Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/422

 general under the Commune. At the revolution of the 18th of March, the monomaniac had only to present himself at the Prefecture of Police in order to take possession. From that day he reigned there, not as master, but as tyrant.

Rigid in his attitude, hard and brief in his words, listening only to the passion which dominated him, to such an extent that he would hear neither his friends nor his equals, he spread over Paris an immense web, entangling in its threads all persons hostile to the Communal movement; and, as is well known, their number was not few.

In the derisive elections made on the 26th of March, he was elected member of the Commune by a small majority, and in the sittings of that body he supported with all his power the necessity of imitating the movement of '92 in every proceeding. To this was added the arrest of hostages—a practice which had been renewed by the Prussians.

Before him the priests first appeared after their arrest. Monseigneur Darboy having been conducted to his anteroom, entered, saying mildly to those present, "What do you wish, my children?"

"Citizen," replied Raoul Rigault, roughly, "leave off that wheedling and familiar manner of speaking. Do not forget that you are in the presence of a magistrate," and he showed his scarf of Prefecture of Police.

From the moment he became member of the Commune he dreamed only of uniting his functions of Delegate of Police with those of Procurator-General. He had thus gained one quality more, and a new pretext for meddling in public affairs. His ideal was to himself sue those whom he had arrested; and twice during the sittings of court-martial he demanded, without any hesitation, sentences of death.