Office of the Historian

No. 80.

Mr. E. B. Washburne to Mr. Fish.

No. 285.]
Legation of the United States, Paris, September 9, 1870. (Received September 22.)

Sir: I have the honor to inclose you herewith the proclamation of the government of the national defense, together with certain decrees issued yesterday, and appearing in the official journal this morning. You will perceive that an election is ordered for the 16th proximo for members of a national constituent assembly, to consist of one hundred and fifty delegates.

E. B. WASHBURNE.
[Page 119]

[Translation.]

The Government of the national defense to the French people:

Frenchmen: In proclaiming, four days since, the government of the national defense, we have ourselves defined our mission. Power lay prostrate; that which commenced by an attempt finished by a desertion. We have only picked up the government which escaped from impotent hands. But Europe needs to be enlightened; she needs to know, by irrefutable proof, that the country is with us. The invader must encounter upon his route not only the obstacle of an immense city resolved to perish rather than surrender, but a whole people, moreover, organized, represented, an assembly, in fine, which can carry into every place, in spite of every disaster, the living soul of the country. Therefore, the government of the national defense decrees—

Article I. The electoral colleges are convoked for Sunday, the 16th of October, in order to elect a constituent national asssembly.

Article II. The elections will take place on the revision of the list, conformably to the law of the 15th of March, 1849.

Article III. The number of the members of the constituent assembly will be seven hundred.

Article IV. The minister of the interior is charged with the execution of this decree.

Done at the Hotel de Ville of Paris, the 8th of September, 1870.

General TROCHU. GARNIER-PAGÈS.
EMMANUEL ARAGO. GLAIS-BIZOIN.
CRÉMIEUX. PELLETAN.
JULES FAYRE. E. PICARD.
JULES FERRY. ROCHEFORT.
GAMBETTA. JULES SIMON.

The minister of war, General LE FLO.

The minister ad interim of marine and the colonies, Rear-Admiral DE DOMP PIERRE D’HORNOY.

The minister of agriculture and commerce, M. MAGNIN, former deputy.

The minister of public works. M. DORIAN.