on the following day they went, preceded by drums and
trumpets, to the barracks of the Rue de la Pepiniere to invite the
sailors lodged there to join them in a patriotic manifestation on that
night. Believing that the object was to prevent the Prussians entering
Paris, a certain number of these brave fellows, who had behaved so
admirably during the siege, set out towards the Place de la Bastille but
having been met on their way by some of their officers, they soon
separated themselves from the rioters. Thirty of them had been invited
to an open-air banquet in the Place de la Bastille; but seeing the
probability of some disorder they nearly all retired, and on the
following morning only eight of them were missing at the roll-call. Not
one of the six thousand marines lodged in the barracks of the Ecole
Militaire absented himself. On the same day, the 28th, a secret
society, which we learned later to know and to fear, issued its first
circular under the name of the Central Committee of the National Guard;
the part since played by this body has been too important for us to omit
to insert this proclamation here: its decisions became official acts
which overthrew all constituted authority.

"CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD.

"Citizens,--

"The general feeling of the population appears to be to offer no
opposition to the entry of the Prussians into Paris. The Central
Committee, which had emitted contrary advice, declares its intention
of adhering to the following resolutions:--

"'All around the quarters occupied by the enemy, barricades shall be
raised so as to isolate completely that part of the town. The
inhabitants of the circumscribed portion should be required to quit
it immediately.

"'The National Guard, in conjunction with the army, shall form an
unbroken line along the whole circuit, and take care that the enemy,
thus isolated upon ground which is no longer of our city, shall
communicate in no manner with any of the other parts of Paris.

"'The Central Committee engages the National Guard to lend, its aid
for the execution of the necessary measures to bring about this
result, and to avoid any aggressive acts which would have the
immediate effect of overthrowing the Republic."'

But here is a little treacherous placard, manuscript and anonymous,
which takes a much fairer tone:--

"A convention has permitted the Prussians to o