Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/126



Molineaux, and the Clamart railway station. In fine, our position is that of men who, strong in their rights, await patiently for the attack, contented with defending themselves. In concluding, Citizens, I believe that if our troops preserve their coolness and husband their ammunition, the enemy will be tired out before we are. There will then only remain, of this mad and criminal attempt, the widows and the orphans, the recollection of an atrocious action, with the contempt which it involves.
 * geners from beyond the Rhine. We hold the trenches,

, "The Delegate of War."

The following note was addressed to the representatives of the foreign powers then in Paris by the Citizen Paschal Grousset, member of the Commune and Delegate of Exterior Relations:

", April 5, 1871.

"The undersigned Member of the Commune of Paris and Delegate for Foreign Relations, has the honor to notify you officially of the constitution of the Communal Government of Paris. He begs you to inform your Government of it, and takes this opportunity of expressing the desire of the Commune to draw closer the ties of fraternity which unite the people of Paris to the nation.

"Accept, &c., &c., "."

It has been thoroughly demonstrated that the illusions fostered by the portion of the Paris population which supported the Commune were vain. That body could do nothing against Versailles. Such was the truth. Nevertheless, the struggle still continued, and the army of Versailles, remaining on the defensive, Paris, as every one knew, could only subsist materially by commerce and manufactures. The city not producing any objects of