Letters from a New Contributor [pp. 657-663]

the first to the sixth story along the route of the pro- of these trees erected in all the public places of
cession, for none are so deaf or so retired but they Paris, will outlive the French Republic.
are alarmed by the drums, the shouts, the songs, The third phase of Paris, passed through during
with the occasional discharge of firearms in the the months of May and June, was of a very dif air, which mark the passage of the patriotic col- ferent character. The people had become tired of
umn. They arrive at the spot, the tree is deposi- these amusements; Louis Blanc's organization of
ted on the ground, and the pavement torn up for labor was proving itself to be vain, impracticable,
a space of about ten feet square. Before they have dangerous, utopianism; the government could not
completed the hole, another drum is heard; and keep its promises to the people, and saw the irm another crowd of gamins is seen approaching, in possibility of continuing to pay eternally the thirty
the midst of which appears escorted by a file of cents a day for no labor-the national workshops
National Guards is uniform, Monsieur le Cur6 of' went into operation-the workmen said they had
the parish in full canonicals, attended by some half been deceived, and became day by day more dispo dozen boys, also in religious costume, bearing wax sed to appear in arms for riot and revolution-the
candles and books. They come to bless the Lib- hundred and fifty clubs were formed, and in their
erty tree about to be raised. The tree is now nightly sittingsfomenteddiscontent amongall class adorned more or less profusely with colored rib- es, and organized rebellion-the hundred and eighty
bons, one or two tri-colored flags are firmly fixed new ultra journals of all shades of politics, from
to it,-the religious services are performed in the deepest red to white, started up like mushrooms
midst of the greatest respect and profound silence and powerfully contributed with the clubs to mad of the spectators, every body being uncovered,-a den the public mind, and hasten the crisis-sinis speech is then made, perhaps by the cure, perhaps ter and most terrifying reports were in daily circu by some popular orator, and the priest departs as lation-no more joyous demonstrations took place;
he came with his drum and escort of National conspiracies were weaving-outbreaks were threat Guards and boys. The tree is then planted. The ened, almost daily-all faces became gloomy paving-stones, which have been takenup, are ranged shops were closed —theatres shut up-the rappel,
in order to form a border for the spot, while some calling the national guard to arms to quell emeof the band proceed through the crowd which has utes, was now as familiar a sound as heretofore had
been collected by all this parade, to make a collec- been the notes of the Marseillaise-strangers and
tion of money to defray the expenses of the occa- hundreds of French, who could afford to do so, left
sion. These contributions were frequently solic- the city-reactionist parties were formed-Orlean ited with a tone and manner which showed that it ist, Bourbonist, Bonapartist-hoping to turn to ac would be dangerous to refuse: and the leaders of count the crisis which was evidently approaching.
the ceremony have on several occasions been de- The partial explosion of 15th May, took place, foltected, a few hours after, making merry in a caf6 lowed at last by the grand and terrible explosion of
upon the proceeds of the collection. The rest of 23rd June. That ended the gloomy and fearful two
the day till, sometimes, a late hour of the night, is months of May and June, and introduced the fourth
spent in ornamenting the spot about the foot of the more quiet phase, through which Paris is now passtree, planting flowers, vines, and erecting a taste- ing, and which, I have described above. I spoke of
ful ornamental hedge or railing about it. Shotits the hundred and fifty clubs, and of the hundred and
of "Vive la Republique!" patriotic songs, and the eighty new journals which sprang into existence
frequent discharge of firearms continue till the final after the revolution, and contributed so powerfully
dispersion of the party. to the popular exasperation which prevailed and
Scenes like this just described form the most stri- led to such deplorable consequences during the
king feature of the physiognomy of Paris, during months of May and June. Let me enumerate some
the month of April. It might occur to one to sug- of them for you. They will remind you strongly
gest that the selection of the poplar tree is of ra- of the revolution of 1789. Their names will dether unfortunate omen for French Liberty. It af- signate clearly enough their character, and tone of
fords no shade, it bears no fruit, its wood is fit for politics.
no useful purpose, it is notoriously short-lived. It CLUBS
presumes to overtop most other trees of the forest
without any really rightful claim to this superiority. Fraternal Friends-The Future-The Rights of
Perhaps, however undesignedly chosen, it will Man-Equality and Fraternity-Emancipation of
prove to be in all these particulars, the most fitting the Nations —-Universal Fraternity-Jacobinssymbol of French Liberty. Most of the Lombar- The Mountain-Progress-Union of Workmendy poplars thus planted have taken root, and are GermanDemocratic-FraternalDemoerats —Freenow covered with verdure. Some of them bear, men-The Vigilants-SocialistRepublicans-Uniwritten on a sheet of white paper, framed and coy- ted Propagandists-Democratic Free Thinkersered like an engraving, with glass, the date of the Labourer'sRights —YoungMountain —Public Safeerection and by whom planted. I predict that most ty-Fraternity of Nations-Socialist Labourers
Letters from a New Contributor.
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