“It is in vain that they gorge with blood and wine their deceived soldiers; the moment is approaching when these men will no longer consent to march against the city which is fighting for them.  Already, yesterday, the melee of a battle could be distinguished from the fort of Vanves; the line had come to blows with the gendarmes of Valentin and Charette’s Zouaves.  Courage, Parisians!  A few more days and you will have triumphed over all the infamy that dares to stop the march of the victorious Commune!

    “But it is not enough to vanquish the enemies without, we must get
    rid also of the enemies that are within.

“No more pity! no more vacillation!  The justice of the people is wearied of formalities, and cries out for vengeance.  Death to spies!  Death to the reactionaires!  Death to the priests!  Why does the Commune feed this collection of malefactors in your prisons, while the money they cost us daily would be so useful to the women and children of those who are fighting for the cause of Paris?  We are assured that one of the prisoners ate half a chicken for his dinner yesterday; how many good patriots might have been saved from suffering with the sum which was taken from the chests of the Republic for this orgie!  There is no longer time to hesitate; the Versaillais are shooting and mutilating the prisoners; we must revenge ourselves!  We must show them such an example, that in perceiving from afar the heads of their infamous accomplices, the traitors of Versailles, stuck upon our ramparts, confounded by the magnanimity of the Commune, they will lay down their arms at last, and deliver themselves up as prisoners.

    “As to the refractory of Paris, we cannot find words to express the
    astonishment we experience at the weakness that has been shown with
    regard to them.

“What! we permit that there should still be cowards in Paris?  I thought they were all at Versailles.  We allow still to remain amongst us men who are not of our opinion?  This state of things has lasted too long.  Let them take their muskets or die.  Shoot them down, those who refuse to go forward.  They have wives and children, they are fathers of families, they say; a fine reason indeed!  The Commune before everything!  And, besides, there must be no pity for the wives of reactionaires and the children of spies!”

The bulletins du jour are sometimes set forth in gentler terms; but we have chosen a fair average specimen between the lukewarm and the most violent.