Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/285

 greater number of the seceders, who had come to defend their conduct. Citizens Pyat, Miot, Amouroux, and Grousset strongly condemned the manifesto published, the majority blaming the minority in the harshest terms. Citizen Urbain proposed that, in consequence of the conduct pursued by the Versailles troops in shooting a vivandière, five hostages should be at once shot in Paris. After a long discussion, the following order of the day was proposed and voted: "The Commune referring to its decree of the 7th April, 1871" (concerning hostages) "calls for its immediate execution, and passes to the order of the day."

The advance of the Versailles forces on the morning of the 16th was more and more apparent, although the insurgents kept up a strong fire from Bicètre and the Haute-Bruyères, on Bagneux and Thiais. The bastions 70 to 74 still continued to harass the works of the regular engineers at Issy. The college there was almost entirely destroyed, but the fort was opening new batteries daily, and was, on the 16th, cannonading the ramparts at Grenelle and the Point-du-Jour, from three different positions. On the west the insurgents had again the rash idea of erecting a battery on the Trocadéro. During the morning it opened a fire on Mont Valérien, and, as before, provoked from that fortress such a shower of projectiles that the guns had to be abandoned, while the houses around suffered severely. Montmartre once more opened fire on Gennevilliers, this time with more success; but, as at Trocadéro, it resulted in drawing a fearful bombardment from the Versailles batteries.

In the interior of Paris, the Commune meanwhile was preparing to amuse its adherents by an entirely new spectacle.

The decree had gone forth—the column must fall. The monument erected to glorify the deeds of the Grand Army was declared incompatible with the era of peace and good