Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/472



Which is the true culprit, the Assembly or the Commune? History will tell.

"The burning of Paris was a monstrous act; but are there not two incendiaries? Let us wait before judging.

"I never understood Billioray, and Rigault astonished me to indignation; but to shoot Billioray is a crime—to shoot Rigault is a crime.

"Those of the Commune, Johannard and La Cecilia, who cause a child of fifteen to be shot, are criminals; those of the Assembly, who cause Jules Vallès, Bosquet, Parisel, Amouroux, Lefrançais, Brunet and Dombrowski to be shot, are criminals.

"Don't let us pour forth our indignation upon one side only. Here the crime is as much in the Assembly as in the Commune, and the crime is evident.

"First, for all civilized men, the punishment of death is abominable; secondly, execution without judgment is infamous. One is no longer a part of the law, the other never has been.

"Judge first, then condemn, then execute. I could blame, but I could not dishonor.

"You are under the law.

"If you kill without judgment, you assassinate.

"I return to the Belgian Government.

"It does wrong to refuse an asylum.

"The law permits this refusal, the right forbids it.

"I, who write you these lines, have a maxim: Pro jure contra legem.

"The asylum is an ancient right.

"It is the sacred right of the unhappy.

"In the middle ages the Church accorded this asylum even to parricides.

"As for me, I declare that:

"This asylum, which the Belgian Government refuses to the vanquished, I offer.