[72] Vermesch, who was born at Lille, in 1846, though not an official
member of the Commune, was one of its most powerful champions. He was
founder and principal editor of the _Père Duchesne_, a poor imitation
of the journal, published under the same title, by Hébert, in the time
of the first Revolution. This paper, one of the most characteristic of
the Commune, was filled with trivialities, in the vilest taste and
slang, which cannot be rendered in English. The first number of
Vermesch’s journal was published on the 6th of March, but was
suppressed by General Vinoy; it re-appeared, however, on the
eighteenth of the same month, and met with such prodigious success,
that even its editor himself was astonished. Intoxicated with the
result, the writers became more and more virulent, and not content
with penning the vilest personal abuse, Vermesch assumed the _rôle_ of
public informer. For instance, he denounced M. Gustave Chaudey, a
writer in the _Siècle_, in the _Père Duchesne_ of the 12th of April,
and that journalist was arrested in consequence on the following day.
The journal became, not only the medium of all kinds of personal abuse
and vengeance, but did the duty of inquisitor for the Communal
Government, for whom it produced a terrible crop of victims. The
_Official Journal_ contained a number of decrees, the drafts of which
at first appeared in _Père Duchesne_.
Amongst other acts, Vermesch organised what he called the battalion
of the Enfants of the _Père Duchesne_, and considering the origin
of this corps, the character of the rabble which filled its ranks
may easily be imagined. The children of such a father could only be
found amidst the lowest dregs of the Parisian population; fit
instruments for the infamous work which was afterwards to be done.
[73] Paschal Grousset prepared himself for politics by the study of
medicine; from the anatomy of heads he passed to the dissection of
ideas. Having turned journalist, he wrote scientific articles in
_Figaro_, contributed to the _Standard_, and was one of the editors of
the _Marseillaise_ when the challenge, which gave rise to the death of
Victor Noir and the famous trial at Tours, was sent to Prince Pierre
Bonaparte. Immediately after the revolution of the eighteenth of March
he started the _Nouvelle République_, an ephemeral publication which
only lived a week. On the second of April he commenced the
_Affranchi_, or journal of free men, as he called it, Vesinier joining
him in the management of it. The popularity of Grousset caused him to
be elected a member of the Commune in April, and the Government soon
appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs. He communicated circulars
to the representatives of different nations at Paris, in order to
obtain a recognition of the Commune; he also sent proclamations to the
large towns of France, appealing to arms. But his means of
communication with other governments, and indeed with his own envoys,
was very restricted.
He was one of those who took refuge at the _Mairie_ of the Eleventh
Arrondissement, and who, knowing well that the struggle was really
over, said to the silly heroes who protected them, “All is well.
The Versailles mob is turned, and you will soon join your brethren
in the Champs Elysées.” Many of them that night entered the valley
of the shadow of death! On the third of June the ex-Minister of
Foreign Affairs was arrested in the Rue Condorcet, dressed as a
woman, and marched off to Versailles.