Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/145



M. Jules Favre at Prussian headquarters—Letter of Paschal Grousset to the Prussian Commander—Proclamation posted at St. Denis—Sacrilege of the Communists—Religious services discontinued—Decree ordering the destruction of the Column Vendome—Article in the Mot d'Ordre—Shells fall far into Paris—Report of General Cluseret—Battery at Trocadero—Marshal de McMahon appointed Commander-in-Chief of the army of Versailles—Formation of that army—The army of reserve—Fighting on the 15th—Elections of the 16th—Fighting at Asnières—The Chateau de Bécon carried by the troops—The Government accused of procrastination—Deputations to Versailles—Address of the Republican League—Programme of the Commune—Severe firing on the 19th—Losses of the insurgents—Attack of the insurgents on the bridge at Neuilly—Their defeat—Letter from the Archbishop to M. Thiers—Damage caused in Paris by shells—Engagement at the bridge of Clichy—Explosion of a powder magazine—Convents and nunneries invaded—Atheism of the Communists—The Executive Committee—Suppression of journals—Insurgent batteries at Lavallois and Clichy—Attack on the Park of Neuilly—Proclamation announcing an armistice at Neuilly—Expectation of a grand attack—Attack on Levallois by the troops—Repulsed by Dombrowski.

M. Jules Favre, Minister of Foreign Affairs, passed the entire day of the 9th of April with General Fabrice in the German headquarters at Rouen. The object of his journey was to ascertain for the Government of Versailles the nature of the communications recently made by the Commune of Paris to the German military authorities at St. Denis, and he at once obtained all the information he required. It appeared that on the 4th of April, Paschal Grousset, acting for the Commune as Delegate of Foreign Affairs, sent to the German headquarters at St. Denis a note in these words:

"The Commune wishes to know at what point have arrived the negotiations between Germany and the Gov