The facts mentioned above were repeated every day.
The Journal de Paris, a Versaillese journal suppressed by the Commune, wrote:—
"The manner in which the population of Paris manifested its satisfaction yesterday was rather more than frivolous, and we fear it will grow worse as time progresses. Paris has now a fête-day appearance, which is sadly out of place; and unless we are to be called the Parisians of the decline, this sort of thing must come to an end." Then he quoted the passage from Tacitus: "Yet on the morrow of that horrible struggle, even before it was completely over, Rome, degraded and corrupt, began once more to wallow in the voluptuous slough which was destroying its body and polluting its soul—alibi proelia et vulnera, alibi balnea popinaeque—'here fights and wounds, there baths and restaurants.'"
XXIII.—(Page 384.)
The Versaillese journals confessed to 1600 prisoners buried in the Père Lachaise. The Opinion Nationale of the 10th June said:—
"We do not wish to leave the Père Lachaise without saluting with a look of Christian compassion these deep trenches, where lie entombed pell-mell the insurgents taken under arms, and those who would not surrender.
"They have expiated their criminal folly by an act of summary justice. May God pity and have mercy upon them!
"Let us rectify, in passing, the exaggerated rumours which have been spread on the subject of the executions at the Père Lachaise and in the environs.
"It appears from certain information—we might almost venture to say official statements—that there have only been buried in that cemetery, shot or killed fighting, sixteen hundred men in all."
But the following account of the executions of La Roquette has been given me by an eye-witness, who barely escaped death:—