Mr. Washburne to Mr. Fish
Sir: Cluseret, having “strutted his brief hour on the stage,” was suddenly withdrawn from public view on Sunday night last, having [Page 337] been arrested by order of the commune and thrust into the Conciergerie. When his arrest became known yesterday, it produced a great deal of excitement in the city. There are various surmises in regard to the causes of this extraordinary arrest. The Journal Officiel of the commune of this morning says it is on account of his incapacity and his negligence, which had compromised the possession of the fort of Issy. There is another report that the late “delegate to the war department” was concerned in a plot to overthrow the commune; another, that he had sold himself to the Versailles government; and yet another, that he was a mere agent of the Orleans faction. At any rate, he is in jail, and a report is current to-day that he is to be sent to a military tribunal. Mr. Gluseret has been the leading figure in the insurrection for the past three or four weeks, wielding an immense power, and I am surprised that, having control of the army as he has had, he should have permitted himself to be thus “taken off.” This arrest, together with a decree which appears in the insurrectionary Journal Officiel of this morning, organizing a committee of public safety, to consist of five members named by the commune, with the fullest powers and responsible only to the commune, has created a greater feeling of terror in the whole community than anything I have seen yet. Gluseret is succeeded by Colonel Rossel, who is a graduate of the polytechnic school, and an engineer officer in the regular army. He was in the army of the Loire, and, I believe, was recommended for a brigadier general, but the appointment was not made; whereupon he joined his fortunes to those of the commune.
It was believed at Versailles, when I left there at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, that the fort of Issy was taken, but the papers of the commune this morning deny it, and claim that they yet hold it. There are indications of a more desperate energy than I have yet seen. If the fort of Isry shall fall into the possession of the government, the forts of Vanves and Montrouge must very soon thereafter follow suite. When that takes place, I think we may expect a breach soon to be made in the walls of the city, and an attempt be made to enter. In the madness which prevails here, I will not undertake any prediction of what will happen in the event of an attempt to take the city by assault. I found at Versailles yesterday that a more cheerful feeling prevailed in the military circles, and great confidence was expressed that in one week the government would be master in Paris. Prom what I see and know of the situation here, I must say I have great doubts on the subject.
I regret to say that I consider the life of the archbishop of Paris in the most imminent danger. The report that Prince Bismarck had determined to intervene to save the life of the archbishop, having unfortunately got out, caused great excitement. On Sunday last a party of the national guards made their way into the prison of Mazas, with the avowed purpose of shooting the archbishop. Most fortunately, a member of the commune made his appearance at the moment, and was able to prevent the purpose from being carried out. The regular keepers of the prison were very much alarmed, and removed the archbishop from the cell which he occupied to another in a different part of the prison-What was prevented on Sunday by the accidental presence of a member of the commune may happen any day. Having reason to believe that General Fabrice is charged by his government to do what he can to save the life of the archbishop, and charged as I am here with the protection of German interests, as well as in the interests of humanity, I have deemed it my duty to send him a confidential verbal message, [Page 338] by a member of my legation, advising him of the present critical position of the archbishop, to the end, if he have any instructions to intervene, that he may take such steps in the matter as he may deem proper.
I have, &c.,