[75] General Cluseret was a great personage for a time with the
Communists, and his military talents were lauded to the skies, but
suddenly he was committed to prison, and was succeeded in the command
of the army by Rossel. The cause of his imprisonment is not clear.
Some say that he was discovered to be in correspondence with the
Thiers government, others that he was suspected of aiming at the
Dictatorship. During the confusion that occurred on the first entry of
the Versailles troops into Paris, when the Archbishop of Paris and the
other so-called “hostages” had been barbarously assassinated, when the
Louvre, the Palais Royal, and the Hôtel de Ville were in flames,
Cluseret escaped from prison, and was not heard of again until it was
reported that his body had been found buried beneath the rubbish of
the last barricade. Was report correct?
[76] “THE MINISTER OF WAR TO THE NATIONAL GUARD.
“CITOYENS,—I notice with pain that, forgetful of our modest origin,
the ridiculous mania for trimmings, embroidery, and shoulder-knots
has begun to take hold upon you.
“To work! You have for the first time accomplished a revolution by,
and for, labour.
“Let us not forget our origin, and, above all, do not let us be
ashamed of it, Workmen we were! workmen let us remain!
“In the name of virtue against vice, of duty against abuse, of
austerity against corruption, we have triumphed; let us not forget
the fact.
“Let us be, above all, men of honour and duty; we shall then found
an austere Republic, the only one that has or can have reason for
its existence.
“I appeal to the good sense of my fellow-citizens: let us have no
more tags and lace, no more glitter, no more frippery which costs
so little at the shops yet is so dear to our responsibility.
“In future, anyone who cannot deduce proof of his right to wear the
insignia of his nominal rank, or, who shall add to the regular
uniform of the National Guard, tags, lace, or other vain
distinctions, will be liable to be punished.
“I profit by this occasion to remind each of you of the necessity
of absolute obedience to the authorities, for in obeying those whom
you have elected you are only obeying yourselves.
“The Delegate of War,
“Paris, April 7th, 1871,
(Signed) “E. CLUSERET.”