Tar Rerwe des deux Mendes for the Ist of July is remarkably good. The history of the Commune at the Hotel de Ville gains in interest with every instalment. It is, however, for many reasons a melancholy interest, such as attaches to exhibitions, on the moral side, of brutality; on the intellectual side, of imbecility. The insurrection was organised in the name of Liberty, yet the very first act of its leaders was to confirm the practice of arbitrary arrest—tho second was to gag the Press. Execution followed swiftly upon threats. Many journals were forcibly suppressed, many others took the hint and ceased to appear. Soon, such sheets as the Vengeur and the Pere Duchéne had it all their own way, and assuredly such specimens of journalism were never seen since newspapers were firat invented. The action of the Commune in regard to marriage was, to say the least of it, remarkable. The plan was to legitimist all births, to transform the marriage relation into a state of concubinage entered without form and abandoned at the lightest wish of the parties, and to abolish the family by making every child the offspring of the State. At least one divorce, of which the record remains, was accomplished according to the improved system the unions which owed to it whatever validity they possessed were doubtless legion, In the domain of religion the only liberty permitted was to make profession of atheism. The churches were ransacked, defiled, and in some oases burned; worshippers were expelled at the point of the bayonet, priests were seized, imprisoned and often murdered with or without the semblance of a trial, Abominable stories wore invented, stories some of which would be ludicrous beyond measure, but for the effects that followed the popular belief in them. With a pompous affectation of impartiality towards all forms of religion, the communist leaders professed themsolvea philosophers. But there was not a trace of any philosophical system among them, nor wore they capable of understanding any principle beyond the broad and general one that everything and ovary institution nearly or remotely associated with the clergy was hateful and therefore to be ruthlessly swept away. Yot it was in the houses still ocoupied by priests that the vilest ruffians took refuge when their turn came to be denounced and hunted down by their previous associates, In these few sentences we give but a very imperfect idea of the chapters which M. Clu Camp contributes to the number before us.
These must be read and carefully studied by those who desire to realise the fact that among the most civilised peoples of the present day there exists an clement of barbarity and brutality that would seem to belong only to prehistoric ages, and which only awaits circumstances favourable to it in order to develope itself with hideous vigour and rapidity.
Passing on to the next article, we find ourselves amid scenes almost aa interesting, although in a totally different Madame de Rémusat's Memoira, the troduction to which we noticed a week or two ago, are here begun. Bonaparte's home life is frankly laid bare, and we get into the secret of his weaknesses, his vanities and even of his amorous intrigues. These latter are passed over lightly, as is only fit, except in so far as" they gave rise to exhibitions of jealousy on,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.