Opening the text

Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)Leighton, John

History

Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)

Name: Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)
Author: Leighton, John

Leighton, John

Paris (France) -- History -- Commune, 1871

“To the actual Commandant of Paris, the Commander-in-Chief of the third
corps d’armée.
    “Head-quarters, Compiègne,
    “21st March, 1871.

“The undersigned Commander-in-Chief takes the liberty of informing you
that the German troops that occupy the forts on the north and east of
Paris, as well as the neighbourhood of the right bank of the Seine,
have received orders to maintain a pacific and friendly attitude, so
long as the events of which the interior of Paris is the theatre, do
not assume towards the German forces a hostile character, or such as to
endanger them, but keep within the terms settled by the treaty of
peace.
    “But should these events assume a hostile character, the city of
    Paris will be treated as an enemy.

“For the Commandant of the third corps of the Imperial armies,
“(Signed) Chief of the Staff, VON SCHLOSHEIM,
“Major-General.”

Paschal Grousset, the delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, who had succeeded Monsieur Jules Favre, but who instead of
minister was called delegate, which was much more democratic, replied
as follows:—

“Paris, 22nd March, 1871.
“To the Commandant-in-Chief of the Imperial Prussian Armies.

“The undersigned, delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, in reply to your despatch dated from Compiègne the 21st
instant, informs you that the revolution, accomplished in Paris by the
Central Committee, having an essentially municipal character, has no
aggressive views whatever against the German armies.
    “We have no authority to discuss the preliminaries of peace voted
    by the Assembly at Bordeaux.

“The member of the Central Committee, Delegate for Foreign Affairs.
“(Signed) PASCHAL GROUSSET.”

It was very logical of you, Monsieur Grousset, to avow that you had no
authority to discuss the preliminaries of peace voted by the Assembly.
What right had you then to substitute yourselves for it? He did not,
however, thus remain midway in his diplomatic career, for after the
election of the Commune he thought it his duty to address the following
letter to the German authorities:—

“COMMUNE OF PARIS.
“To the Commander-in-chief of the 3rd Corps.

“GENERAL,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)Leighton, John

History

Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)

Leighton, John

Paris (France) -- History -- Commune, 1871

“To the actual Commandant of Paris, the Commander-in-Chief of the third
corps d’armée.
    “Head-quarters, Compiègne,
    “21st March, 1871.

“The undersigned Commander-in-Chief takes the liberty of informing you
that the German troops that occupy the forts on the north and east of
Paris, as well as the neighbourhood of the right bank of the Seine,
have received orders to maintain a pacific and friendly attitude, so
long as the events of which the interior of Paris is the theatre, do
not assume towards the German forces a hostile character, or such as to
endanger them, but keep within the terms settled by the treaty of
peace.
    “But should these events assume a hostile character, the city of
    Paris will be treated as an enemy.

“For the Commandant of the third corps of the Imperial armies,
“(Signed) Chief of the Staff, VON SCHLOSHEIM,
“Major-General.”

Paschal Grousset, the delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, who had succeeded Monsieur Jules Favre, but who instead of
minister was called delegate, which was much more democratic, replied
as follows:—

“Paris, 22nd March, 1871.
“To the Commandant-in-Chief of the Imperial Prussian Armies.

“The undersigned, delegate of the Central Committee for Foreign
Affairs, in reply to your despatch dated from Compiègne the 21st
instant, informs you that the revolution, accomplished in Paris by the
Central Committee, having an essentially municipal character, has no
aggressive views whatever against the German armies.
    “We have no authority to discuss the preliminaries of peace voted
    by the Assembly at Bordeaux.

“The member of the Central Committee, Delegate for Foreign Affairs.
“(Signed) PASCHAL GROUSSET.”

It was very logical of you, Monsieur Grousset, to avow that you had no
authority to discuss the preliminaries of peace voted by the Assembly.
What right had you then to substitute yourselves for it? He did not,
however, thus remain midway in his diplomatic career, for after the
election of the Commune he thought it his duty to address the following
letter to the German authorities:—

“COMMUNE OF PARIS.
“To the Commander-in-chief of the 3rd Corps.

“GENERAL,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)

Paris under the Commune: The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs)

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