Blanc, voted with him against the preliminaries of peace
and in favor of the continuance of the war. There was
a strong opinion at this time that many of the Buona-
partists in high military command, as well as in impor-
tant civil posts, were traitors to the Republic and had
acted, as Bazaine unquestionably did, in the interest of
the Imperial prisoner instead of on behalf of France.

These factionists too were hostile to Paris, and a demand
was made, in which Clemenceau joined, for a full inves-
tigation of the conduct of such men during the siege.
Unfortunately, affairs in the capital were now becoming
so critical and the probability of another revolution there
seemed so great that Clemenceau felt his duties as Mayor
of Montmartre were still more urgent than his votes and
speeches at Bordeaux, as deputy for that district. Con-
sequently, after less than a month's stay at Bordeaux, he
returned to Paris on the evening of March 5th. The
Commune of Paris was set on foot within a fortnight of
that date, on March 18th, 1871.

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