anarchy archives

An Online Research Center on the History and Theory of Anarchism

Home

Search

About Us

Contact Us

Other Links

Critics Corner

   
 

The Cynosure

  Michael Bakunin
  William Godwin
  Emma Goldman
  Peter Kropotkin
  Errico Malatesta
  Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
  Max Stirner
  Murray Bookchin
  Noam Chomsky
  Bright but Lesser Lights
   
  Cold Off The Presses
  Pamphlets
  Periodicals
   
  Anarchist History
  Worldwide Movements
  First International
  Paris Commune
  Haymarket Massacre
  Spanish Civil War
  Bibliography
   
   
   

Collected Letters of Elisée Reclus

To his brother-in-law, Pierre Faure, Sainte-Foy-La-Grande,


Paris, No date,


Friend and brother,


Do not worry about the unliveliness of the Réveil or the Marseillaise. The Réveil pleads for the socialists, because it is not thought to be so, and the Marseillaise has not changed its octave: it still employs its old vocabulary as if the situation had not changed.

We must all remember that the Republic was hailed by all as the supreme salute. It is not because of our principles that they beseeched us to replace Napoleon, but by instinct of conservation. If we had won the position of high vanquisher, If we had vanquished the monarchial parties, we would have had the right to immediately turn our ideas into practice : tax reform, suppression of the army, egalitarian education, we could have decreed everything, but the current Republic is actually nothing but a ceasefire between the parties. The Orleanists, legitimists, bourgeois simply patriots, told us : truce now, guide us, triumph for us and we shall see afterwards! Let’s accept the truce and if we fulfill well our mandate, if we save France as we were asked to do, then the Republic is safe, and we will have the joy of seeing an era of progress in justice and well-being opened for our children.

Therefore, Faure, my friend, I am more revolutionary than you, I am an horrible communist and an infamous atheist, I do not fear seeing the bourgeois element in affairs : I would have even accepted Thiers, as, I repeat again, we are not the one who built the Republic. Nevertheless, do not imagine that I do not want to continue to do propaganda for the social Revolution forever.

----------------------------------------------------------

Having Louis Blanc as ambassador in London, seems to us, like to you, to be the best. As for Cluseret, he will get out of the situation. Do not doubt it.

Yours,

Elisée.

This page has been accessed times since November 9, 2007.

OWN YOUR OWN COPY OF ANARCHY ARCHIVES

[Home]               [Search]               [About Us]               [Contact Us]               [Other Links]               [Critics Corner]