved the most indifferent. 1 told him I had taken great pleasure, at the instance of his friends, in in- tervening on his behalf, and while could not promise myself the satisfaction of seeing him released, was very glad to be able to visit him, to ascertain his wants, and to assuage the cruel position in which he found himself. He thanked me mostheartily and cordially for the disposition had manifested toward him. 1 was charmed by his cheerful spirit and his in- teresting conversation. l was the first man he had seen from the outside since imprisonment and he had not been permitted to see the newspapers, or to have any intelli- gence of passing events l shall make applica- tiOn to the POrcureur of the Commune to be allowed to send him newspapers and other reading matter, and shall also avail myself of the permission granted me to visit him. to the end that may afford him any proper assist ance in my power. 1 cannot conceal from my self however, the great danger he is in, and 1 sincerely hope that 1 may be instrumental ill saving him from the fate which seems to threaten him. 1 have, etc.
 E.B. WAsnBURNE,
 On May 31, 1871, he wrote:
 1 telegraphed you of the sad fate of the Archbishop so cruelty shot as hostage on Wednesday evening" the 24th instant, at the prison of La Requette. had become intense ly interested in that venerable and excellent man. presume mine was the last friendly face he ever beheld except those of his com panions who were shot with him. I saw him at half-past 4 or o'clock last Sunday after noon. I had been to see him on Friday, and found him SO feeble that 1 thought 1 would go again on Sunday to see how he was. The Versailles troops had already entered the gate of St. Cloud on the other extreme of the city, but of course no one knew it where we were. The National Guard delegate to the prison was drunk and everything was very disagree able inside. They would not let me enter the cell of the Archbishop as 1 had been in the habit of doing, but insisted that he should come out to see me in the corridor. 1 regret ted that, for knew how weak and feeble he was. He soon came out looking very badly, but with the same pleasant countenance and the same warm thanks. I told him 1 was sorry 1 could bring him no news, but that had felt so anxious about his health that had come to see how he was. He replied that he was better. We talked of the situation and of the probabilities of the speedy delivery of Par is. told him thought the end was near and that hoped should soon have the pleasure of seeing him at liberty. Hereplied that I was always so amiable and so kind and that if it were the will of God that he should be spared it would be his greatest pleasure to tell the world of all that had done for him. But observed that he was sadder and more de- pressed then had ever seen him. and 1 think he had prescience of his coming fate.
 THE MINISTER'S PERSONAL DANGERS.
 Mir. Washburne is very reticent as to the personal dangers with which he was surround ed, but the following extracts will show how near he was to pers o1al violence:
 On Sunday evening last, at about o'clock, intelligence came to me that an American la dy, Miss Herring, the keeper of a boarding house on the Boulevard Haussmann, had been arrested. At about o'clock in the afternoon, when she was out of her house withtwo of her boarders Mir. and Mrs. Crane, of New York, it was alleged that shot had been fired from the building. On returning to the house they found it in possession of soldiers, and surround ed by mob. On my arriving there the crowd had partially dispersed, and perquisition had been made in the house. Nothing of course was found, and upon my explanations ill regard to Miss Herring, she was discharged from arrest. At this juncture, Mir. Carter, an American merchant, and the father of Mrs. Crane, went into an adjoining street to bring home the nurse and the young child of his daughter. Descending to the door to return to my lodgings, 1 observed in the street, a short distance away, a very large crowd utter ing vociferous yells and coming in the direc- tion where 1 stood. To my utter amazement ter, and were followin him with the cry, "A mort" "A mOrt!" Fortunately for him there were some officers near by, who sprang to his rescue and saved him from an immediate and terrible death. While all this was going on he was separated from the nurse and child of his daughter. When the daughter saw her father barely escaping with his life from the crowd withOu bringing her child, she natural ly became almost frantic, and with the courage belonging only to mother, she seized an of fcer by the arm and marched with him direct ly into the mob. In few minutes, to our in- expressible joy, we saw her return with her child and nurse. I mention these cases as cases out of hundreds, which have been hap pening every day and every hour of every day as exhibiting the inhuman and devilish spirit which has prevailed here.
 On Saturday, the 2Oth ultimo, about il o'clock in the morning when was writing letter to General Fabrice on matter of bus mess, my female servent came rushing into the legation in state of great terror and ex citement, saying that the National Guard had come to invade my house. She refused to open the decrs, telling them that it was the residence of the American Minister They then became qnite violent, and said they