[32] See the Minutes of the Government of Defence.
[33] Who bears witness to the bravery of the National Guard? Superior officers themselves. See in the Enquête sur le 18 Mars, the depositions of General Leflô, Vice-Admiral Pothuan, Colonel Lambert, and Trochu, speaking from the tribune: "If I did not fear to appear intrusive, I could show that up to the close of the day the inexperienced National Guards took and retook with the energy of old troops, under terrific fire, the heights that had been abandoned. It was necessary to hold them at any price in order to effect the retreat of the troops engaged in the centre. I had told them so, and they sacrificed themselves without hesitation."
[34] Vinoy's corps, which took Montretout, had five regiments and one battalion of infantry, nineteen battalions of mobiles, five regiments of National Guards. That of General Bellemare, which took Buzenval, had five regiments of line, seventeen battalions of mobiles, eight regiments of National Guards.
[35] "We shall give the National Guard a little peppering (ecrabouiller un peu la garde nationale) since they wish it," said a colonel of infantry, much annoyed at this affair. Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, Colonel Chaper, vol. ii. p. 281.
[36] He told them by way of consolation that "from the evening of the 4th September he had declared that it would be madness to attempt sustaining a siege by the Prussian army."—Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, Corbon, vol. iv. p. 889.
[37] He has pronounced these words of perfect Jesuitism: "To yield to hunger is to die, not to capitulate."—Jules Simon, Souvenirs du 4 Septembre, p. 299.
[38] Deposition of General Soumairs, Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, vol. ii. p. 215.
[39] What disgrace! 175,000 men pretending that they had been sold by a single one! In the Seven Years' War, in Westphalia, at Minden, when General Morangies prepared to capitulate, 1500 men, roused by a corporal, refused to surrender, forced their way, and rejoined the army of the Count of Clermont.
[40] Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, Arnaud de l'Ariège, vol. ii. p. 320–321.
[41] "I return from Versailles. I have come to terms with M. de Bismarck, and it has been agreed upon between us as a matter of honour the firing should cease."—Order sent by Jules Favre on the 27th, seven o'clock evening. Vinoy, L'Armistice et la Commune, p. 67.
[42] The decree sacrificed fifteen and spared twenty-four.
[43] A. Arnaud, Avrial, Beslay, Blanqui, Demay, Dereure, Dupas, E. Dupont, J. Durand, E. Duval, Eudes, Flotte, Frankel, Gambon, Goupil, Granger, Humbert, Jaclard, Jarnigon, Lacambre, Lacord, Langevin, Lefrançais, Leverdays, Longuet, Macdonnell, Malon, Meillet, Minet, Oudet, Pindy, F. Pyat, Ranvier, Rey, Rouillier, Serraillier, Theisz, Tolain, Tridon, Vaillant, Vallès, Varlin. The names of those who were elected members of the Commune are in italics.
[44] In the Vengeur, which had taken the place of the Combat, he proved, documents in hand, that for years Jules Favre had been guilty of forgery, bigamy, and falsification of papers of legitimation.
[45] After the five returned, sixteen candidates of La Corderie obtained from 65,000 votes to 22,000 votes; Tridon 65,707, Duval 22,499.
[46] Which, besides, has been recounted by Marc Dufraisse in the Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, vol. iv. p. 428.
[47] Cluseret, an ex-officer, decorated in 1848 for his spirited conduct. "I unfortunately displayed too much energy in that disastrous battle," he wrote in Fraser's Magazine of March 1878. Attached to the Arabian Bureaux, he threw up his commission after the Crimean war, and not being able to play a part in Europe, engaged in the American civil war for a short time, then withdrew to New York, where he campaigned with his pen. Misunderstood by the bourgeoisie of the two worlds, he again took to politics, but from the opposite side; offered himself to the Irish insurgents; landed in Ireland urging them to rise, and one fine night abandoned them. The nascent International also saw this powerful general come and offer his services. He did a good deal in the way of pamphleteering; tried to impress upon the workmen that he was the sword and buckler of Socialism. "We or nothing," said he to the sons of the massacred of June. The Government of the 4th September having also failed to appreciate his genius, he called Gambetta Prussian, and got himself sent as delegate to Lyons by the Corderie, where Varlin, whom he deceived for a long time, had introduced him. He offered the Lyons council to organise an army of volunteers which was to operate on the flank of the enemy.
[48] The working-men's quarters of Lyons.
[49] Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, Gambetta, vol. i. p. 560.
[50] The Jew Crémieux lived with the Ultramontane Archbishop Guibert (since made Archbishop of Paris) in his episcopal palace at Tours, dining every day at his table, and in return rendering him all the little services asked for by the clergy.
[51] Enquête sur le 4 Septembre, Gambetta, vol. i. p. 561.
[52] D'Aurelles de Paladines, La Première Armée de la Loire, p. 93.
[53] De Freycinet, La Guerre en Province, p. 86, 87.
[54] Ibid., p. 91.
[55] On the 11th, the delegate telegraphed to D'Aurelles: "We fully approve of the dispositions you had taken for your troops round Orléans. … You will receive instructions. In the meantime redouble your vigilance in prevision of a return to the offensive on the part of the enemy."—D'Aurelles de Paladines, La Première Armée de la Loire, p. 120. Thus, far from speaking of attacking, the Delegation only thought of the defensive.
[56] "It was only when they could not help it that they made up their minds to act," Gambetta has said in the Enquête sur le 4 Septembre. The avowal is precious, coming from him.