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THE  SOCIALISM  OF  TO-DAY.

the  labour  question;  they  would  thus  have  more  chance  of
escaping  repression  and  of  attaining  some  practical  results.
After  much  discussion,  it  was  decided  that  “social  emancipation ­
  was  inseparable  from  political  emancipation  ;  ”  and  they
accordingly  sent  delegates  to  the  Congress  of  Peace  and
Liberty,  which  was  at  that  moment  sitting  at  Geneva.
The  old  revolutionary  spirit,  which  believes  that  everything
can  be  settled  by  a  few  bold  strokes,  and  which  has  no  idea
of  the  difficulties  presented  by  social  questions,  predominated
at  this  congress.  These  old-fashioned  Jacobins  let  loose  the
storms,  provoke  reactions,  and  thus  retard  the  economic
progress,  that  is  to  say,  the  improvement  of  the  lot  of  the
greatest  number,  which  is  the  important  thing  to  attain.
The  rapid  extension  of  the  International  in  France  alarmed
the  Imperial  Government,  and  prosecutions  were  commenced.
In  March,  1868,  a  certain  number  of  the  leaders  were  condemned, ­
  but  only  to  a  fine  of  one  hundred  francs,  for  the
offence  of  having  joined,  not  a  secret,  but  an  unauthorized
society.  The  speech  of  the  public  prosecutor  was  full  of
indulgence  and  even  sympathy  ;  for  the  Imperial  Government
still  hoped  to  rally  the  working  men  to  its  side.  The  only
effect  of  this  appearance  of  repression  was  to  attract  attention
to  the  International  and  to  make  it  more  popular.  “  Government ­
  persecution,"  said  the  Council-General  a  short  time  afterwards, ­
  “  far  from  killing  the  International,  has  given  it  a  new
impetus,  by  putting  an  end  to  the  unwholesome  coquetting
of  the  empire  with  the  working  class."  In  Germany,  too,  the
Association  made  rapid  progress  at  this  period.  A  great  many
trades  unions  (Gewerk-Vereine)  were  established  there.  In
the  month  of  August  an  assembly  of  the  representatives  of
one  hundred  and  twenty  working  men’s  societies  took  place
at  Nuremberg,  and  they  decided  to  affiliate  themselves  to  the
International.  It  also  penetrated  into  Spain.  In  Switzerland
its  popularity  spread  widely,  because  it  had  enabled  some
bricklayers  at  Geneva  to  obtain  increased  wages.
The  third  congress  met  at  Brussels,  at  the  Circus  Theatre,
from  the  5th  to  the  nth  of  September,  1868.  Ninety-eight  delegates ­
  represented  England,  France,  Germany,  Belgium,  Italy,