New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-16
LOUISE MICHEL.
A SAINT AND AN INCENDIARY.
From The Pail Mall gazette.


From The Pail Mall Gazette.
She would have been great saint If she had
only been TUNED the right way" Such was the YER
dict of the Sister Superior OF st .Lazare Louise
Michel before she went to New-Caed0na; and the
sister was right. Louise Michel is saint who ba.
lost her way. She has all the fervOr, the enthus
iasn, and the unhesitating self-saorifce of the
greatest OF the saints of the Church. She is one
OF tho saints of the social revOlutiOna petroleuse
of the petroeuses Although she prOclaims herself
the ally OF all those who wit spade, mine. or fire
attack the cursed ediice of our old society," she IS
personally lrreproacha1le; her bltterest enemies
against the social laws She is one OF tho remark
able women of Paris-and in some respects she is
the most interesting of the trio Sarah BeInhardt
is one, Nine. Adam is the other, and Louise Michel
is the third Sarah Bernhardt is the queen of the
stage, Mime. Adam Of the salon. and Louise Michel
finds her throne among the suffering and diScOn-
tented poor. SO say her yOtaries.
Louise Michel was born half century since i'll an
humble home in the department OF the Marine. Her
mother was a farmyard maid at the chateau Of
noble family and Louise, when child, was the
pet and plaything of the ladies of the chateau.
She received good education. and being frequently
at the chateau she acquired cultivated taste and
n few accomplishments. She excelled in garden
ing, and became learned in all the simple lore of
country lite Her intelligence impressed the son
Of the owner OF the chateau that during his yaca-
tons he amused himself BY teaching the little
Louise to write rhymes and French composition.
Her rhymes. il is said, excellent and she has
lost the art of yersfylng; but OF late years
the illusions of her Tyre have been yerltable poems
Of q petroleuse-sanguinaIY invocations OF social
revolution Not in that strain did she write when
rs q simple peasant girl she first essayed to eXpTcss
herself in prose and verse nor could any one have
dreamed that the intelligent little dansel with the
well-kcpt fOwer-bed and attractive manners would
ever develop into the MGnad whose passionate dla-
tribes stir the blood of the fierce democracy OF Belle
vile and NOntmarte. IL is said that she pecu-
lIarly distinguished for her proficiency In religious
aud she took the best position in the cate
chsn class. How or when she became dissatisfied
with her tranquil provincial life 10 not stated but
one fine dav an uncomfortable desire to leave the
dull shade of the silent chateau took possession OF
the young lady. then apparently in her teens and,
packing her wardrobe in q parcel she started for
Paris. On arriving Mt the capital she was be-
friended by the family at whose house she had been
reared and they secured for her situation as as
sistant mistress in school at MonJmarte. There
she taught many years, retaining her position IL
fact until the communal rising in 1871.
OF her life during all these years there is no re-
cord She lab0red at her vocation in silence anu IN
sorrow, brOOdng much over the misereS OF the
world and meditatng goomily over social sys-
TEN which crushed almost out OF oil sembance OF
humanity the miserable wrctches who crowded the
sums and alleys OF the lowest quarter OF Paris.
A woman of marvellous will and extraordinary
strength of character with intense sympathes and
q spirit that famed with unquenchable Indignation
against all the oppression and injustice and hypoc-
rsy of this evil world, she appears to have rid her
self of the last vestIge of the faith in which she
reared and to have embraced in its stead with al
the passionate ardOr OF her nature the gospel OF the
social revolution. Hence, when the Commune re-
voteJ against Versailles Louise Michel hailed the
insurrecton as the dawn of q new ana better day.
Woman though she was she joined the ranks OF the
insurgents and fought with many other women
who we're prompt to follow her leading against the
hated Versnllese. In the streets and at the council
table she was ever at the front; and when no
Commune tell, it was Louise Michel Who dis
tributcd cans of petroleum to those who were wili-
ing to make funeral pyre Of the capital which
witnessed its full So at least it is said. There IL
less doubt about the part which she played in de-
Tending the heights Of MOntmarte. When the in
surgents turned to fly. Louise Michel tainted them
rs towards, and. Fastening 10 the cannon, ilred
round after round upon the advancing troops, until
ut last. standing alone by her guns she was made
prisoner by the Versallcse. Tho great stroke had
failed. Versailles had trulnpbed the social reyo-
luton was drowned in blood Louise was trldu ~
collrt-maItia anu condemned to death While
awaiting trial her conduct was exemplary. She
was Obedlcnt, dOcile. silent, and respectful. But
when in consideration OF her sex, AMI OF the mOth
ery caro- which she had shown to the poor deserted
children of MOntmarte even during the worst ago
MES OF the second siege the sentence was comlnutSn
to transportation to wCaledonia she lost her self
control and burst out into passionate iinpIecatiOn
upon the Court which denied her even the right TO
die Sho declared she would not accept her re-
prove and dispatched an indignant epstle to the
Court demanding that they should recognize her
light TO be shot like man. AS they turned u deAl
ear to her pleadinps, she poured out her soul Ill
passionate letter to Victor Hugo" My poet anu
my master r-imploring him to save her from the
disgrace OF being repricved like woman alter she
had 80 lerOicaily earned tho right TO be shot IKE
man. Victor Hugo could do nothing anu IN due
time Louise removed to the prison ot AuDcrnie'
pending her transportation TO thc south seas. ono
appears to have snbdued her fury ut beng con-
demned to live, and to have accepted the reprieVe
rs q sign that there was still work for her to do
When the SlStor superior went w pu hoi IL" w u,
she was startled by the light of triumph that
CLEANED in Louise's eye. 81 sha come back" she
said. "YOu will see us all back again soon; we
shall do better next time "llow absurd, SAID
the sister; " the Commune is utterly crushed, ana
YOU are going to the antipOdes for life" lou are
mistaken" replied the petIoeuse; Eau revoir. mi.
Sour When the fires are lighted again in Paris L
will be friend to yon." oi.
On the long and weary voyage to New-Calcdonll;
Louise Michel showed herself q ministrrlng anger
TO the poor wretches who were sent out Win ner
i'll the ship She taught them to read and write.
She instructed them III morality In sickness she
was their nurse, in trouble their comforter IN inc
penal settlements III tho prison, her conduct was
iIrcproachablc. She worked and waited, biding
her time When Mt last she was anlnestled sue
refused to leave Noumca unless her fcllow-exilrs
were released. Ii is no wonder that such woman
should have been IocC ed with almost royal hohoIS
on her return to Part ~ tho population OIL MONT
marie Fierce and uLcompronslng, WIN spTlG
unbroken by suffering and faith unquenched ny
defeat she ceases not day aud night to I'LL up ner
voice in prophecy that the triumph OF tho people ~
at hand. "(iambettisn, that is the enemy. sn9
declares and she assails with furious eloquence az
who stand in the way of social revolution. one Is
nearly fifty now, this apostle OF the petroleuses
but though her cOuntenance is weird anu naggaTu
with the trail of many SORROWS, ner IustIOus eye
dims with tears as she speaks OF the sunerlhgs oI
the DOOR and her eloquent voice becomes tremulous
with emotion as she pleads for those WHO are OPP
pressel ana have no helper.