The Labor enquirer., 1886-03-20
Corner Stones of Liberty Laid
by the Poor of the Fau-
bourg st. Antoine.
The Cry Of "Vive la Humanitie p
Heard in the Streets of Paris
Fifteen Years Ago.
Little Children and Mothers Whose
Frail Hands Built the Barri-
cads Of Liberty.

The future state will certainly be a
Socialistlc one. Hunger will be un
known. Oppression will be unknown.
1t will be the reign of plenty. Commu-
nistic principles will be its guide. And
everv man, woman and child of the fu-
ture will know who laid the first corner
stones for the Universal Commune. At
present only a few know t. Why2 Be-
cause it was laid so short time ago that
the toilers of the world have not vet
had time to learn it. That time will
sooner or later come, and with it the uni
versal alteration of the 1000 men,
women and children, whose memory
will never cease to live. ....
Every child of the future will ask the
parents. or teachers, "Who made this
world? Who established our liberty,
which secures equally to ali the enjoy
ments of life, thus turning us all into one
family?" And all the parents and
teachers will answer then, wh at only
few know at present: "The inhabitants
of Faubourg st. Antoine" They were
the poor of Paris, and on March Is, 1871,
they founded, on a small scale, in
France only, what will be universal in
the future, and they laid the first cor
ner stones at price of 10000 shot, gull
liotined, cold-bloodedly murdered,
hanged and in many other ways killed.
Let us remember it. Let US repeat the
event of the eighteenth of March, Of
tener than that OF the fourth of July.
The latter is to last long, so long as lines
on our earth are imagined separating
not only men from men, but also ma.
tions from nations. That time over,
those lines forgotten, and all dates,
which now tell events, will be insignifi-
cant, save one-the eighteenth of
March. 1t will live forever.
Once in awhile an evil will bring forth
some good. Emperor William shed
much German and Ere nch blood, and as
result of his victories Emperor N .po-
leon i IL became his captive. One tv-
rant sought protection from another ty-
rant. It was granted. So much worse
was it for both of them. So much bet
ter was it for the people of France.
They had an emperor no longer. The
citizens breatbed easier. A government
without crowned robber was about to
be established. "Vive la Repblique,"
was the general cry. 1t was not a
stra cge utterance for citizen of France.
He shed blood enough for it a century
ago and since then. At such high
price he was advancing forward, and by
that time instead of mere change of
the charge d'affaires he sought thor
ough change d'affaires. His motto was,
therefore, appended accordingly. "Vive
la Republiquep' was the cry of 1889.
"Vive la Humanitel |" was the Cry of
| 1871.
This appendage was the order to lay
the first corner stone for the true Lib
ertr of the Future. 1t was not prema-
ture, as some may sav-no! 1t was a
timely order. Had it been laid over
say for one night--the French Repub-
lie might have been absolutely over
thrown by the conspiring monarchists
of Versailles
One mo nsieur, or Beast Ducatel had
opened the gates of Paris to the trooTs
of Versailles. The friends of tyranny
we're thus inside the walls of Paris.
The enemy was already embracing the
Arc de Triomphe and hoisted the old
flag of oppression on its summit. Had
the Communists surrendered, bowed
their heads before the happy con-
ouerors, raised their hands to heaven
and with prayer on their lips knelt and
said; "Oh God Thou hast sided with
our enemies. Thou lowest them. We
love Thee, and submit to Thy will"
France wo lid have become monarchy
in a moment. Versailles wanted it.
The clergy wanted it. The princes, the
aristocracy of blood wanted it. The
rich, the money. aristocracy, wanted it.
The artisans and laborers, the scientists
and journalists did not want it. The
inhabitants of Faubourg st. Antoine did
not want it. And they. through their
official organ, the Committee of Public
| Safety, gave the following order; "Rise
no, Patriotic Citizens To the barri-
cades! The enemy is within our walls !
No hesitationl Forward for the Re-
public, the Commune and Liberty ! To
Armsp
And barricades were built every
where. Youth of 10 and IL years tore
stones from the pavements and laid
them on the barricades in defense of
Liberty. Armed little girls served as
patrols. Elderly women, mothers, car.
ried guns on their shoulders and took
the places of horses whenever transpor-
tation of ammunition was needed.
And how did they fight? How did
they die for Liberty2 The life Of one
man is too short to bring forth even q
partial correctly written record Of it.