Year: 1871

was superseded, and that, In future ne w. " ,r
was the only authority TO be oeeyeu' -, y"
chereau, soon after the nsurrection OF tlo i''
had thought ht TO quit his post ana ieino "
He left the Library in charge OF NJ de b'ooi"'' ~
his subordinates, TO whom tho CltlSeh 'in'o"' =,
himself nm his annontment by the Commune 10 the Ill
rection of the National Library NJ ue Laporue' nno
sensible man. although refusing to recognize inc les"S
of yncent's title 10 rule the Library ud hot aoko'"o


, =, ,oo,,ize the latter his de tdeto chief, ana
ad matters so well that Vincent consented not 10
intorfcre with internal management OF the establish
1T II is admitted that the citizen librarian-lnchei
cave very little trouble and your literary ana artistic
readers will be glad learn that he committed no depre
datons whatever among the priceless collections oi he
National Library.


When Vincent was dismissed by the Commune, several
Paris Journals affirmed that he had been convicted OF
having distracted number of valuable prints from the
Library This, like most other pieces OF news In the
Paris papers was pure fable the real fact being that
Vincent was dismissed for embezzng 10000 francs He
had received Of 80 900 francs from the Communal
treasury to devoted to the current expenses of the
Library but he only paid over 10000 to the treas
urer in the Rue Richeleu. He accordingly super
seded and NJ Reclus was appointed in his place.
Under a tmid and retiring exterior he concealed
an energetic and determined character. He inaugu-
rated his reign by taking into his service man who had
at one time been employ6 in the Library but who
had been dismissed account of his continual attacks





This gentleman was adopted by Recus his rghthand
man, much to the annoyance OF the librarians Of the
different departments who naturally did not wish to be
compelled associate with whom they all looked on
having broken his faith. What however he was most
dreaded for by the employees was his knowledge OF books
and OF their value and that special knowledge kept his
former companions in state Of continual fear lest they
might he forced TO yield up of their most precious
treasures 1t really wonderful that nothing done
by the Commune in the way of selling books, for it is
much easier to dispose Of book than of picture whose
presence in given museum much better known than
that of copy of a book in any particular library


Probably in order to free himself from the watchfu
eyes of the different employees of the Library the new
conner persuaded ~ Reclus to issue order requiring
all the conservaors and librarians to give in their ad
hesion TO the Commune. This at once met by
"round robin" signed by nearly all the librarians, in
which they boldly announced their determination to
recognize Government but that which sat at Yer
saes This so annoyed the Commune that decree was
at once inserted in the Journal 0ficel deprvng no less
than of the employees, little and great of their places
in the National Library To their great credit, the
greater part of the librarians not terrified by this
STEP and declined to desert the Library they had so
long served. They asked for cards of admission
as mere readers and for two or three days
might be seen sitting at the tables as students in
the great readngroom and entirely unable to attend TO
the distribution of books TO the public NJ Reclus, how
ever probably feeling himself unequal 10 the task or
carrying on vast establishment entirely without
aidor nearly so-aer interval of two or three days
allowed those of the employees who chose TO return to
their several departments TO do without requiring
any submission TO the Commune Several Of the libra
raus proftng by this indulgence, installed themselves
peimunence in the building and never left it by night
day, TO be prepared for emergency Fortu-
nately the Library even defended by the Fed
erals it does not form important strategical posi-
tion, and far have been able learn attempt
1 was do vIaaf
still OF the most valuable collections of works ana
manuscripts in the world.