Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/475

 *rible misfortunes which had been accumulated upon his country by the men of the Commune, would have flashed forth a superb denunciation, such as forms the power and glory of a poet; but no! Paris destroyed, the conflagration spreading with ardent flames from street to street, the archbishop assassinated in a cowardly manner, could not console the author of Les Châtiments for the death of Billioray, and of Rigault, the assassin of Chaudey.

The poet saw with an indifferent eye both victims and ruins, and kept all his pity for the assassins and incendiaries.

Happily, the Belgian Government had different views respecting them, and cordially responded to the appeal of France.

At the very moment in which M. Hugo was writing in exculpation of the odious Commune, another conflagration had been ignited, and the flames rose high to heaven as witnesses against such criminals. This fire was at the bonding warehouses of La Villette and the magazines of M. Trotrot, containing immense supplies of coal, wood, wine, provisions, and other articles of merchandise. Here twenty millions worth of property had been wantonly destroyed, no possibility existing of saving the smallest portion.

Offers were made by both the English and Belgian Governments to send their firemen, in order to aid in extinguishing the conflagration in Paris. These offers were thankfully accepted, and were announced to the National Assembly by General Le Flô (War) in the following manner:

"The losses of our troops are infinitely less considerable than might have been feared, and the wounded are most carefully attended to in the various hospitals. Bodies of firemen have hurried in from every part of France (hear,