Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/69

 throughout Europe, made his appearance in the streets in one of the late Emperor's carriages; it had passed, inside the year, through the hands of Napoleon III., Gambetta, Glais-Bizoin, Rochefort, Etienne Arago, Jules Ferry, and Assi. Nearly all the other carriages had been sent to Versailles for the use of the government.

Soon after a numerous column of peaceable citizens, which increased at each instant, composed of National Guards without arms, artisans, tradesmen and soldiers, traversed the boulevards and descended the Rue Vivienne as far as the Place de la Bourse. They carried a tricolored flag, with an inscription "Union of the Men of Order," "Vive la République!" On their arrival at the Place, the battalion on guard there had an instant's hesitation, but on hearing shouts in favor of order and the National Assembly, they turned out and presented arms. The manifestation, which became more important every instant, then resumed its march, and passing by the Rue Montmartre and the boulevard of that name, came to the Rue Drouot. At the Mairie, in that street, the guard, which was composed of the 117th battalion (one of the insurgent battalions) attempted to prevent the procession from passing; but its members held firm, and insisted on pursuing their way to the Rue Lafayette. In the end the malcontents gave way, and the others went on with the same cry of "Vive l'Ordre!" They afterward traversed another part of the boulevard and went down the Rue de la Paix. On arriving at the entrance of Place Vendome, they found all passage barred, but they went in resolutely and passed unmolested through the guard. A man who strove to speak from the balcony of the Etat-Major in the name of the insurgents, was hooted down with cries of "A bas le Comité!" The guardians of the place put themselves in position near their guns, and a panic took place among the crowd. Fortunately the procession took a prudent course