Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-11-03

1 tie knots OF men making up their list
s of the new government Each kno
e handed me their list as q vote distribu
i tor would give ballot on an election
day. They felt assured that the gov
: ernment would abdicate, and If no
they had the force TO hold the mem
bers as prisoners. The situation to IN,
seemed absolutely perilous, and ! wa,
impressed with tho danger which i'm
} pended over the city.
Returnlng TO my Legation late il
the evening | found the streets anC
boulevards filled with excited people
all breathing hostility TO the Govern
ment of the National Defence. The
loyal and patriotic people, filled with
fright and terror, had retired to Their
houses, and brooded over their threat
enod danger Soon the tocsin rang
out in all the streets, and at II o'clock
at night heard from under my window
that dreadful sound which in the first
Revolution had so often frozen every
heart with terror. 1t was one OF the
most fearful nights ever experienced
in that devoted city. Fortunately in
the confusion and tumult attending the
arrest OF the government, NJ. Ernest
Picard, Minister of Finance, escaped
and Immediately devoted himself to
the organization of loyal force 20 re-.
lease his colleagues. This was made
apparently easy; the revolutionists,
from their certainty of success and
their deep potations Of wine, had be
como careless and in the latter part of
the night sleepy. A loyal regiment was
introduced into the Hotel do Vile by
a subterranean way, and almost before
the mob and National Guard knew it,
they were driven head and heels out
Of tho building and the government
was saved. [Applause.l
The sParisians held ont until tho
whole city was literally exhausted.
All the horses were killed for food.
Everything eatable was at enormous
prices. On Cbristmas.eve, passing by
a little meat shop in the Rue Lazaro, |
ventured 10 stop in and inquire the
price of a midding.sizod turkey, for
Christmas dinner the next day, and the
proprietor with all the politeness of a
Frenchman, said that, seeing il was me,
| might have il for S25. All the wild
animals in the Jardin des Plantes, with
one exception the largest collection in
the world, were killed and sold for
food. Then there was no meat to be
had but horse meat. | had no occa-
sion, however, myself to eat horse meat,
but ! did eat mule meat, and / must
say to tho credit of that useful and for
bearing animal, | found him quite good.
[Laughtcrl My Secretary, Colonel
Hoffman, ate the meats of all the wild
animals in the Jardin dos Plantes, in
order to judge which was the best, and
after fair trial he declared that the
elephant was the best of all. Laugh.
ter
But the time had come for the sur.
render of Paris, and a portion of the
city to be occupied by 10000 German
troops until the treaty should be ratI.
fed by the National Assembly. 1t is !
impossible to describe the profound
impression that this matter made upon
the Parisians. But there were no re.
sources left, for never was there a city |
so thoroughly exhausted in every re. |
spect In many parts OF the town the
streets were not lighted at night. The
people kept indoors. The shutters
were all closed, and so completely
were some parts OF the town deserted
that they seemed like places of the
dead, A terrible day was the 1st OF
March, 1871, to the Parisans. 1t was
a day of unutterable sadness, humilia
tion and despair
The treaty having been ratified ac.
cording to its stipulation, the German
troops commenced moving out on Fri.
day morning at 8 o'clock, having oc.
cupicd a portion of the city for two
days. Marching up tho Champs Ely.
secs, they passed under the Arc de
Triomphe, amidst vociferous cheering, Z
and at IL o'clock precisely tho last
German soldier passed out, and Paris
once more breathed free 1t must be
said,t the honor ofthe German troops
that the utmost order prevailed, and
that there was no violence against per.
sons or property. No sooner were the
troops on their way out OF the city
than the closed streets, restaurants and
hotels threw open their doors. The
grand avenue OF the Champ Elysees
was swept and sprinkled, and the mag.
nificent fountains of the Place dc la
Concorde began to play. At3o'clock
n the afternoon the day was splendid 1
all that part of the city which had boon
80 long under the guise of a funeral
pail, presented gay and cheerful ap.
pearance, and the people Tor the first
lime seemed happy after so many long,
lroary, suffering and evontful months.
Provisions Immediately began to pour
n for the relief OF the starving people.
With unbounded generosity, England
md the United States stretched forth I
he hand of charity. [Applausel
THE OUTBREAK or THE COMMUNE
After the siege, the Commune of
Paris. 1t was on the 18th of March, =
.SIl, that the insurrectonary National
iuard, numbering nearly 10000 men, /.
veil armed and equipped, drove the
government of which Thiers was the .
hiei or executive power out of Paris :
md took possession OF the city. This !,
vas not like the Commune of Paris of =
he first Revolution. That was in :
heory the local government of that !,
evolutionary and turbulent city, con. 4
ulscd by the elements born of that 1
'roat historic period, when thrones =
rumblcd and dynasties fell. This old =
commune was In subordination TO the :
,ational convention of France, that
erIibles body which seized all the
ranches OF the government, legisla. .
i've, executive and judicial. This old !,
commune of Paris was the power be- :.
ind the throne, greater than tho !;
hrono itself, but at that time there "" ""
Ias an organized government Of !"
rance, which was the National con. :, "
ention itself, composed of one of the y
lost imposing bodies of men the world \
as ever known, There was the ex. Il
cution of law in all Of tho ordinary y
,rms, and the horrible cruelties, op. II
ressions and murderers were under \
he forms of law. But in the Com.
iune Of Paris of 1871, il was simply ii
he government Of a city of two mill a, a.
ms of people by lawless mob, where a
lstice and law and order were all =
'ampled under foot, and there was no - !,
Nv but that of absolute force, welded ',
y tho worst men that ever reached y
over in any country.