WHAT THE PARISIANS ARE FIGHTING FOR.

Marlborough Express, Volume VI, Issue 296, 10 June 1871, Page 8

WHAT THE PARISIANS ARE FIGHTING FOR.

The Circular of the Hew Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, of April 15th says : The apprehensions of disorders in Paris referred to in our last circular were speedily realised after the departure of the mail. A movement initiated by the Hational Guards under the cloak of patriotism, to prevent certain artillery from falling into the hands of the Prussians, developed itself into a revolution, the objects of which to the uninitiated were for a time a profound secret. The Government distrusting the troops under their control withdrew to Versailles, and the parity of order for a time opposed the progress of the revolution, but being unsupported by the troops of the Hational Assembly, were compelled to retire and the revolutionists obtained and have since held complete possession of the capital. The aims of this proletarian insurrection called the Commune, appeared at first to be confined to securing for the working classes the election of the mayors and municipal councillors of Paris and the election of all the officers of the Hational Guards, but the promulgation of an electoral law which should for ever do away with the hitherto overwhelming influence of the rural population over the towns, or in other words, the establishment of a Republican Federation of towns within the Republic, was subsequently superadded. A show of legal authority was secured by elections carried out under the auspices of the revolutionists in Paris, from which the majority of the friends of order withheld their votes, and thus the spectacle is pre-, sented to us of two Republican Government, —both professing to emanate from the will of the people,—engaged in deadly hostility. The Communists attacked in force the troops of the Hational Assembly at Versailles, but were compelled to retreat, and the latter have since closed upon Paris and daily encounters are taking place with varying success. As the other large towns in France, with a few exceptions, have failed to declare for the Commune, and those towns where disturbances have taken place have been speedily tranquillized, and as the Hationalalists are daily gaining strength, there can be little doubt that the movement in Paris will shortly be suppressed. If not suppressed by the nationalists it can hardly be expected that the Prussians will allow matters to proceed to such an extremity as to prejudice their claims under the Treaty of Peace without active interference.