''Le Forçat'' ('The Convict/Penal Deportee') was a French-speaking
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
newspaper published in July 1891 by various anarchists, possibly including
Émile Henry. The newspaper ceased publication after its second issue.
Its managers, administrator
Albin Villeval and printer-manager
Édouard Florès, were sentenced in July and August 1891 to six months and fifteen months in prison respectively for "incitement to murder and looting" and "incitement to murder and arson".
History
The newspaper ''Le Forçat'' was founded in July 1891, which is when its first and only two issues were published.
The paper's epigraphs were: "
Neither God, nor Master, do as you please!" and "Do not bow before any authority, no matter how respected; do not accept any principle until it is established by reason".
According to
René Bianco
René Bianco (21 June 1908 – 23 January 2008) was a French operatic baritone who performed at the Opéra Comique and the Paris Opera
The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XI ...
, a historian of the
anarchist press, it's plausible that the signature "E. Henry" found in the newspaper belongs to
Émile Henry.
was also published in its pages.
Constance Bantman, a historian specializing in the anarchist movement between 1880 and 1930, cites ''Le Forçat'' as an example of anarchist publications from that period that featured highly controversial titles, in this case, the name refers to imprisonment and prisoners sent to the French
penal colonies or bagnes'''.
Albin Villeval, the newspaper's administrator, was put on trial as early as July 1891.
He was sentenced by the Seine
Assize Court
The assizes (), or courts of assize, were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ...
to six months in prison for "incitement to murder and looting".
, the newspaper's printer-manager, was also prosecuted for the same reasons and sentenced to fifteen months in prison for "incitement to murder and arson".
Works
1st issue (courtesy of ''Archives anarchistes'')
*
Aux Camarades' by Édouard Forès, explaining the reasons and motivations behind the newspaper's publication
*
Petit Conscrit...' by Albin Villeval, an anti-militarist text calling on conscripts to shoot officers
*
Des préjugés' retaking a text by
Joseph Lequinio, a politician from the
French Revolution
*
Le droit à la Révolte', a poetic text supporting the anarchist revolution
*
Entre purotins' by Sérof, a fictional account of the meeting between one 'Polyte' and one 'Gugusse', who discuss anarchist issues
*
Le militarisme' retaking a text by
Claude Tillier, a short anti-militarist article
*
Patrie !' by
Émile Henry, a text opposing the concept of
homeland
A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...
and
patriotism
Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...
*
Portrait à la Plume !', a polemic against a political/financial figure (?)
*
Le Chômage', anarchist theory and a call to 'suppress the honey thieves'
*
Forçats', critiques of the authoritarianism of other left-wing movements and a call to also do an internal revolution
*
Nouvelles de l'étranger', updates on the anarchist movement in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
.
*
Les Grèves', news of strikes (Rome, Roubaix, Dublin)
*
Les Insoumis', an anarchist song
*
Tribune Libre', a platform for people wishing to speak
*
Les Journaux du Peuple', reflections on the anarchist and popular press, suggestions for reading ''
Le Père Peinard
''Le Père Peinard'' was a weekly French Anarchism, anarchist newspaper founded in 1889. Its main author was also its founder, Émile Pouget, though other anarchists contributed as well. Alongside ''Le Révolté'' and ''l'Endehors'', it was one of ...
'',
''La Révolte'', or ''
Le Réveil des mineurs''
*
L’anti-patriote', announcement of the founding of the anarchist newspaper ''
L'anti-patriote''
*
Sonnets de la Révolte', an anarchist song
*
Mots de combat' including an excerpt from
Étienne de La Boétie
Étienne or Estienne de La Boétie (; ; 1 November 1530 – 18 August 1563) was a French magistrate, classicist, writer, poet and political theorist, best remembered for his friendship with essayist Michel de Montaigne. His early political trea ...
, and excerpts from other radical texts
*
Le Forçat au Populo', an anarchist song
References
Bibliography
*
External links
* First issue original on ''Archives anarchistes''
(1)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forcat
Anarchist newspapers
Anarchist periodicals published in France
Newspapers published in France
Newspapers established in 1891