minals who are busy
publishing decrees at the Hotel de Ville, while you are dying by scores
at Issy, Vanves, Montrouge, Neuilly, and the Moulin-Saquet; they betray
you when they talk of Royalists and Imperialists; they deceive you when
they tell you, that victory is certain, and that even defeat would be
glorious. I tell you, that victory is impossible, and that your defeat
will be without honour; for when you fell, crying, "Vive la Commune!"
"Vive la Republique!" the Commune is Felix Pyat, and the Republic,
Vermorel.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 78: Colonel Rossel was one of the most capable members of the
Commune Government. He was born in 1844, and was the son of Commandant
Louis Rossel, an officer who acquired a high reputation in the Chinese
war. The young Louis Rossel received a sound military education at the
Prytanee of La Fleche, and subsequently at the Ecole Polytechnique, at
which latter institution he gained high honours. He served as captain of
engineers in the army of Metz, and was one of the officers who signed
the protestation against the surrender of Bazaine. He succeeded in
eluding the vigilance of the Prussians, and appeared at Tours to offer
his services to the Government of National Defence. Gambetta, then
Minister of War, appointed Rossel to the rank of colonel in the
so-called auxiliary army. After the signature of the peace
preliminaries, the new government refused to ratify the promotion
granted by Gambetta, but offered Rossel the rank of major. This
seriously offended the ex-Dictator's ex-colonel, who shortly after the
tenth of March, put his sword at the disposition of the Commune. He was
at first appointed chief of the staff of General Cluseret, whom he
subsequently replaced as delegate for war. On April 16 he became
president of the Communist court-martial; he acted with great vigour in
all military affairs until the 10th of May, when the Commune ordered his
arrest.]

[Illustration: CHAPELLE EXPIATOIRE.]

LXXV.

Malediction on the man who imagined this decree; malediction on the
assembly that approved it; and cursed be the hand which shall first
touch a stone of that tomb! Oh I believe me, I am not among those who
regret the times of royal prerogatives, and who believe that everything
would have gone well, in the most peaceful country in the world, if
Louis XVII had only succeeded to the throne after his father, Louis XVI.
The author of the revolution of 1798 knew what he was about