What bourgeoisie in the world after such immense disasters would not with careful heed have tended such a reservoir of living force? They, seeing this Paris capable of engendering a new world, her heart swelled with the best blood of France, had but one thought--to bleed Paris. CHAPTER IX. "Toutes les parties de la France sont unies et ralliees autour de l'Assemblee et du gouvernement."--_Circulaire de M. Thiers a la Province, le 23 au soir._ THE COMMUNE AT LYONS, ST. ETIENNE, AND CREUZOT. What was the state of the provinces? For some days, without any of the Parisian journals, they lived upon lying despatches of M. Thiers,[102] then looked at the signatures to the proclamations of the Central Committee, and finding there neither the Left nor the democratic paragons, said, "Who are these unknown men?" The Republican bourgeois, misinformed on the events occurring during the siege of Paris--very cleverly hoodwinked, too, by the Conservative press--as their fathers had formerly said, "Pitt and Coburg," when unable to comprehend popular movements, they cried, "These unknown men can be nothing but Bonapartists." The people alone showed true instinct. The Paris Commune found its first echo at Lyons. This was a necessary reverberation. Since the advent of the Assembly the workmen found themselves watched. The municipal councillors, weak men, some of them, almost to reaction, had lowered the red flag under the pretext that "the proud flag of resistance _a outrance_ should not survive the humiliation of France." The clumsy trick had not deceived the people, who, at the Guillotiere, mounted guard round their flag. The new prefect, Valentin, an ex-officer as brutal as vulgar, a kind of Clement-Thomas, sufficiently forewarned the people what sort of Republic was in store for them. On the 19th, at the first news, Republicans were on the alert, nor did they hide their sympathy for Paris. The next day Valentin issued a provocative proclamation, seized the Parisian journals, and refused to communicate any despatches. On the 21st, in the municipal council, some of the members grew indignant, and one said, "Let us at least have the courage to be the Commune of Lyons." On the 22nd, at mid-day, eight hundred delegates of the National Guard assembled at the Palais de St. Pierre. A motion was put proposing to choose between Paris and Versailles. A citizen just arrived from Paris explained the movement there, and many wanted the meeting to declare itself immediately for Paris. The Assembly finally sent delegates to the Hotel-de-Ville to ask for the extension of the municipal liberties, the appointment of the mayor as chief of the National Guard, and his investiture with the functions of prefect.