epublic. It was not clear how
those Frenchmen were to be governed who did not live in cities;
possibly each city was to have territory attached to it, as in
Italy in the Middle Ages.

The weather during March of the year 1871 was very fine, and fine
weather is always favorable to disturbances and revolutions.

The very few men of note still left in Paris desirous of putting
an end to disorder without the shedding of blood, proposed to go
out to Versailles and negotiate with M. Thiers, the provisional
president, and the members of his Government. They were the twelve
deputies of the Department of the Seine, in which Paris is situated,
headed by Louis Blanc, and the _maires_, with their assistants, from
the twenty arrondissements. They proposed to urge on the Government
of Versailles the policy of giving the Parisians the right to elect
what in England would be called a Lord Mayor, and likewise a city
council; also to give the National Guard the right to elect its
officers.

This deputation went out to Versailles on the 20th of March,--two
days before the proposed election for members of a commune. On the
21st, while all Paris was awaiting anxiously the outcome of the
mission, there was a great "order" demonstration in the streets,
and hopes of peace and concord were exchanged on all sides. The
next day, the order demonstration, which had seemed so popular,
was repeated, when a massacre took place on the Place Vendome and
the Rue de la Paix. Nurses, children, and other quiet spectators
were killed, as also old gentlemen and reporters for the newspapers.
One of the victims was a partner in the great banking house of
Hottinguer, well known to American travellers.

The most popular man at that moment in Paris seemed to be Admiral
Seisset, who had commanded the brigade of sailors which did good
service in the siege. He went out to Versailles to unite his efforts
to those of the _maires_ and the deputies in favor of giving Paris
municipal rights; but M. Thiers and his ministers were firm in
their refusal.

When this was known in Paris, great was the fury and indignation
of the people. In vain had Louis Blanc entreated the Assembly at
Versailles to approve conciliatory measures; and when that body
utterly refused to make terms with a Parisian mob, M. Clemenceau
said, as he quitted their chamber: "May the responsibility for
what may happen, rest upon your heads."

The mission to Versailles having been productive of no r