The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1879-11-08
PARIS LETTER.
Regular Corresp ondenc.1
Paris, Oct. 18th. 1877

1t has been resolved by the
French Ministry to refuse the de-
mand for q full amnesty put forth
by the partisans of the Commune.
Full amnesty implies, in the first
place all act of oblivion-a wet
sponge wiped over the Offences
OF the Commune, and a restora-
ton Of all its partisans to politi.
cal rights. But it signifies some
thing more. The cOmmunards
say that it was they who founded
the Republic. They conteud that.
but for their revolt. the partisans
Of the Mona,chy would have pro.
claimed Henry ". that their iu.
surrection terrified the Royalists,
aud compelled them to respect
NJ. Theirs as the Gully chief who
could at-Once appease and control
the democracy of France. Nc
statement OF history can be more
false. The real founder OF the
Republic was NJ. Theirs, and the
Commune was especially directed
against him. He was detested
by the men who controlled Paris
for a time, aud they we're quite
logical when they RACED his house
TO the ground. Had he remained
in the capital, he would have
been to a certainty captured,
held as Il hostage, and finally,
no doubt doomed to the fate OF
the Archbishop aid priests. Thus
so far from being the founders of
the Republic, the Communards
were those who did all they could
to destroy the power of it's real
founder, and it was they, and
they alone. who made the return
of Henry V. a practical POSSIBLE
ty. These are the truismS of re-
cent history, but the interest Of
the situation lies in the restora-
ton to political activity Of men
who claim that they only IRE the
real founders. and ought, there
fore, to lie the actual rulers of the
present Republic of France. THUS
we are dealing, not with a pOliti-
cal party that aims at power. Its
chiefs have returned and the
great majority of it's rank and file
have been..restored to their homes.
Those who remain in New Caledo
mia are of two classes. Some are
ordinary criminals, who, during
the commune, seized the Opportu
nifty to murder aud to rob and
did so with impunity in the nalne
of the insurlectiOn. Others are
Communards who, intlamed by
purely political insanity, commit.
ted crimes like the murder of the
hostages and the burning down
of the Tuileries. These are the
only persons who have been ex>
cluded from the general amnesty,
excepting few journalists like
NJ. Eocllefort, still in exile, not gu
account of what they have dOnt
in the past but because they
preach day by day a renewal Ot
revolt. 1t may be thought that
such a minority of politicians, s,,<
r tanned by the memory OF a most
unnecessary and most atrOcious
insurrection, mixed up, too, Will
; the dregs OF the criminal popula
ton, and aiming 1T the overthrow
OF the present Republic in order
to establish Il more democratic ~
gime, could never constitute /;
danger to any Government. Min
critics, however, have had grea
| luck in Selling power in France
, No leader Of the commune Wal
. worse than Robesplerre; ye
though a majority not only o
Frenchmen but OF Parisians de
r tested him, they lacked courage
for years to effect his deposition
What gives hope and audacit,
to the smallest groups of levol,
tionlsts in France is tho timdit,
= and despair which paraiyZ'
:, Frenchmen in presence Of politi
Cal violence. The rule is to sui
init to any one in Office. A Who'll
nation has oeen trained for year
to look to Governments for gui
dance, and when a telegram a
riyes in a thousand French town,
] from the "Minister of the Inter
or" its commands are obeyed, evel
though the SO called Minister wa
yesterday a penniless agltator
The administrative machinry O
the land is SO perfect that, one
inside, any man can set the which
in motion, and the vast engine is
thus controlled BY the first adveu
= turer. Prince, journalist barrister
: or poet-whO happens to be al
l hand when the preceding ruler di
appears, 1t is, therefore, not at al
beyond the bounds of possibibil
ty that the returned convlcts q
; New Caledonia may one day b
! the rulprS Of Eranco In 1877