Revolutionary Mass Meeting in Marseilles [1886]

Congratulations to the Anarchists and the ‘Mob.’

Miss Le Compte report for the ‘Anarchist’

The Collectivists of Marseilles convened a meeting for Feb. 13th of all the Social Revolutionists of the region without distinction of school. 

As is usual on that kind of invitation, among the first to respond was the Anarchists, and, as usual, the Collectivists flung at them the well worn reproach that they did not come to take part fraternally in the meeting, but with malice prepense to air their own views and keep them from ‘organizing.’ 

The Anarchists replied that they came in answer to a general invitation, not indeed to make common cause with Collectivists, but to see if Collectivists would approve of the practical application of one of their own principles – ‘You declare yourselves enemies of private property and revolutionists besides,’ they said. ‘We also declare ourselves enemies of private property and revolutionists, and we come here not to “organise,” but to see if, by virtue of what we have in common, or claim to have in common, we can together send our felicitations to the executioners of the tyrant of the miners of Decazeville, and to the plunderers of the bloated aristocrats of the West End of London.’ [1]

The Collectivists uttered high cries of protest, declared that they were social revolutionists, and would not felicitate assassins and thieves, that they hoped to pass quite another kind of resolution, one that would not shock public feeling and turn honest but uninformed people against the socialist movement. That, in short, they hoped to pass a resolution of encouragement to working men’s deputies! 

The word ‘deputies’ has on the Anarchist mind the effect of a red rag on a bull, and the battle begun in earnest. How to describe or report this war of words, where reason was flung against reason for two hours and over! I can only state another victory for the Anarchists. 

One heard continually repeated throughout the speeches the words ‘Decazeville,’ ‘St. Quentin,’ and ‘London,’ and when one of the speakers said, ‘We have here in our midst a reporter of the Anarchist of London, who will convey your sympathy hot to our English brothers in their effort at social revendication,’ one felt by the applause and ejaculation that it was all over with the project of encouragement to deputies. Two resolutions were passed warmly and unanimously – one of felicitation to the executioners of the tyrant of the mines of Decazeville, to be sent to the revolutionary press of France, and one of sympathy with our English brothers in revolt, to be sent to the Anarchist of London. The latter is as follows :– ‘The Socialist Revolutionists, of Marseilles, without distinction of school, in Mass Meeting the 13th inst., at No. 5, Contellesie Street, vote the felicitations to our brothers of London for the courage they showed in attacking private property on the occasion of the late meeting in Trafalgar Square. This meeting hopes that they will not stop short in the good work they have begun, and that their example will be followed by the working people of other nations.’

The Anarchist 14 March 1886

Note

1, Mine official Jules Watrin was killed by miners at Decazeville on 26 January 1886. The riot in London’s West End was on 8 February 1886.