Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/61

 General Trochu declared the bill was not one of aggression but protection, and said that he was astonished, with respect to the measure, that no one had spoken of the murder of Generals Lecomte and Thomas. The executioners of these two brave men had repeatedly endeavored, during the siege, to get the Prussians into Paris, and it was that step which they were now again endeavoring to compass. He added further that General Lecomte, who has left six children, died a victim to duty, and the other officer had devoted his whole life to the Republic in the most courageous and generous manner; that the Assembly should, by a solemn vote, declare the country adopted the family of the first, and that the murder of the second was a cause of public mourning, in which all France took part! His expressions were received with the most enthusiastic applause by the entire Assembly, and the state of siege was declared almost unanimously. The Assembly declared it would make itself respected, and would succeed in founding the Republic which was now compromised by nefarious insurgents.

In the meantime the Central Committee received the following communication from the Prussian headquarters at Compiègne:

", 21st March.

"The undersigned, commanding-in-chief, takes the liberty to inform you that the German troops which occupy the forts to the north and east of Paris, as well as the environs of the right bank of the Seine, have received orders to maintain an amicable and passive attitude so long as the events of which the interior of the city is the theatre shall not assume—with regard to the German armies—a hostile character, and of a nature to place them in danger; should such be the case, they will observe the terms determined by the preliminaries of peace.