The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
She Is Soon to Expound Her
Fiery Doctrines in This
City.
REGARDED AS AN ECCENTRIC.
The French Colony Prepared te
Receive the Celebrated Woman,
but That's All.

colony to any alarming degree, excepting
in the sense of pleasurable anticipation.
Those of the colony with employment
around and in the markets contemplate
the advent of the famous "petroleuse"
with the satisfactory knowledge that they
will be able to listen to her fine oratory
without overtaxing their purses. AS to
the others, they will patronize their coun-
trywoman as they would Sarah Bernhardt,
Coquelin or Jane Hading.
'The absence of hot-headed Frenchmen
at this time-men who love to incite riot"
stated Editor Chaigneau of the Franco
Californian, ''has much to do with the
quiet situation. The Frenchmen of this
City and State have greatly entered into
the spirit of Americanism as it has been
taught them in their adopted country, and
they have little use for frebrands, bombs
or anarchists.
II do not believe there is more than one
Frenchman in this city with ideas any
way socialistic, and he is mild-very mild,
in fact-with q strong preference that all
differences between factions be settled
through the ballot-box. / am alluding to
E. ]. Dupuy, chief editor of the weekly
called LIE Relevement.'
The ideas expressed by Mr.. Chaigneau
are shared by the most prominent men,
bers of the French colony. Such men as
Raphael WE'LL, NJ. Goustiaux, E. Dubedat,
NJ. Julien, M. Pizoli. J. Bergez and scores
of others are anxious to see and hear
Louise Michel, who stands pre-eminent to-
day among the women of France who have
contributed toward making history.
The Cercle Francais. although only So
cial organization, will welcome Louise
Michel. She is the most important visitor
vuh hn hoo fn 10 w From 20
in many years, but the reception will not
partake of political or socialistic nature,
but will be purely welcome to the woman
who was greeted by Clemenceau, Henri
Rochefort and Louis Blanc upon her re-
turn to France in 1880 from Noumea with
other pardoned prisoners of la Commune.
There is no likelihood that Louise
Michel's visit will cause split in the
French colony such as occurred after the
arrival of Gori among the Italian resi-
dents. She is coming here not to work up
feeling of unrest, but to make money
for charitable purpose.
There is no questioning the fact that the
woman stands alone and pre-eminent
among the party leaders of the world. She
small girl, started in life as a school,
teacher. At the close of the French en-
pire she em braced politics, and during the
Franco-Pruasian war she donned a uni
form and was wounded at the taking of
Fort Issy.
When the riots of the Commune broke
out after the siege of Paris. Louise Michel
was one of the leaders with the torch and
petroleum. On the 10th day of December,
| 1871, she was in custody and was tried,
She refused to defend herself, saying: Il
| belong entirely to the revolution and l
am proud OF having set fire to Paris All
wanted to do was to start barrier OF
| flames to offset the invaders"
The woman captured the hearts of the
populace by her impudence before the
| judges.
"You are cowards," she cried. "If not,
you will condemn me to death, not to the
penitentiary."
She was sent to New Caledonia for a
term of six years. Some steps were taken
| in 1872 to have her pardoned, but she
| wrote to the President protesting against
| any leniency in her case. and stating she
| did not propose to return unless all the
! other prisoners were pardoned as we'll.
| It was during her incarceration at
| Noumea that she wrote "Le Livre du Jour
| de PAn," volume for children, one of the
most popular story. books in French litera-
ture.
In March, 1883, Louise Michel headed
the populace of Paris in what were known
as the "bread riots" when her speech ad-
vising her followers to drown the members
of the Government caused her to be ar
rested and sent to Jail. In 1886. at Havre,
she was shot and severely wounded by
another crank named Lucas. The latter
while in Jail appealed to the woman for
mercy, and she secured his liberty.
| This wonderful French woman has
written a number of interesting books
among which may be mentioned LA
Misere," Lies Meprises," .La File du
Peuple,'' ''Le Batard Imperial" Lies
Microbes Humans, Gle Monde Nou-
veau,' and a play entitled lie Cog
Rouge" All of these are congested with
her anarchistic personality and ideas.
Her mission to America is to make
money for the purpose of establishing q
home in London for ancient and un-
| fortunate socialists.