The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-01-03
A Wouid.Be Charlotte Corday.

most marvellous woman OF modern times,
Louise Michel. While it is not wise to
take her at the estimate of her friends,
who look upon her as veritable saint,
nor of her enemies, who describe her as
a human devil, it is safe to say that
since the time of Charlotte Corday, who
stabbed the fiend Marat, there has been
no woman in France who eNerted the
influence over the masses that Louise
Michel does. There is no French ora
tor to whose eloquence the French peo-
pie listen as eagerly as they do to hers,
and when speaking, she has them COM
pletely under her control. By the Gov
ernment she is more feared than Roche
fort, or any other of the communist
leaders.
This remarkable woman is now forty
seven years old, though she looks to be
older. She was born in the Department
of Marne, in the old Province of Cham
payne, noted for its sparkling wines.
She was of lowly birth, her parents be-
ing, it is said, natives of Belgium, who
crossed over into France and sought to
improve their condition in the wine-
growing regions. Louise's father died
when she was little girl, and she was
left to the tender care of her mother,
who was mistress of general work at the
chateau of a titled and illustrious fami-
ly. Though ignorant, she was honest
and industrious, and these principles
she instilled into her fatherless daugh-
ter.
Louise was comely and bright, and
early attracted the attention of the ladies
of the family, who made a pet of her.
As she grew older she acquired refined
20 nd ole M
made a companion by the noble ladies,
who taught her many accomplishments.
When Louise was about seventeen, the
son of her master returned from school,
and charmed by her beauty, winning
manners, intelligence and wit, spent
much of his time in her society. This
companionship proved disastrous to
Louise, for when he pretended to love
her she believed him, and in return
loved him with all the ardor of a trust
ing young girl who had never heard of,
much less observed or experienced, the
faithlessness of titled youth who seek al
liances with those whom thev consider
beneath them in the social scale. Louise
soon awakened from her delusion, and
within a year from the time when the
young nobleman became interested in
her, she suddenly left the chateau, with
her few worldly goods in a small bum
die, and made her way to Paris. There
she secured a position as assistant teach
er in small school in the suburb OF
Montmartre, which islargely inhabited by
laboring people, where she remained for
years. While teaching she was Frequently
brought into contact with the poor, OF
whom there were manv, and saw so
much of their hardships and sorrow that
all her naturally sympathetic nature
was aroused in their behalf. She spent
much time among them, nursing the
sick and helping the needy as far as her
limited time and means would permit.
She was to these poor people a minis.
tering angel, and they naturally came
to love her.
Louise believed the working classes tc
be cruelty oppressed, and also that il
the oppression were removed they would
be prosperous and happy. In the course
of a few years she began attending the
meetings of the Communists, and then
fervid harangues gradually inspired heI
with a mortal hatred of the rich. She
also acquired an intense dislike to the
church, in whose doctrines she had beer
piously instructed by her pious mother,
and, like most of the Communists, is
now violent atheist.
Louise's revolutionary spirit grew and
intensified for years. At one time she
advocated the assassination of Napo-
lem I'LL, and went from one club to
another offering herself and her dagger
for the purpose, but the offer was de-
clined.
The communal uprising of 1871 gave
her the great opportunity to appear be-
fore the worla as a revolutionary leader.
She believed that the day for France to
be delivered from the bondage of her op-
pressors had come, and that it be-
hooved her to do her utmost for the
cause in which her whole soul was en-.
listed, declaring that ''This is not the
hour for protest, appeal, or exhortatioD
this is the hour for fiery resolve and
fearless deed"
When the people rose against Yer.
saiIles she joined them. She fought des.
perately and with mad daring in the
most exposed situations, and per.
formed prodigies of valor. She was
even more influential with her tongue
than with her arms, and when her com.
rades turned to fly from the troops she
taunted them with cowardice, and hur.
rying to the cannon which they had de-
serted she loaded it herself and fired il
again and again at the advancing enc
my, refusing to surrender until finally
she was wounded and taken prisoner
while unconscious.
Louise was anxious to die for hel
country, and when, having been tried
by court-martial, and condemned to die
her sentence was commuted to trans
portation for life in consideration of heI
sex, she protested against the reprieve,
and even addressed a letter to Victor
Hugo, imploring him to save her from
surviving her lost cause. With the
lapse of time she became more recon
ciled to her reprievers, and hoped that
the Commune might have another
chance, which hope she now seems to
think is possible of being realized. Upon
the eve of her departure for New Gale
donia she said to those about her: "We
shall come back, be sure of that The
torch of the Commune will be relighted
we shall do our work better next time
We shall yet be recognized as the de-
livorers of our common country"
During her exile Louise succeeded in
retaining the favor of her followers iu
France, and when she returned with hel
fellow exiles. she was received with the
most enthusiastic dcmonstratiOns of re-
gard and affection. Her influence since
her return 10 France has, If that were
possible, been more powerful than dur
ing the reign of the Commune, and her
denunciations of the Government and
Gambetta, whom she styles the worst
foe of the Republic and Gambettaism
the sum of all evils, have been unceas
ing, and it would appear from recent
events have made their impression upon
the laboring people.
Louise Michel has during her event
full lifetime endured anxiety and suffer.
ing, and passed through many dangers,
but the ardor of her youth is moi
quenched nor her imperious will broken
and though her face when in repose i:
thin and haggard and her hair streakeo
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