Citizen Marx said the Council must disclaim all connection with 
the so-called International Democratic Association °*™ as it was started 
in opposition to the International Workingmen’s Association 
which had to bear the responsibilities of acts absurd as they 
sometimes were.* Another thing to which he wished to call the 
attention of the Council was the infamous lies circulated about the 
Commune by the English Press. They were lies fabricated by the 
French and Prussian police. They were afraid lest the truth should 
be known. It was asserted that Miulliére was one of the most 
furious members of the Commune. Now it was a fact that he 
never was a member of the Commune, but as he had been a 
deputy for Paris it was necessary to have an excuse for shooting 
him. The English press acted as police and bloodhounds for 
Thiers. Slanders against the Commune and against the Interna- 
tional were invented to serve his bloody policy. The press knew 
full well the objects and principles of the International. It had 
given reports of the prosecutions against it in Paris under the 
Empire. It had had representatives at the various Congresses held 
by the Association, and had reported their proceedings, and yet it 
circulated reports to the effect that the Association included the 
Fenian Brotherhood, the Carbonari, ceased to exist 1830, the 
Marianne, Ditto 1854°%? and other secret Societies, and asked if 
Colonel Henderson knew of the whereabouts of the General 
Council which was said to sit in London. These things were simply 


a The first sentence is omitted in the report published in The Eastern 
Post.— Ed. 


598 Appendices 


invented to justify any action taken against the International. The 
upper classes were afraid of the principles of the International. 

He wished also to call attention to the fact that Mazzini had 
written in The Contemporary Review denouncing the Commune.’ It 
was not so well known as it ought to be, but Mazzini had always 
been opposed to the Workmen’s movements. He denounced the 
insurgents of June 1848 when Louis Blanc, who then had more 
courage than he has now—answered him.” 

When Pierre Leroux—who had a large family—obtained 
employment in London Mazzini was the man to denounce him. 
The fact was, Mazzini, with his old-fashioned Republicanism knew 
nothing and accomplished nothing. In Italy he had created a 
military despotism by his cry for Nationality. With him the 
State—which was an imaginary thing, was everything, and 
Society—which was a reality—was nothing. The sooner the People 
repudiated such men the better.