The Paris Commune 1870
Translated: from the original pamphlet for marxists.org by Mitch Abidor;
CopyLeft: Creative Commons (Attribute & ShareAlike) marxists.org 2005.
Your government has said over and over again that you are only making war on the Emperor, and not on the French nation.
The man who unleashed this fratricidal struggle, who didn’t know how to die, and who you have in your hands, no longer exists for us.
In the name of justice, Republican France invites you to withdraw your armies. If not, we will have to fight until the last man and spill you blood and ours.
Through the voice of 38 million beings animated by the same patriotic and revolutionary sentiments, we repeat what we declared to a Europe that was leagued together in 1793:
“The French People doesn’t make peace with an enemy that occupies its territory.
“The French People is the friend and ally of all free peoples — it doesn’t interfere with the government of other nations, and it doesn’t allow other nations to interfere with its.”
Go back across the Rhine.
On both banks of the disputed river, the German and the French, let us offer each other our hands. Let us forget the military crimes that the despots had us commit against each other.
Let us proclaim the Freedom, Equality, and Fraternity of peoples.
Through our alliance, let us found the UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.
You Social Democrats of Germany who, before the declaration of war protested, like us, in favor of peace; the French Social Democrats are sure that you will work with them for the extinction of international hatred, for general disarmament, and for economic harmony.
In the name of the Workers’ Societies and the French Sections of the International Workingmen’s Association,
Ch. Beslay, Briosne, Bachruch, Camélinat, Ch.-L. Chassin, Chemalé, Dupas, Hervé, Landeck, Leverdays, Longuet, Marchand, Perrachon, Tolain, vaillant.