The daily gazette., 1880-03-24
Parts Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent)
PARIS, France. March 10, 1880,

|
PARIS, France, March 10, 1880.
The neighborhood of the Montpar-
nasse Station, when the first train-full
of returned Communists was expected
last night, presented q spectacle of q
most unusual and highly interesting
kind. The sight of mob, composed
| to a great extent of the same class of
society as that which furnished the
criminals whom it came to welcome
home, is of itself worthy of description
but when added to that crowd we see
an immense concourse of spectators
bent on turning the occasion into a
wild scene of revelry in the small hours
of the morning, the scene becomes still
more worthy of note. Itinerant ven-
ders of newspapers, supposed to con-
tain the correct list of the men expect
ed. did a roaring trade and the easy
manner in which the French working
men can be induced to part with his
| savings for the relief of his political
friends was instanced by the immense
numbers of coppers collected in open
baskets lined with red, borne by girls
adorned with red ribbons, soliciting
aims, "Pour les amnesties." 1t was
not difficult to discern the opinions of
the majority of those present, blood
red being the only ribbon worn by both
men and women while the tricolour
cockade, once the emblem OF revolu-
tiion, would have been looked upon as
tame and cowardly token OF respect
for law and order, unworthy of place
on the cap of good citizen. The
train, due at 40 at night, by which
the first contingent was expected, turn
ed out to be an express, and contained |
only a very small number of the ''repa-
tries" who had the means of paying |
the first-class fare, a notice being post |
ed outside the station stating that the |
bulk would arrive at $50 in the MORN
ing. This piece of news produced a
general rush into the cafes, where bill
lizard tables, cards, dominoes, and sup
pers were the order of the day-for
day in aspect it very soon was.
As the time for the train to arrive
drew near the crowd slowly evacuated
the cafes and taverns and stationed
itself along the sloping road leading
down from the station, free passage
being kept by the police for the lucky
bearers of red tickets admitting to the
platform. The crowd here, which
could not have numbered less than
three thousand people was orderly in
the extreme the whole scene being
most impressive.
At last, after a number of false
alarms, the actual whistle of the en-
gine is heard, and after a short delay
the first Communist of this train ap-
pears, resting on the arm of member
Of the reception committee, possibly a
relative from whom he has been sepa-
rated by long years of exile and penal
aDor. The Gro wd sends up a cheer,
hats and handkerchiefs are waved. and
he grey-bearded Revolutionist, hat in
land, descending the road amid deaf
ming shouts of "Vive la Republique
9lve le Amnesties !" is conducted to
he Hotel de la Marine, the headquar-
ers of the committee, when substan-
lal meal awaits him. After him long
tring of fellow-sufferers, relieved Of
heir little luggage by ready hands,
urrounded by friends and relations, ,
acknowledge the welcomes of the ]
rowd, and it is a long time before the /
traggling procession ceases. The
costume of the Communists consists,
IS far as could be discerned in the
iemi-light, mostly of light grey suit
With broadbrimmed grey hat but
" course this is subject to many vaiia-
ions, the greatest uniformity being in
he portable luggage, which consists
of large bundle tied up in
White cloth, while occasionally few
,ows and arrows of the kind used by
he New Caledonian aborigines, were I
'rought home as relics of dark page
n the history of their fortunes. 1t is
curious coincidence that just as the
were arriving, the horizon ,
IN the north was illuminated by tre-
nendous red glare, indicating serious
Ire over the water, and which cannot /
nut have gone home to the hearts of /
ONE of the convicts as painful remi- 9
llscence of those dread days in May. !
o1l, when they left Paris enveioped /
flames, caused by their reckless
plrlt OF destruction, driving them to !,
rlmes which they have just expiated I
" nearly nine years exile from the
and which they did know how to re-
pect. i