History of the Commune of 1871

Osons, ce mot renferme toute la politique de cette heure. — Rapport de St. Just à la Convention .
HOW THE PRUSSIANS GOT PARIS AND THE RURALS FRANCE.
August 9, 1870. —In six days the Empire has lost three battles. Douai, Frossart, MacMahon have allowed themselves to be isolated, surprised, crashed. Alsace is lost, the Moselle laid bare. The dumbfoundered Ministry has convoked the Chamber. Ollivier, in dread of a demonstration, denounces if beforehand as Prussian. But since eleven in the morning an immense agitated crowd occupies the Place de la Concorde, the quays, and surrounds the Corps Législatif.
Paris is waiting for the mot d'ordre of the deputies of the Left. Since the announcement of the defeats they have become the only moral authority. Bourgeoisie, workingmen, all rally round them. The workshops have turned their army into the streets, and at the head of the different groups one sees men of tried energy.
The Empire totters—it has now only to fall. The troops drawn up before the Corps Législatif are greatly excited, ready to turn tail in spite of the decorated and grumbling Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers. The people cry, To the frontier. Officers answer aloud, Our place is not here.
In the Salle des Pas Perdus well-known Republicans, the men of the clubs, who have forced their way in, roughly apostrophise the Imperialist deputies, speak loudly of proclaiming the Republic. The pale-faced Mamelukes steal behind the groups. M. Thiers arrives and exclaims, Well, then, make your republic! When the President, Schneider, passes to the chair, he is received with cries of Abdication!
The deputies of the Left are surrounded by delegates from without. What are you waiting for? We are ready. Only show yourselves under the colonnades at the gates. The honourables seem confounded, stupefied. Are you numerous enough? Were it not better to put it off till to-morrow? There are indeed only 100,000 men ready. Some one arrives and tells Gambetta, There are several thousands of us at the Place Bourbon. Another, the writer of this history, says, Make sure of the situation to-day, when it may still be saved. To-morrow, having become desperate, it will be forced upon you. But these brains seem paralysed; no word escapes these gaping mouths.