Mr. Washburne to Mr. Fish
Sir: Affairs in Paris for the past week have not been of very great interest. The National Assembly, as you will have seen, has removed its place of sitting from Bordeaux to Versailles, and the members of the government who were at Bordeaux have all returned to Paris. The question of the removal of the National Assembly from Bordeaux excited a good deal of feeling and an animated discussion in that body. Versailles, by a large majority, was carried, over the unanimous report of the committee in favor of Fontainebleau, by the powerful and personal influence of Mr. Thiers. The assembly meets at Versailles on Monday next, and though it sits in that place the seat of government will be at Paris. Mr. Thiers will occupy the splendid hotel of the minister of foreign affairs, where he will hold his official receptions. The council of ministers, however, is to hold its meetings at Versailles. The proceedings of the assembly will be vastly important, and will be watched with the greatest interest. Its great mission will be to legislate for the immediate exigencies of the country, but it is not supposed that it will attempt to act as a constituent to form a new government, without, at any rate, obtaining a power for such purpose from the people by a plebecite. It is quite evident to my mind that the tendency of the country is to continue the republic, as the only form of government which can be sustained in France at the present time. But political events are so uncertain in France, that it is unsafe to venture predictions as to what may happen. Since the raising of the siege, some half a dozen very violent newspapers had been established, which were daily filled with the most revolutionary appeals, and teeming with incitations to bloodshed and civil war. A few days ago General Vinoy, military commandant of Paris, issued an order, not only suppressing the whole batch, but forbidding other papers of a like character to appear until the siege of Paris should be raised by direction of the national assembly. This order of General Vinoy has been unfavorably commented upon very generally by the press, but I think it has given very general satisfaction to a large majority of the people off Paris. But that which has created more talk and comment, and is, in my judgment, of far more serious import, has been the action of some regiments of the national guard, who seized upon large numbers of cannon and mitrailleuses, some two weeks since, and fortified themselves on the Butte Montmartre. These people have set up a sort of independent side-show in opposition [Page 310] to the government. I do not regard any great degree of violence as probable, but it must be confessed that the condition of the lower and working classes of Paris is alarming. Each man fit to bear arms has been enlisted in the national guard, receiving for himself a franc and a half a day, and an additional sum for his wife, if married, and if he have children a certain sum for every child. But now, it having become necessary to disband the national guard and stop this pay, it is a question of the greatest gravity what is to befall these people. Every branch of industry is paralyzed; all building and improvement of the city has been stopped, and it is about impossible for the laborers to get work.
Nothing, as yet, has been disclosed as to the projects of the government for raising the money to pay off its indemnity to the Germans. There is an evident disposition in all circles to make a superhuman effort to satisfy this debt, and get the Germans out of France at the earliest possible moment. The procuring of such a vast amount of money will, I am afraid, interfere very much with the negotiations of our new five per cent. loan. To raise this money it is thought France will be obliged to offer its securities on better terms than our new loan can be had at. The French people have always had great faith in their own securities, and in their own national credit, and do not generally go abroad after investments unless they can purchase foreign securities on terms that will bring them higher rates than their own will yield.
I have, &c.,