Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-03-24
THE COM MUNE OF II
ONE OF THE HEROES-lOUlS
CHARLES DELESCLUZE.
A SeasOnablc RetrOspect-Lessons of
the Partisan Uprising-F0re.
casting the Last Struggle.
Worlds WOrkers-A
HerO's Death.

The younger generation Of the
struggling neutrality-suspicious.
of proletarians come and 60 all too
quickly-is so busily engaged in the
everyday wringing for the attain
ment of its ideal of freedom, solidar-
ity and justice for mankind, that
there are few opportunities for many
retrospect glances at the progressive
phases of the revolution.
And yet there are periods in the
recent past that live in the memory
of the older comrades in the prole-
tartan army, which may be referred
to with profit for the valuable les
sons they teach and the incentive
they bring for zeal and encourage
ment to further sacrifice and effort.
One Of these periods is that of the
Paris Commune of 1871 which, be-
ing historical necessity, in more
than a single instance, taught the
proletarians Of modern times that
even under the most favorable cir
cumstances of a moment, no lasting
success may be hoped for, in the
sense of social emancipation, as we
understand it, as long as the purely
material, economic conditions have
not reached a certain development,
and while in the minds of the masses,
as in those of their leaders. there has
not been developed clearly defined
knowledge of the only possible, sue
promising revolutionary tenden-
cy. At the same time, both friends
and foes of the labor movement
should learn from the two months
struggle of the Paris Commune, to
what extent the laboring masses are
capable Of displaying strength and
heroic valor when they once have
grasped the sword in the high hope
of freeing themselves from their op-
pressors and exploiters for all time
to come.
In the irresistible force which the
brave communists developed in those
memorable days lies promise for
the proletarians of to-day who battle
with the weapons of reason and SOL
idaric unity, of the inevitable ulti-
mate victory, when, in the fulness of
time and in the final effor., not only
the proletarans of Paris, but of the
whole civilized world, arise to deal a
death blow at the rotten and totter-
ing fabric of the reigning system.
The experiences which the Paris
Commune has bequeathed US, being
probably the last of the kind which
the modern proletariat had to 60
through before the final triumph,
are of especial value, and it is there
fore most appropriate if during the
"ides of March" the older soldiers
recall the story and relate it for the
encouragement Of their younger
brothers.
During the Empire (salaried
writers even declare it was by and
through the Empire with its frivo-
lous and luxurious wastefulness)
Frances industries developed mag
nitcently. But the inseparable ac-
Compartment of the capitalislic sys-
tenn of industry, the impoyerishment
of the masses, developed also; class
interests were sharply outlined, and
the way was paved for the reintro-
duction of the revolutionary ideas
for which the "men of June" the
"yictorious vanquished" had already
died. Naturally, the progress of
revolutionary agitation was somewhat
obstructed by the sectarianism of the
various socialistic SCHOOLS" There
were the followers of Louis Blanc,
the Fourierites, the Proudhonites,
the Socialists, and Others, each of
which wanted to increase its terri
tory. The appearance Of Marks
"International" first promised, in the
sixties, to bring more unity into the
movement, aad with its glorious
motto OF ''Proletarlans of all coun-