Page:The Rise and Fall on the Paris Commune in 1871.djvu/87

 their powers. The next morning a battalion devoted to the cause of order came to take possession of the municipal edifice, and re-establish the tri-colored flag, in the midst of cries, a thousand times repeated, of "Vive la République!" "Vive l'Assemblée Nationale!"

At Marseilles the same attempt was made with rather more serious results. The insurgents took possession of the Prefecture, hoisted the red flag, and for some time controlled the destinies of the city; but they were finally put down by the regular forces.

Toulouse and St. Etienne also followed the lead of Paris, both declaring the Commune, but both were convinced of the error of their ways by more or less loss of life.

At St. Etienne the Prefect of the Loire was most basely murdered in the night, at a moment when all was supposed to be over. The murderer, however, was immediately executed.

The fusion between the Central Committee and some of the Mayors and Deputies of Paris in regard to holding the elections, took place on Saturday night, March 26th, the day before the elections were to take place. This fusion, however, was by no means unanimous. Out of the twenty Mayors of Paris there were only seven who adhered to the manifesto, and out of sixty adjoints only thirty-one. Some of them were absent and could not be called upon to take any decision. Others had protested publicly against this convocation of electors, in which they persisted in seeing a serious encroachment on the rights of the National Assembly, and consequently on the sovereignty of the people. Out of forty-three deputies nominated in Paris on February 8th, there were only ten, or less than a fourth, who consented to unite with M. Assi, his comrades, and a portion of the elected municipalities.

A proclamation was prepared in common between the