The Labor enquirer., 1883-09-08
Louise Michel's Last Celebrated
Address to the French
Military.
Good Reading for the Slaves in
Service at Alcatraz and
the Preside.
Something that the Silly Militiamen
Of America Can Read with
Much Profit.

chel and lately distributed among the French
army, 1t was translated for the San Fran.
cisco Truth by John Most, and will be read
by all American wageworkers with exceed
ing interest
To the Army:
SOLDIERS DO not forget that yester-
day You were among the proletarians
and that you NAV return there to-mOr-
row Think that your fathers, your
Mothers your brothers, your sisters and
your comrades are yet in the crowd OF
exploited ones whom you may be called
upon to slaughter. Do not let false
egOtism cause you to sacrifice the interest
Of your families, your friends and OF
your own tomorrow, to the illusions of
glory and the fear of the rigors of dis
cipline. Have constantly in mind the
remembrance of your friends and the
future of misery and subsection that is
reserved for you if you consent to be the
blind instruments of hberticidal govern
ments and snstainers of the capitalists
who fatten on the sweat of the people.
The bourgeoisie, in the name of the ex-
elusive interest which, you have been
drawn from the private life to undertake e
the sinister trade of killers of men, with
no other force than that of your breasts
and your arms to maintain their iniqui-
tous privileges as against the rights of
wOrkmen. Can you consent, without
crime, to slaughter those who demand
the rights that you would he called upon
to enjoy tomorrow if they should sue
ceed in conquering them? Can you be
50 insensate as to fight the class of the
disnherited to which you belong, and
of which you will partake the suferings,
if YOU sustain those who oppress it?
no, no! You will not commit this
crime or this notable folly. What would
yea say to man who, on the injunction
u another, would assassinate his own
mother to let him escape from her
menares? You would say that he was d
monster-a cowardly parricide. What
would YOU say of man who, TO avoid
\ some contingent danger, would consent
>mutiI2te himself in such a manner as
8 .yrendtr him powerless in the future /?
/ Nuy5ud say he was complete fool.
| ~ well, In turning your guns
,,no>t the popular masses, revolving
'<&anSt the social iniquities of which
eyare the victims, you might fire on
Sc Vho have watched over your in
Alry and on those who have been your
Il h.,n yumpanions in labor; in contrib
rang t. slaughter them, you would
mrLutp to your own servitude in the
h f,1rr
Come. soldiers Instead of turning
your arms against your brothers, turn
/ them against the chiefswhO dare to order
YOU to be fraticides; instead of prepar-
ing for Your brothers and for yourselves
,lay>o misery and oppression, join those
Hho seek for all-for yourselves as well
as for others-absolute liberty and fhe
equal satisfaction of their needs.
Let there be no more bougeois tyrants
than crowned or gold laced ones; no
more economical privileged than aristo-
Ascratic privileged. Equality Equality
>a,4 will be the cry Of vindication in the
coming revolution. M
is with this standard that we seek
t. DESTROY the old society, and that we
Ru,,rike with death whoever will pre-
. .r,3,o mointaiu the tyranny and ex-
7 pIoI4tion of man by man.
It, to this standard that you ought to
hasten after having set fire to your prison
barracks and killed whbeNer spight seek
~ dp sou--a. !.
I " compromising the fate
! reign powers, instead
.., d. commanded by gen
/ Trgeoise, and who have
4 netrayed it, we would
i< .,r bold enough to attack
4: arms ready 70 defend
would dare to march
limated with the reyo'
Europe knows what
,ans- -Culottes were able
animated with the
2eration.
knew that Germany
quered after the fourth
ne eeunichs, the traitors
nental thieves of the
had not sought to e1
ltionary spirit, and hae
30. deliver France to tht
runthe risk of seeing
IL over their heads ane
-rr of their misdeeds
|n already trembles un
espots who could b.
tour territory. 1t il
,da armies of the king
! europe should marcl
d rtous proletarian reyo
III men of all countries
.E.q nd them to assist us
~ s.d ale sssy that it is only pro
80 I55uce revolutionized, tina