New-York tribune., 1878-04-27

s"s s''ei tooLs neriodicals pamphlets circulars-in
uhns u r.Anob German. Swedish, Bohemian--a
.,~;cno literature which coming writer's ana 'ninA
III, studg with wonder and amusement Du'
a. Communists are too shrewd to codly tnis o,'oI
. 'le ,ass of fragments into comprehensive mar
,ronious and ineligible whole. lhey are eio4u'N'
--,A destructive. but secretive and Jesulucal'
s;fting ont of the rubbish few plain facts ie' "'
ace what they amount to, and whittier they ic"u'
r,o ,oor 1862 marks the beginning OF an era;
III. International Exhibition in London S''I"o,SD ,S
foundations of French artisans, whose lniiani,i"o0
minds were speedily fred by the magn'liceh' pro
ioc,s of their English and German pletnien' "Ho
ii suod Tho nublic eve for the prccedluS 'hIeo
,rhoir visit led 20 the establishments ol
80. Cd noverfnl organization now known
90 tbo international "-of which MI %. Coch-
= AZ = said in his place IN Iarliaiheh''
- ,bo 11tI, of April 1872 that ITS creed was III
t,ousv and ats objects atrocions," but mat IL
.o,,ted NJ that moment 10000 members III Great
Rritain alone parliamentary report, April, 1877;
and Of which, also, Mr. Elliott {. Cowdn, dls-
,;,oushed merchant of New-YOrk, said in llls adj
dress on France in 1s7O-71," delivered at Cooper
I,.t;tute ON the evening of the 10th of February,
1870 that "every kind of absurdity and atrocity
sound utterance at the gatherings Of the affiliated
be whole extent of Europe, not less than 100000
members Bear in mind that these were the figures,
riyen by careful observers in England and America
of fire yoars dgo The growth of the Order since has
not been backward.
temporary check was nterpOscd by circum-
stances beyond Communist control But it proved
10 be only temporary. The Polish insurrection
broke out: Paris was excited thousands OF French
workmen presented addresses of sympathy to Prince
Czartorysh and the National Government Of 20
land; money was collected in the Paris workshops
TO aid the Poles; meetings were held in London at
which Poles attended and at a great Polish meet
ing held at ST. James Hall, in London, on the ga
Of July 1868, n deputaton from Paris came forward
10 ask the cooperation of the workingmen OF
England 10 lbcratc Poland. Revolt had taken
form; and the International Society Tor the hrst
time revealed its international character Ill
way that could not be misunderstood. The leaycn
had not been working in vaiu 1t was lmposslole
TO refuse sympathy to a down-trodden people IL
was easy to say kindly words. If nothing came OF
them the intent was apparently good, and that
WAS something The words were said, and the
movement attracted public attention, and won no
small degree Of public regard The inchoate In
ternatioual had scored point.
III.
Out of this demonstration grew a new movement.
Before the night was over, the French deputation
was invited 20 conference. A few days after
ward George Odger instructed by committee,
drew up an address to the workmen of France,
which may be read in the London papers of August,
1868, setting forth the statement that the time
was ripe for combination of labor against capi-
tai. "Let there be a gathering together OF
representatives from France Italy, Germany,
Poland and all countries where there exists a
will to cooperate for the good of mankind"-
go ran this remarkable document" let us
hare our Congresses let discuss the great question
on which the peace of nations depends; let ms bring
our reason and moral right to bear with becoming
dignity against the cajolery and brute force Of the
so-called rulers"
This was the first pronounced echo OF Karl Marks
illumination Of November, 1S47-"ihe aim Of the
Communists is the overthrow of the capitalists by
the acquisition Of political power" The interval of
sixteen years had been skillfully utilized in oper
ating upon the prejudices Of the working classes.
III.
From this point onward. rapid progress was made.
The train had been fred. The years 1868 and
1891 we're periods of excitement and alarm. The
Trade Unions IN England and on the Continent,
already affiliated more or less openly with tho
InternatiOnalsts or Communists, increased rapidly
in numbers and in strength. They had their news
paper organs; they had their fine yearly crops of
demagOgues, fluent Of tongue and INSCRIPTIONS III
method; they found weal-kneed legislators to plead
their cause, and ambitious politicians to mount TO
power by the aid Of their brawny shoulders. 1t was
formative periOd-a sort of evolution, with the
difference from the Darwlnian theory that il was
development backward toward barbarism. Never
theeSs the work went on.
".
The power suddenly developed abroad necessarily
led 10 the consideration Of another question, vital
TO the perpetuity Of the system Across the sea
there lay vast country, just emerged from great
war which had tired all its to the utter
most, but stronger from the trials it had endured
and the victory it had won--as gold Is purer after
the fire that purges it of dross the athlete harder
after sharp training. Obviously here was a field to
be worked. The laborers ready to enter it were
neither few timid. They had devoted them
selves to purpose and that purpose they were re-
solved to accomplishing matter at what cost of
energy, skill, resource, chcanery, cajoeTy. riot,
boodshed. robbery. murder witness PittsburP, the
Erie Railway. Baltimore, the Pennsylvania Road,
New-York City, in July, 1S77-of which more
presently.
When Samson saw the standing corn, he caught
his foxes tied them in couples with frebrand be-
tween their tails, and sent them to destroy law and
order among the Phstines 1t is not in the least
degree probable that Communists ever read their
Bibles-if indeed, they possess em-but they prac
tised SamsODs tactics. Looking at u3 over the vast
expansc of the Atlantic, they saw here great and
populOus and prosperous Nation, which had fought
out its long fight with murderous savages, tricky
politicians, the pains of adolescence, the curse of
slavery, the rebellion of the South the war of tariffs
and currences and policies and, the end of its
first century, had taken rank among the great
Powers of the world-full of vitality wealth. en-
ergy. 1t had, in turn inspired the Old World with
feelingsof indifference contempt, curiosity anxiety
anger, sympathy, fear, envy, malice and all un-