The enemies of yesterday, the Prussians, did not disdain to enter into
communication with the Central Committee on the 22nd of March. This was
an additional reason for the new masters of Paris to regard their
position as established, and the _Official Journal_ took care to make
known to the public the following despatch received from Prussian
head-quarters:—
“To the actual Commandant of Paris, the Commander-in-Chief of the third
corps d’armée.
“Head-quarters, Compiègne,
“21st March, 1871.
“The undersigned Commander-in-Chief takes the liberty of informing you
that the German troops that occupy the forts on the north and east of
Paris, as well as the neighbourhood of the right bank of the Seine,
have received orders to maintain a pacific and friendly attitude, so
long as the events of which the interior of Paris is the theatre, do
not assume towards the German forces a hostile character, or such as to
endanger them, but keep within the terms settled by the treaty of
peace.
“But should these events assume a hostile character, the city of
Paris will be treated as an enemy.
“For the Commandant of the third corps of the Imperial armies,
“(Signed) Chief of the Staff, VON SCHLOSHEIM,
“Major-General.”
Paschal Grousset, the delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, who had succeeded Monsieur Jules Favre, but who instead of
minister was called delegate, which was much more democratic, replied
as follows:—
“Paris, 22nd March, 1871.
“To the Commandant-in-Chief of the Imperial Prussian Armies.
“The undersigned, delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, in reply to your despatch dated from Compiègne the 21st
instant, informs you that the revolution, accomplished in Paris by the
Central Committee, having an essentially municipal character, has no
aggressive views whatever against the German armies.
“We have no authority to discuss the preliminaries of peace voted
by the Assembly at Bordeaux.
“The member of the Central Committee, Delegate for Foreign Affairs.
“(Signed) PASCHAL GROUSSET.”
It was very logical of you, Monsieur Grousset, to avow that you had no
authority to discuss the preliminaries of peace voted by the Assembly.
What right had you then to substitute yourselves for it? He did not,
however, thus remain midway in his diplomatic career, for after the
election of the Commune he thought it his duty to address the following
letter to the German authorities:—
“COMMUNE OF PARIS.
“To the Commander-in-chief of the 3rd Corps.
“GENERAL,
“The delegate of the Commune of Paris for Foreign Affairs has the
honour to address to you the following observations:—
“The city of Paris, like the rest of France, is interested in the
observance of the conditions of peace concluded with Prussia; she
has therefore a right to know how the treaty will be executed. I
beg you, in consequence, to have the goodness to inform me if the
Government of Versailles has made the first payment of five hundred
millions, and if in consequence of such payment, the chiefs of the
German army have fixed the date for the evacuation of the part of
the territory of the department of the Seine, and also of the forts
which form an integral portion of the territory of the Commune of
Paris.
“I shall be much obliged, General, if you will be good enough to
enlighten me in this respect.
“The Delegate for Foreign Affairs,
“(Signed) PASCHAL GROUSSET.”
The German general did not think fit, as far as we know, to send any
answer to the above.