[14] No one may use white placards—they are reserved by the
government.
The following is an extract from the _Official Journal_ of
Versailles, bearing the date of the 20th of March, which explains
the official form of the announcements made by the Central
Committee:—
“Yesterday, 19th March, the offices of the _Official Journal_, in
Paris, were broken into, the employés having escaped to Versailles
with the documents, to join the Government and the National
Assembly. The invaders took possession of the printing machines,
the materials, and even the official and non-official articles
which had been set up in type, and remained in the composing-rooms.
It is thus that they were enabled to give an appearance of
regularity to the publication of their decrees, and to deceive the
Parisian public by a false _Official Journal_.”
[15] Here is an extract from the _Official Journal_ upon the subject
(numbers of the 29th March and 1st June):—
“In the insurrection, the momentary triumph of which has crushed
Paris beneath so odious and humiliating a yoke, carried the
distresses of France to their height, and put civilisation in
peril, the International Society has borne a part which has
suddenly revealed to all the fatal power of this dangerous
association.
“On the 19th of March, the day after the outbreak of the terrible
sedition, of which the last horrors will form one of the most
frightful pages in history, there appeared upon the walls a placard
which made known to Paris the names of its new masters.
“With the exception of one, alone, (Assy), who had acquired a
deplorable notoriety, these names were unknown to almost all who
read them; they had suddenly emerged from utter obscurity, and
people asked themselves with astonishment, with stupor, what unseen
power could have given them an influence and a meaning which they
did not possess in themselves. This power was the International;
these names were those of some of its members.”
[16] _Travailler pour le Roi de Prusse_, “to work for the King of
Prussia,” is an old French saying, which means to work for nothing, to
no purpose.
[17] “THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.
“Inasmuch:—
“That it is most urgent that the Communal administration of the
City of Paris shall be formed immediately,
“Decrees:—
“1st. The elections for the Communal Council of the City of Paris
will take place on Wednesday next, the 22nd of March.
“2nd. The electors will vote with lists, and in their own
arrondissements.
Each arrondissement will elect a councillor for each twenty
thousand of inhabitants, and an extra one for a surplus of more
than ten thousand.
3rd. The poll will be open from eight in the morning to six in the
evening. The result will be made known at once.
4th. The municipalities of the twenty arrondissements are entrusted
with the proper execution of the present decree.
A placard indicating the number of councillors for each
arrondissement will shortly be posted up.
“Hôtel de Ville, Paris, 29th March, 1871.”