THE STORY OF A FRENCH COMMUNIST.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2165, 25 February 1880, Page 3

THE STORY OF A FRENCH COMMUNIST.

: The' “Auckland Herald” of Eeb. 18 contains the following statement of the experiences of one the French Communists who have just arrived in New Zealand M}' name is Auguste Hociquard, single, and formerly a resident of Paris. I am a lithographic printer by trade, and worked at it in France and,in .England —In the latter country for four years, with Day and Sons, of London,’ and subsequently for three months at Birmingham in 1868. During my stay in England I took an active part in Radical Clubs, as being to some ; extent-in harmony with my Republican principles. Having made some money I returned to. Erance, and remained there until the outbreak of the FraucoPrussian War'm 1870. On the commencement of the War I was made a 'lieutenant in the Garde Nationale, and served; throughout tho first seige of Paris against, the Prussians. On the 1 organisation of the Commune I threw ' ifi my lot with that movement, under ■ the belief it would give to Paris and to rFrance those political rights of which ;they had been deprived under the second Empire. When McMahon’s victorious troops poured, into Paris I and a number of other Communist’ made our way to the city but were captured at Sevres. Here a line ’regiment were engaged in shooting the , Cpmpnmists in batches. The commandant did not seem to have much heart .for his work, for after several squads of prisoners (six in each) had ’ been shot, and another squad had been put bp against the wall (of whom I was :one) the commandant ordered his men to cease firing, saying. “I have shot enough to-day,” and directed the survivors to fall in - under a guard. I was sent witli Rochefort and other prisoners to Fort Eoyavd, at La Rochelle, and deported to New Caledonia 1 in 1871, by the ship La Gucrriere. Some of my present comrades were sent out in the same year, and others later, some as late as 1875. Soon after my arrival in New Caledonia Rochefort was scut out, and placed at the Isle of Pines, where I was assigned to him as a servant, Rochefort’s escape was managed very easily, as I have reason to know, being privy to it. The person employed on the mission of attempting his rescue took an oppor- : tunity of seeing mo, and said, “ I have come here to get away a certain "person --only one —and this is he ” (pulling out orhis breast a photo).- I looked,

and saw tlaaTit was Rochefort. Steps were at once taken to aid Rochefort in escaping, plansarrangcd, and a number of letters passed to him for delivery from some of the leading Communists in Noumea to their friends in France. Of course, there was a lady in the caste'' as usual —the wife of a member of; the National Assembly, who had a soft spot in her heart for M. Rochefort, and site succeeded, through her husband,; in getting matters made so easy that Rochefort’s light was a matter of little difficulty. A good deal of money was spent over it, however, of which the person possessing the photograph pulled off a cool thousands With 'regard to the treatment of political dcporlcs at the Isle of Pines, there is little to complain about. Each person gets daily Hlbs of excellent bread, Mb of, fresh meat,,also tea, sugar, coffee, pepper,' salt, vinegar, mustard. In addition, the Government pay for all labor done by them, and they are allowed a plot of land to raise vegetables for personal or family use. Nine years’ imprisonment does not seem to" have broken M. Hocqitard’s spirits, and he appears to possess as largely as ever that .clan .which characterises the Frenclv soldief. He Inis imbibed extreme Democratic principles, and, when asked whether the moderate Republic now existing under Grevy would not he satisfactory to himself and friends, said, “No,-it gives an instalment only of that full and free exorcise of political freedom which Frenchmen ought to enjoy ; ” and he is just as ready as at Sevres of yofc, to put his back to the wall, and shed his blood for the Rights of Man and la hello France.