Thiers received two parliamentarians, freemasons, who
declared, however, they had no mandate. Mr. Thiers gave them an answer
similar to those already known; that he desired more than any body the
end of the civil war, but that France could not capitulate before a few
insurgents; that they must apply for peace to the commune who had
troubled it.

Yesterday evening, a parliamentarian summoned the fort of Issy to
capitulate.

The insurgents answered that they were going to deliberate about it,
that they would give a reply in half an hour; then they asked for a
prolongation of the delay.--The parliamentarian returned.

The negociations for the capitulation, resumed in the morning, will
probably succeed.

The coup de main on the farm of Bonamy, in front of Chatillon, was
executed by a company of the 70th. and by that of the scouts of 71st.

Two officers of the insurgents were killed, and 30 insurgents killed or
wounded. They made 75 prisoners and among them 4 officers.

The last military facts of the day took place in the quarries and park
of Issy which were vigorously carried by the battalions of the brigades
Derocha, Paturel and Berthe, with the assistance of the marine
musketeers.

The insurgents, in very large numbers, retired precipitately, leaving
numerous dead and wounded, as well as a hundred prisoners, 8 pieces of
artillery, much ammunition and 8 horses.

Nothing particular this afternoon. The insurgents are busy about mining
Paris, and the Versailles troops have silenced the firing of the fort of
Issy which is now completely invested.

The fort of Issy is summoned to surrender, but Rossel, previously
colonel, who has replaced General Cluseret, gives the parliamentarian a
most arrogant answer of refusal threatening to have shot any other
messenger of the army of Versailles, the bearer of such a demand.

MAY 5, 6th.

Such was the remark I heard made yesterday by a poor and very old
peasant woman as she stopped work for a moment in a field above
Montretout to look at the Fort firing. She followed up this admirable
summary of recent military operations by asking me whether it was not
amazing that somebody could not "invent" a means to put a stop to this
Civil War. I think the whole world must concur with this poor old
woman. It is always the same repetition that is certain, and it is so
to even a greater degree than she was aware of. Not only is the
cannonading the same repetition, but the game of takin