The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-27 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 27, 18t8.

Before we arrive at that day, however, it will not be with-
out utility to state what was ..one on the evening of thole' h.
Pursuant to the orders received on the 14th, between 6
and 6 o'clock, General Courtinn invites by letter the colonels
of the legions of Paris to assemble (or the next day at 9
o'clock a reierve of 1,000 men of each legion.
By another letter, he requests the colonels to repair to the
general
eortaalif oilice.at 8 o'clock in the evening, on business of
the general
these letters addremol to the chiefs of all the legions?
To this interrogation the commission are unable to reply ;
but they can affirm, and they have the proofs before them,
that thel were to a great extent, and the for.. of these
letters attests that they were sent as eircuLirs.
In that case, then, there were two precautions taken, a
force ordered out, and measures concerted with the chiefs

who were to command it.
In a report of Colonel de Tracy's of 20th May we find :
" The 14th May, at eight in the evening, General Courtais
communicated to the colonels of the legions the dispositions
he had taken. The reserve of 1,000 men of the first legion
were to occupy the Pont de la Concorde to prevent the pal-
tioners from crossing this brioge."
The night of the 14th pealed in tranquillity. A few
groups in the streets and in the clubs—great agitation. Such
is el ested by the police reports.
These clubs long hesitated before they took part in the
Polish tuenifestattin. They did not take the contrary reso-
lution till in the night the speakers recommended calmness
and peace.
The 15th May the commission met, early in the morning,
at the Luxembourg ; they deemed it expedient to leave the
military chiefs wholly devoted to the dispositions they had to
take • but ihey had convoked the Citizen Minister of the
Interior and the Prefect of Police ; the utility and the ne-
cessity of this convocation will be readily understood.
They took care to cidlect around them orderly officers
in sufficient numbers for there to be no delay in the
execution of the missions to be entrusted to them.

The Citizen Minister of the Interior, th Under-Secretary
of State, repaired to this meeting ; the Citizen Peeled of
Police did not. Ho excuses his absence thus :
" The lexation which has confined me to my bed these
three days past, dues not allow me to go to you. If, how-
ever, you consider my presence indispensable, I shall await
the arrival of your orders, and I shall cause myself to he
conveyed to the Luxembourg to attend your deliberations."
The commis ion deminded reports on the fact. of the
night, on what had taken place on the Boulevard, at the
Bastille; they wished to be perfectly acquainted with tho

movement.
While they were waiting for the report. they despatched
to those points the orderly officers whom they had at their
ye' al.
In the morning, however, some reports reached them. In
these the rassemblensente were represented as pacific : •" Tee
w. rkmen are gathering together, heeded by b loners ; some
rather numerous groups remain stationary, and, to all appear-
ance, inoffensive." One report, it is true, adds, "That fac-
tious speeches had been deliver. d; that they had arms con-
cealed under their clothes." Mention is abo made in it of
the presince of the clubs, but it is affirmed that the Society
of the Rights of Man had not resolved IN yet either to hold
meetings permanently or to take up arms: " The rodents•
den signed by the members of the government, which has
been stuck upon the walls, produces a good effect ; it tends
to tranquillise the population, who are ready alarmed. The
men of the national workshops are at work."
Another report says. : " Tae manifestation of the Place de
la Bastille started from that point at 10 minutes past 11, and
proceeded along the Boulevards. The men are not armed.'
Among the as.embled clubs the Bliuiqui club is pointed
out se the only sae that need excite apprehension; but one
of the reports emanating from the Ministry cf the Interior,
contained tho following satisfactory intelligence " All
necessary measures have bees taken, and M. Causeidiere has
agreed with us to apprehend at the first outbreak &Airier
and !Bangui." Blanqui is surrounded. A few moments
before an orderly of the l'retect of Police had come to inform
the commission, in the name of the Prefect, "that the mani-
festation was headed by men whom he could answer
fur as he could answer for himself." However the com-
mis/eon had themselves given orders in the morning for the
apprehension of the principal members of the clubs.
The situation, stated by the reports which have jut been
analysed, was doubtless a grave one; yet nothing led to hop-
pow them would be a collision attended with bloodshed.
Several manifestations of a similar nature had taken place
since the establishment of the republic without any serious
consequences.
Nevertheless on such an occasion public force ought to
act. Did it act
General Courtais wrote, on the morning of the 16th of
May, to Citizen Pagerre, secretary to the commission, as
follows : " The news I receive is satisfactory, as it regards
the intentions of the mani estation. The number of those
who take part in it will be considerable ; they consider it as
a kind of defiance, and make it a point of honour to proceed
to the Chamber, It had been proposed to present them-
selves in arms, but they abandoned the project. All my
precautions are taken ; the national guard are quite ready."
The national guard hail, indeed, been celled out early in
the morning. Each of the legions furnished a disposable
wave of a tbousind men. Alt I'aris at the same time was
on its guard, and the devotedness and courage of the citizens
might assuredly lie relied on. The national guard of the
suburbs had likewise received orders.
A letter of Gen. Courtais, dated May 15, runs thus .
" Colonel, you will have to command this morning, at 11
o'clock, a piquet of 500 men at the mairie of Orenelle, of
600 men at Montrouge, of 500 at Vaugirard, of 500 at Gen-
tiliy. In case I should require the entry of them battalions
into Paris notice will be given you. Should you hear the
rappel beaten in Paris you will please to order it imme-
diately to he beaten in your battalions, and to march the
battalions of Orenelle and Vaugirard to the National As-
sembly, ike."
These orders had been executed. As to the garde mobile
and the troops, according to the reports, they were disposed
in the following manner: Independently of the general
measures taken by General Tempoure in case the Tappet
should be beaten, and in order to bring into the field
all the battalions of the garde mobile, special mea-
sures were adopted as follows to meet the foreseen events :
By order of the President of the Chamber himself, two
battalions of the Garde Mobile were stationed in the garden
of the palace, one opposite the bridge of Le Oros Caillou,
and one on the Place des Invalides. A battalion of the 3rd
Legion was on duty at the National Assembly. General
Faucher bad also taken up his positions.
On the night of the 14th May, by order of the Minister of
War (Citizen Charms), the piqueta had been reinforced
with two squadrons. The disposable troops at Vincennes
and St. Denis (two battalions and a half and a battery) had
received orders to be in readiness to March.
On the morning of the 15th orders were despatched to the
garrisons of St. Denis, Versailles, Melun, Fontainebleau, and
Orleans, to march en Paris.
At 12 o'clock all the disposable troops were on foot, the
tad Dragoons mounted their horses in the barracks of the
Quai d'Orsay. Four battalions, four squadrons and a bate
twee, united at the extremity of the esplanade Of the lava-
!ides.
Public force was aseuredly not wanting in the exercise of
its duty it only asked to be directed by the men to whom
the command of it had been entrusted.
Instructions had been given as to the direction of the
troops by General Courtais to General Tempoure, in a
letter dated May 15, half-past sin the morning.
" I have the honour to inform you that the battalions of
the national guard will be disposed of in the following man.
nor:—The Ist legion will have a battalion at the head of
the Pont do la Revolution. The 2d en the Place and Quai
des Tuileries. The 3d on the Carrousel and the quay, to
guard the I'ont National. The 4th at the Louvre, to guard
the Pont des Arts and the I'ont des Tuileries. The sth on
the Place du Chatelet, to guard the Pont Neuf. The 6th
and 7th in the Rue St. Denis and the Rue St. Martin, as
far as the Hotel de Ville. The Bth and 9th at the Hotel de
Ville. The 10th at the National Assembly. The 11th and
12th at the Luxembourg."
But was this direction, thus given, executed ? The com-
mission regret to be compelled to state, since all the reports
which they received agree on this point, the forces were suf
fich rat, the commander alone was in fault. The Ist legion,
which was to occupy the bridge, did not occupy it, and did
not arrive until the briege had been invaded. The 4th
legion arrived there, it is true, at a quarter ti twelve.
It had even received order; from the President of the
Assembly to form in battie array, and to pre,
sent an impenetrable mass to the approaching crowd.
But in an instant a contrary order was given, and in con-
sequence of that order the horse-road was opened, and the
crowd was allowed freely to pare. The other legions re-
mained with their reserves waiting for orders, which they
did not receive until the afternoon. The 2d legion had so
early as eight o'clock in the morning marched 1,400 men to
the 'Tuileries. They remained there, resting on their atms2
all day. At the approach of the procession they demanded
cartridges of the staff, without obtaining any, and did not
receive any from the mairie until halepeat two o'clock. The
battalions and squadrone of the army, the artillery
assembled on the caplanade cf thee Invalids, remained
inactive, or received orders to withdraw. The bat,
tedium in the interior of the Palace were all avail-
able, and at hand. What orders did they receive
How was the executive commission employed? Their orders
given and placed in hands which they judged capable and
faithful, they might have stopped here and have waited.
They did not accept this passive part in the midst of the
events ; they ought not to have accepted it. On all aides they
send out orderlies to follow the movement of the manifesto-
don. They send to the bridge, to the Place de la Concorde;
troops are stationed there; the bridge is occupied; the order
of rendering the horse-road free is not yet given. About 12,
the executive commission thinking that to perform their duty
better they should divide their action, decide that three of
their members should repair to the assembly, that two
others with the secretary should remain at the Luxembourg..
The former were to watch over the events from a-near to
meet contingencies; the others were, according to events, to
take the measures they might deem useful. On their arri-
val at the assembly the citizens Ledru-Rollin and Marie learn
the bridge has been crossed, that the petitioners are at the gate,
that they wish to force the entry; at that instant they repair
thither in all haste—the citizen Lamartine goes there like-
wise; but the language of conciliation was useless—the gate
of the railing is opened, closed, opened again, closed once
more—the noters climb over the rails. The crime is known.
Rebellion may, notwithstanding physical force, have in-
vaded the sanctuary of the Assembly, but, thanks to God,
it was broken down by that moral force opposed to it, by the
calmness and dignity of your attitude. One moment, it ie
true, you were as if you bad been in the public street ; but
you sat, and the majesty of the country, radiating around
your persona, veiled with its splendour all this factious de-
bauch, which the gravity of history refuses even to record.
While these ever to be lamented events occurred,
the assembly, the commission were not inactive. Citi-
zen Paguerre, who was a witness of the invasion,
hastened to return to the Luxembourg to inform
Kum. Arago sad Gamier •
Pogo of what had Sakai

Iplaoe. It was then one o'clock. Upon these 'deicer
and from • quarter to half pest sae o'clock the eloosmision
gave orders to all the mayors to beat the rappel. At two
o'clock they sent the same order to the general star office of
the national guard, so that from two points at • time the
order to beat the rappel is given. On these orders being received
by the 10th legion, the one that would be the first to march
to the defence of the assembly, and by the others at j past 1
' and at 35 and 40 min. past 2 the tappet was beatenevery where.
A similar order ts despatched to the mayors of the suburbs.
There, as in Paris, the order is executed. The questors, on
their side had written to the mayors. In one hour arose ell
those columns that, at the boat if the drum, thronged in the
streets of the capital. It than became necessary to indicate
• direction. The commission do this; they give as the
points to be defended : the Assembly, the Hotel de Vide,
' the Prefecture of Police, the Bank, the Luxembourg; and
give the necessary orders to that effect.
At half-past 3 o'clock the commission invests General
Faucher with the command of all the military forces of Pa.
I ris, comprising the national garde mo'ile. The country is
acquainted with the issue of all these mesaures. The city
of Paris saw the riot vanish before the national force. Here
' the commission msy stop ; • great shock had been
given ; much, doubtleas, remained to be done at the end of
the day to efface the traces ; these traces are now obliter-
' Med. In reality, considerable forces march in the direction
designated, and specially towards the assembly invaded.
They proceed however, with prudence. A heavy responsi-
bility weighed on the members of the commission, who had
' ordered the rappel to be beaten.
To deliver the assembly from the factions who had in-
vaded it and who threatened it, was a duty at which none
assuredly hesitated; but it was known that the men who
had penetrated into it had arms concealed. Would they
stop in their violence ? Surrounded and attacked by a
superior force. what would they do? What resolution
would they take in a desperate condition and conquered ?
Let those who witnessed the scenes of disorder the assembly
had to support lor two hours, reply to the question.
The commission, however, did not allow themselves to
be engrossed by these thoughts ; they succeeded in reconcil-
ing activity with prudence. By their orders the legions
continued to advance.
. . .

Thanks to Heaven, the accumulation of forces produced
the desired efts, et, and, protected by the demonstration, was
enabled to deliver the assembly. The garde mobile expelled
the factions. The sitting was resumed, and, in the absence
of the president, who was thrown from his seat, the Citizen
lluelne, Minister of Fii ante, temporarily took the chair.
Meantime the report of the dissolution of the national
assembly, and of the proclamation of a new provisional
government, was spread over l'aris. The factious, on leaving
the assembly, rspaired to the Hotel de Ville.
In this situation the commission continued their labours.
They considered that the national assembly should not a
single instant cease to manifest its existence ; that if the
place of its meetings was invaded, it ought, until the public
force had avenged the attack, to continue its deliberations ;
the commission, in consequence, sent an invitation to the
assembly to sit at the Luxembourg. The legions of Paris
were to repair to this spot, and be stationed around it.
The lintel de Ville, menaced likewise, called the attention
of the commission, who sent forces in that direction.
The Citizen Arogo, one of their members, repaired fer this
purpose to the Rue de reunion, and announced to the 11th
Legion posted there that he would head them and advance
on the Hotel de Ville ; but the arrangements made to receive
the assembly if it thought proper to accept the invitation of
the commission, rendered it necessary to relinquish this pro-
ject. Other legions were on their march towards this point,
which the rioters had selected for the purpose of proclaim-
ing their provisional government. A report of the Mayor
of Paris bat already made known what took place there ; it
is then useless to state it here.

In the midst of these grave facts an incident should find
its place. At the moment at which the commission were
organising a gem ral defence against the riot, two men
aimed at the Luxembourg. One of them, Quentin, ad-
dressing citizen Aril()' told him that he came in the name
of the new provisional government, to take possession of
the palace. Citizen Arago apprehended him with his own
hand, and ordered him into confinement. Another wu taken
into custody by the order of citizen Oarnier Pages.
At the Hotel-de- Ville the same facts were renewed, but

on a larger sc►le, and the commission learned that the Marie
of Paris had been polluted but an instant by the presence of
the rioters. . . . . .

They soon lesrned likewise that the national assembly
had resumed its sitting, and the exercise of its sovereignty.
After a few hours of an insensate struggle, the riot had fled
before the proud and calm attitude of the whole people.
The conspiracy of the 15th of May was conquered without
a battle, without blootshed, by the mere power of right,
which founded the republic and which will defend it
against all factions.
The commission are unwilling to extend their report.
Was there a conspiracy? Who are the culprits? These
questions are in the domain of justice—justice will solve
them with calmne,s, hut with firmness.

MADRID.—The Madrid mails of the 21st have
arrived. Cadiz was declared in a state of siege by the
captain-general of that district on the 16th. A bando
of the political chief, 1). Melchior Ordonez y Viana,
says ; " Every person on arriving in this city is to
present to the commissary of his district caution for
I his conduct from a citizen in my complete confidence
if he wishes to stay longer than forty-eight hours ;
else he will be fined 500 reals, and receive his pass-
port, or, in case of suspicion, be dealt with accord-
ingly. His surety is to be responsible for his con-
duct daring his residence here.'
Ferrer's band at Ba,gnol, near Valencia, is said to
have been dispersed. Three columns are in pursuit
of the Mayorezgo of Pego. The Commandant-General
of Alicant has declared that province in a state of
Iliege'