Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/222



ready to pocket $100,000 by surrendering Paris as to kill 15,000 men in a desperate defence. Many people have for some time been expecting a sort of coup d'état on a small scale from him, and to see him for a few days absolute Dictator of Paris, with all our lives and purses at his mercy. He is too sensible a man to have wantonly abused such power, though no doubt he would have used it freely enough for his own private advantages. We foreigners resident in Paris have some reason to regret him, as he has always displayed an extremely liberal policy towards us; and since the war with Germany commenced, foreigners, or at any rate, Englishmen and Americans—about the members of other nations I know less—have never gone about Paris with so little annoyance or fear of arrest—except, indeed, from drunken National Guards, in violation of their duty—as during the last few weeks. With Frenchmen I need scarcely say the case has been reversed, but even they will have some reason to regret Cluseret's fall, except so far as it denotes the decline, through internal dissensions, of the power of the Commune."
 * picion that at the last moment he would have been as

General Cluseret's vacant place was given to Colonel Rossel, formerly a captain of engineers, afterwards a commandant in the army of the Loire. He was only twenty-eight years of age, slight figure, pale, with light hair, and, like General Dombrowski, wore spectacles. He was a pupil of the Polytechnic School, and came out second in his class. He served General Cluseret as head of the staff, and was remarked for his activity and great intelligence.

He acted as President of the Court-Martial, and was considered extremely severe.

The following letter, sending his resignation to the Min