more summarily driven out of their temples. In a few moments all persons in the Bourse were expelled, some of whom, it was said, were thrown head and heels out of the windows and doors.
About half-past three o'clock in the afternoon the crowd, still greatly exasperated, started from the Bourse and directed themselves toward the Place Vendôme, halting under the windows of the Ministry of Justice. There they shouted for Emile Ollivier, the Minister of Justice, and demanded of him the closing of the Bourse, from which the false news had emanated. M. Ollivier responded in a short and well-turned speech, closing by asking them to disperse, which they did. But still there was great excitement all over the city, and there was intense indignation at being so easily made the victims of a vile canard.
At half-past five o'clock in the afternoon of that day I rode down to the Place Vendôme, and found another crowd of about three thousand persons gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice, demanding that M. Ollivier should show himself and make another speech. As he had already made one speech to the crowd, he considered that quite enough for one day and so he refused to appear. At this refusal the vociferations were increased every instant and hostile cries were raised against the minister by the multitude, who demanded the author of the false news and reclaimed the liberty of the press, which, they insisted, had been muzzled; for if it had been free to give information, no such event could have happened. I saw this turbulent crowd in front of the ministry, and stopped to ascertain the cause of it. Notwithstanding M. Ollivier had refused to make his appearance at the window in the first place, the pressure was so great that he finally was obliged to yield. Such was the tumult and noise that it was impossible for me, from where I stood, to hear precisely what he said; but it was evidently not very satisfactory, for the people did not disperse immediately, as he had requested, but began shouting in favor of the liberty of the press and raising hostile cries against M. Ollivier. The public held him responsible for the terrible severity of the press-law which prevented the journals from giving the news from the army. Everything was required to come through official channels, and it was given out at such times and in such measure as might suit the purposes of the government.
At ten o'clock on Saturday evening a gentleman connected with my legation, going down-town, found the Place Vendôme again literally crammed with both men and women who were in the highest state of excitement, singing a new song called the "Press song," and raising menacing cries against the Minister of Justice. Afterward, large crowds of people collected in the Rue de la Paix, on the boulevards, and in the Place de la Madeleine, all singing and shouting, and all in bad temper. But large bodies of troops being in the immediate vicinity, no acts of violence were perpetrated.
The Official Journal of the next day (Sunday) contained a despatch of two lines, dated at Metz, at eleven o'clock the evening before (Saturday). Here is the text of the despatch: "The corps of General Frossard is in retreat. There are no details." This and nothing more. And it is not to be wondered at that such a despatch inspired the greatest uneasiness and anxiety. It gave no indication of where the battle was fought or what was the extent of the losses; and naturally the great Paris public was tormented with fear and suspense. A proclamation of the Empress and her ministry appeared at noon in the second edition of the Official Journal. This proclamation contained a bulletin from the Emperor, dated at Metz, at half-past twelve o'clock on Sunday, announcing that Marshal MacMahon had lost a battle and that General Frossard had been obliged to retreat. Another bulletin from the Emperor, dated at Metz, three hours later, announced that his communication with Marshal MacMahon was interrupted, and that he had had no news of him since the day before; and still another despatch, one hour later, from headquarters at Metz, both of which were also contained in the proclamation of the Minister of the Interior, gave a brief account of the battles of MacMahon and Frossard, but said that the details were wanting. It further stated that the
