The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-04-28
A NARROW ESCAPE.
A TRUE STORY OF THE COMMUNE.

had been through the French war-or
as the precise word-mongers have it
through the Franco German war. 1t will
be understood by any military man that
such was no jocose experience. The
word went out on the 10Th of July, 1870,
from the bumptious French assembly
that France was going to have one of her
periodical walk-overs across the German
states and in effect that this was all to be
for the glory of the rein of Napoleon III.
While some of its chief actors still sur
vive, let me tell little experience of an
associate in journalism, who afteward be-
came the bravest and ablest newspaper
correspondent of his time. This was the
late j. A. MacGahan, whose remains
were removed from their temporary sepul-
ture on the Bosphorus, where they were
inferred on the 7th of June, 1877, at the
instance of the State of OHIO, whose son
he was, on board a national man of war,
and afterward buried with great cere-
mony at the expense of the common
wealth. MacGahan had accompanied
Bourbaki in his disastrous campaign
in the southeast of France,
where the generals forces were finally
annihilated, and the entire command of
nearly 100, 900 men was driven into Swift
zerland, where they were subsequently
interned. Thence MacGahan hastened
away to Bordeaux, where newly elected
assembly was convened to determine if
the French would accept the terms of
peace laid down by Bismarck, which,
among other conditions, provided for the
partial and temporary occupation OF Paris,
or continue the war a pOutraRce, as de
manded by Gambetta, Garibaldi and
Victor Hugo. 1t was here that l first
met MacGahan in his striking costume,
top boots, military overcoat and slouch
hat, in the midst of an excited crowd,
arguing with hot-headed delegate. l
had arrived in Bordeaux from Chanzy's
army of the Louvre, which had been
terribly defeated by the splendid com
mand of Frederick Charles, who, upon
my capture as a prisoner, imposed such
rigorous conditions in my parole that
surrendered the instrument, and, in n
binding snow storm, mounted on fleet
horse, and pursued by squad of Uhlans,
succeeded in jumping the German lines
and was kindly concealed by the sisters
in n convent near Saumur until the
Irmistice was declared. Then l started
for Bordeaux.
Throughout the stormy sessions of that
remarkable assembly there were gath
cred in that beautiful city of the Gironde
all of the foremost men of France, Thiers,
Jules Favre, Grevy, Simon, Rochefort,
Dupanloup and others of equal fame
among the number. The elective body
finally accepted the humiliating terms of
the German conqueror amid the increas-
ing restlessness of the French people.
| Nearly all of the great cities were agita-
ted by labor troubles, sOcialistic demon
strations and communal manifestoes. 1t
was in such dark hour that MacGahan
and / went up to Paris on the first train
that entered the capital from the south
west, TO find the people dark, gloomy
and sOmbre, sallOw in skin, irresolute in
gait and savage in aspect, when pleasant
iy greeted; and all of this as the net out
come of an unhappy termination of a
five months siege, when threatened
starvation even went to the point in some
instances of eating human flesh. Turbu-
lent signs began to appear Immediately in
the evacuation of the capital by the Ger
man corps of Blumenthal, which occurred
n
red flag was flying from the column of
/ the Bastille. The communal clubs be-
gan to organize. Sedition was preached
in the cafes and the almost universal cry
of the population was for a republic,
/ while divers factions wanted divers forms
Of anarchy. Events were not slow in
eliminating. Cannon, insecurely guarded
by the regulars, were seized by the arti-
san politicians, carried away to the
Aeights of Montmartre, and in twink
/ ling barricades rose upon that naturally
4 fortified elevation. A few shots on the
morning of the 18th of March, two gen
erals, Thomas and LeCompte, put to
death on Montmartre for inspecting the
communal camp, and the regular troop:
withdrew from the city, and on that
beautiful Sunday morning the red flag
vas flying from the Hotel de Vile, and
than began ten weeks rein of one Of
the most frightful chapters in French