The Paris Commune 1871
First Published: April 8, 1871;
Translated: from the original for marxists.org by Mitch Abidor;
CopyLeft: Creative Commons (Attribute & ShareAlike) marxists.org 2005.
In the presence of the painful events before which all of France wails; in the presence of the precious blood that flows in torrents Masonry, which represents the idea of humanity and which has spread it throughout the world, comes again to affirm before you, Government and members of the Assembly, and before you, members of the Commune, those great principles which are the law, and which should be the law of every man with the heart of a man.
Inscribed on the folds of the flag of Masonry is the noble motto:
LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY, SOLIDARITY.
Masonry preaches peace among men, and in the name of humanity proclaims the inviolability of human life.
Masonry curses all wars; it wails over civil wars.
It has the duty and the right to come among you and say: IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY, IN THE NAME OF FRATERNITY, IN THE NAME OF THE DEVASTATED FATHERLAND, stop the spilling of blood. We ask this of you, we beg you to hear our appeal.
We don’t come to you to dictate a program, for we rely upon your wisdom; we simply say to you: STOP THE SPILLING OF PRECIOUS BLOOD THAT FLOWS ON BOTH SIDES, and lay down the basis for a definitive peace that will be THE DAWN OF A NEW FUTURE.
This is what we energetically ask of you, and if our voice isn’t going to be listened to, we tell you that humanity and the fatherland demand and impose it.
Paris, April 8, 1871
Montanier, Becourt, members of the Council of the Order
Saugé, Dandre, Baumann. Chanuet, barré, Limonaire, Motard, Ragaigne, Martin, marchal, Simon, Hirsch, Vilmotte, venerables