Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-06-08
FRANCE.
Do1NGs OF TIE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.


On the 9th of May, the Provisional Gov
eminent rendered an account of its stew
ardshp. The first report was read by Lam
artine.
Lamartinc's Report Of tie Provisional GoU-
CrHmeRt.
M. De Lamartine assembled the tribune
and said Citizens, ] am about to read to
you the report of the Provisional Govern
ment.
Citizen Representatives, at the moment
when you are entering on the exercise of
your sovereignty, at the moment when we
are delivering back into your hands the
powers dWgence which the revolution had
entrusted to us Professionally, we owe you in
the first place an account of the situation
in which we found, and then one of that in
which you yourselves found, the country.
A revolution broke out on February "a
The people overturned the throne, and
sworc on its ruins to reign from that time
! forward alone, and altogether by itself 1t
charged us with the task of Professionally
providing for the necessities and dangers of
the interregnum which it had to traverse, in
order to arrive with order, and without an
archy, at its unanimous and definite reign.
Our first thought was to abridgc that inter-
regnum by Immediately conyoking the rep
resentatves of the nation, in whom alone
exist right and strength. Mere citizens,
without any other call Oh us than that of
public danger, without any other title but
our devotedness, almost trembling to accept
and most anxious to restore the destnies
which had been conhded to us, fer the good
of our country, we had only one ambition,
that of delivering over speedily to the soy
ereignty of the people the dictatorship which
we had assumed The throne being over
turned, and the dynasty gone into exile, it
was not we who proclaimed the republic
it proclaimed itself, by the mouth of whole
people! loud opplause.) All we did was
TO write down what the cry of the nation
called for (Renewed applause.)
The President wished to remind the As
sembly that, however legitimate and Justly
called for might be the expression Of its APP
probation, still document like the present
ought to be listened to in the deepest ST.
lencc.
Nj. de Lamartine, in continuation Our
first thought, after the proclamation Of the
Republic, was directed to the point which
was most important, the reestabishment of
order and security in Paris. In that task
which would have been more difficult and
more meritorous at another time and in a.
mother country, we were aided by the coop
Grafton of the great body of the citizens
themselves, who, while they still held with
one hand the musket with which they had
Just burst like thunder-bolt on the King
and his family, with the other protected the
life and property of the inhabitants-pre-
served from injury the public monuments.
Each citizen of Paris was at the same time
the soldier Of Liberty and the volunteer
magistrate of Order. prolonged applause J
History has unregistered the innumcrablc
acts of heroism, probity, and disinterested-
ness, which characterized the first days Of
i, the Republic. Heretofore llattery has been
layished on the people, in speaking of its
f virtues; posterity, which never llatters, will
, find no expression adequately strong to dc
Justice to the dignity of bearing of the peo-
pie of Paris 1t was that people who in
spired us with the idea of the first decree
destined to assign its true Specification to
the vctory-the decree to abolish the pen
atty of death for political offences. 1t in
spred that decree, adopted it, and signed il
by the reclamation of two hundred thousand
voices, on the Place de Pllote de Vile and
the neighboring quays, Not one cry of an.
ger protested against what was so resolved
France and Europe comp,ehended that God
had his inspirations in that crowd, and that
Revolution, inaugurated by such great
ness of SOUL would be pure as AN idea
magnanimous as Il sentiment, holy as vir.
tue. (Great appIause)
The Red Flag, presented for an instant
not as a symbol of menace and disorder
: but as momentary flag of victory, was put
a aside by the combatants themselves, in or
y der to place the Republic under the protcc
e ton of that tri-colored flag which had de-
}, Tended its CRADLE and carried the glory Of
: our arms over every continent and sea- Af
}, ter having established the authority of the
n government in Paris, the next step was tC
c have the Republic acknowledged in the de
a partments, in Algeria, and in the army
y Telegraph dispatches and couriers sulliced
7. France, the colonies, and the troops, o
c their own accord, acknowledged the Repub
d lie there was no resistance from any quar-
/, ter. Our second thought was for the exte
If rior. Europe, in state of indecision, a
= waited the first word of France. That frs
is word was the abolition dc fdcfo and dc jur
n of the reactonary treaties of 1915, libert
IS was restored to our foreign policy, the dec
+ laration of peace for territories, of sympath,
: for nations, of justice, good faith, and mod
4 Grafton for governments. France by tina
4, manifesto disarmed her ambition, but d
y not disarm her ideas--she, in fact, let he
at principle of action shine forth fully, but he
is war went no farther.