Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/279

 and surrounded the village. Later in the day a strong force of insurgents was concentrated on the Asnières road, and an attempt was made to drive back the troops; but fresh regiments crossed the river, and the attack of the insurgents was repulsed.

A decree was passed by the Commune ordering each person in the city to carry a card of identity, which any insurgent National Guard could demand to see whenever he thought fit. This decree was turned into ridicule by most of the Paris journals; in fact, those in favor of the Commune reprehended the order most seriously. All the male inhabitants were now National Guards; the result was that everybody had a right to arrest everybody else. However good, charitable, and peaceful a man may be, he has always one or more enemies about, who, in this case, could stop him at any street corner, and if perchance he had forgotten his card, carry him away to prison.

Another decree immolated a large number of journals—the National, Siècle, Discussion, Corsaire, Avenir National, and Journal de Paris. It was only journals like the Cri du Peuple that could survive in the atmosphere of Paris. That journal published on the 15th the following mysterious article, which at the time was much derided. The said article hinted very strongly at the cherished project of blowing up the capital, which eventually turned out but too true; had the Versailles Government given the Commune three more days, half the city would have been in ruins.

"We received some days since information of the greatest gravity, and of the correctness of which we are now completely certain. Every measure has been taken to prevent the entry into Paris of any soldier of the enemy. The forts may be taken one after the other; the