The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-19
M. coNsTANs. COURAGE.
How He Averfed B1oodshed During the
Toulouse Commune OF 1871.

London Telegraph.
Comparatively few Frenchmen exist who
recollect that NJ. Constans. the able and
determined minister of the interior. was
once the hero of an exploit equally as full
of daring and devotedness as that per-
formed on Friday at Fourmies by the Able
Margerin, who rushed between the troops
as they were about 10 fire and the crowd
of miners. The adventure of NJ. Constans
happened at Toulouse during the COM
mune of 1871, which had broken out
with great virulence in the South of
France, as well as in Paris. In March,
1871, Comte de Keratry, an ex-minister OF
police, but at that time project of the de-
partment of the Haute-Garonne, was
directed by NJ. Theirs to proceed
at once to Toulouse, in order to
quell the revolutionary disturbances
there The situation was a perilous one
enough for the government. as the CON-
mune had already been proclaimed at
Marseilles. Carcassone and st. Etenne,
while Toulouse possessed an arsenal fuli
Of artillery. munitions and stores. which
made it the key of the South. Comte de
keratry arrived in the town just as the
insurgents had succeeded in capturing the
prefecture and the capitol. He had be-
fore his eyes the fate OF another project,
whose throat had been cut in his office at
st. Etienne, and that Of Admiral Cosnler,
an old sea dog. who, being compelled to
capituiate 10 the Marseilles communists,
blew out his brains in despair.
Nevertheless, the count resolved to act
with promptness and energy. He had
with him sixty Dragons, and, advancing
toward the arsenal. met several generals
and officials who were parleying with the
rebels One of the former gave him an
agreement which had been signed by the
communist leaders, but this document NJ.
de keratry tore up contemptuously, and
obtaining a reinforcement from the local
troops of the government, consisting OF
sixty artillerymen, armed with mitrali-
leuses, he took up his place opposite the
capitol, where the rebels, well supplied
with rifles and cannon, were in possession.
Then the project crossed over boldly to the
insurgents, having previously told his men
to open fire with the mitrailleuses If he did
not return. He asked the rebels once for
all to give up their arms TO the govern
ment. The communist leaders conferred
for moment together and then replied in
the negative. VERY WE'LL" said the pre-
feet, taking out his watch, sin ten min
utes' time the mitrailleuses will open fire
on youv He then saluted and re-
turned to his own side. Just as
the ten minutes were up the
procurator-general of the local court
emerged from the midst of the government
forces and read the riot act, or rather
called on the rebels three times to
surrender. NJ. de keratry, hearing
no response, called out to General des
Noettes, uncle of the Marquis de Galliffet
DO your duty. Open fire" At that
dangerous moment two men rushed out of
the crowd of communists toward NJ.
Keratry. at the peril of their lives. One
of them was N. Constans, then law pro-
fessor at Toulouse, and he supplicated the
project in the name of the living God, to
give him and his companions five minutes
in order to parley with the mob. The re-
quest was granted. Professor Constans in
duced the insurgents to surrender. and a
seemingly inevitable carnage was obviated.