ch the members of the Government are
prisoners, and succeed in delivering them.

At about two o'clock in the morning, the 106th Battalion had completely
cleared the Hotel de Ville of the crowds. No violence had been done, and
General Trochu was reviewing a body of men ranged in battle order, which
extended from the Place de l'Hotel de Ville to the Place de la Concorde.
An hour later, quiet was completely restored.

The members of the Government, who had been incarcerated during several
hours, now wished to show their authority; they felt that their power
had been shaken, and saw the necessity of strengthening it. What can a
Government do in such a case? Call for a plebiscite. But this time Paris
alone was consulted, and for a good reason. Thus, on the 1st November,
the people, of Paris were enjoined to express their wishes by answering
yes or no to this simple question:--

"Do the people of Paris recognise the authority of the Government
for the National Defence?"

This was clear, positive, and free from all ambiguity.

The partizans of the Commune declared vehemently that those who voted in
the affirmative were reactionists. "Give us the Commune of '93!" shouted
those who thought they knew a little more about the matter than the
rest. They were generally rather badly received. It is no use speaking
of '93! Replace your Blanquis, your Felix Pyats, your Flourens by men
like those of the grand revolution, and then we shall be glad to hear
what you have to say on the subject.

The inhabitants of Montmartre, La-Chapelle, Belleville, behaved like
good citizens, keeping a brave heart in the hour of misfortune.

However it came about, the Government was maintained by a majority of
557,995 votes against 62,638.

Well, Messieurs of the Commune, try again, or, still better, remain
quiet.

During the night of the 21st of January the members of the National
Defence and the chief officers of the army were assembled around the
table in the council-room. They were still under the mournful impression
left by the fatal day of the nineteenth, on which hundreds of citizens
had fallen at Montretout, at Garches, and at Buzenval. Thanks to the
want of foresight of the Government, the people of Paris were rationed
to 300 grammes of detestable black bread a day for each person. All
representations made to them had been in vain. Ration our bread by
degrees, had been said, we should thus accustom ourselves to privation,
and be