Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-15
Copyright 1898, by Robert w. Chambers
CHAPTER v1-COntinued.

Copyright, 1898. by Robert w. Chambers)
CHAPTER v1-C0ntinued.
Unfortunately dynastic considerations pre-
vailed over sincere and enlightened Ia;riot
ism. time was frttered away in mutual re-
ordinations. and before the ch ,mber could
agree on any plan OF action the storm burst.
At II O'Clock in the moriing vast masses OF
national guards, Mobiles Franctireurs. nc
companied by citizens equipped With all
sorts of weapons begah to gather at the
Place de la Concorde. At 3 o'clock the liu-
man wave broke against the Paleis bourbon
with a roar: "Vive la republiQue La de-
cheance!" That was the golden moment for
the members Of the extreme left, and they
knew their opportunity. Like a company of
comic opera bandits they dissembled and
left the chamber by various exits. only to
reunite outside. Acclaimed by the mob,
they hastily transported themselves to the
Hotel de Vile. There they Immediately made
themselves into a government, the members
OF which were exclusively composed of the
deputies OF Paris, excepting General Trochu,
who was to secure the presidency, at the
same time reserving for himself the title
and role OF governor of Paris. Jules Favre
was designed for vice president.
During this comic opera proceeding the
river. retired about 3 o'clock after few
puerile protestations of fidelity to the cap
tive emperor
But even after the invasion OF the cham
Der the Corps Legislatif refused to consider
itself worsted. Jules Favre and Jules Simon
were sent to WOO the prodgals at the Hotel
de Vile and were snubbed for their pains.
Then that willy little revolution monger,
Thiers, counselled moderation and patience
and went away to sit in corners and think
AS yet even he could not foresee the red
specter of the 18th of March; but they who
riso by violence shall fall again by violence
as long as the dreary old proverb lasts
So, on the 5th OF September, 1870 the
walls OF Paris were covered with proclama-
tions to the people and to the army, setting
forth in sonorous phrases that a govern
ment had been constituted" and ratified"
by popular acclamaton."
Constituted was word as audacous as 1t
was dangerous. Seven months later the
commune proffted by the abuse Of 1t. AS
Tor the ratification" that was, perhaps,
true, and that was the sole excuse for the
men who so impudently invested themselves
with power--a power the burden of which
was destined to crush them
However, the people liked the new gov
ernment; Bclleville howled joyously and
dragged Rochefort from Sainte- Pelagie
prison and the government dared not refuse
to swallow its medicine nor deny this SOD
to Belleville.
Jules Favre shrugged his shoulders and
said he'd rather have Rochefort In the gov
ernment than outside-an eplgram which
pleased everybody. A few conservative peo-
pie, however. cooled little when the
/, former farce writer, Arago, was made mayor
OF Paris Then on the 9Th OF September,
Jules Favre.. minister OF foreign relations,
committed the first official idiocy of hts new
career by publishing in diplomatic circular
note the following phrase.
1--WE will relinqush neither one inch of
our territory nor one stone of our fort
resses." well knowing that a few days later
he should go to Ferrieres on that heart
breaking mission which all the world has
heard Of.
The proclamation of the republic stirred
the masses to such an effervescence of 10y
that nobody thought any longer Of the Prus-
slams. Everything appeared safe under the
magic name Republic" To a population
alternately stunned and stung to fury by
dispatches which for six weeks past had an
nounced one unbroken series of disasters
the situation seemed already less desperate
Toul. Belfort, Strasbourg and Metz still held
out, the provinces 1t was believed, were
rising en- masse, there were serious rumors
afloat concerning the disaffection Of the
Saxon and Bavarian troops. particularly the
latter. and the more sanguine OF the Pari-
slams looked confidently to the United
States. now sister republic. as a probable
ally. Some even thanked God that there
would be no more disastrous rumors con-
cerning the army Of Chalons. because the
army Of Chalons had ceased to exist except
% an army Of prisoners.
b As for the new government, no sooner had
1t been installed than energetic measures for
the defense OF Paris were pushed forward
on every side. One Of the most important
questions OF defense concerned the provi-
, sloning Of the city and the forts, and had
Monsieur Magnin, who succeeded Monsieur
Clement Duvernois as minister Of commerce,
displayed the good judgment and activity of
his predecessor, the history Of the siege Of
Paris might have been written differently.
Flour. grain, hay, straw, cattle, sheep
nothing was forgotten by Monsieur Duver-
nois-not even a supply of millstones for
grinding cereals. AS for his successor-his
mania was economy. and 1t is pity that he
alone was not obliged to endure the cOnse-
quences. or all guilty fools responsible for
their nations humiliation, the economical
fool is the most deserving Of perdition.
Under the new military reorganization, the
government FASTENED to equip the sixteen
forts and the various redoubts and batteries
that surrounded Paris and st. Denis in an
oval measuring sixty kilometres In circum-
ference. Not only was 1t necessary to con-
struct emplacements, gun platforms case
ments, magazines, bomb-pro0fs and store
houses. but 1t was also imperative that the
water supDly should be assured mines
planted, electric firing communications in
stalled, and electric lights placed. Tele-
graphic communication with Paris signal
ling by semaphores, intrenchments and re-
doubts connecting the forts, all these were
necessary; but before the lines could be def
nitely established, whole series Of
suburban villages were barricaded and loop
holed. Inside the first barrier Of defense lay
the Notifications Of the city proper. divided
into ninety-four bastions and nine secteurs,