Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-05-17
A Mad Republican.

IL Is now generally KNOWN tnat the
decisive shot before the Affairs Etrange-
res, which has been represented as a
chance one, and which changed the fate
of the empire, was fired by Lagrange, the
condemned conspirator Of 1882, who by
his own confession, finding that affairs
were likely to take a favorable turn for
royalty after all, determined to risk this
last step in order to arousethe angry PAS
sions of the people. In this he bui too
well succeeded, and the resri. s's~ ai'~Se
seen. The Provisional Government, al
though in dread of the well known incen-
diary principles of Lagrange, felt compell-
ed to nominate him to some post of emf
hence, and, accordingly, we behela his
name figure away most majestacally as
Governor of the Hotel de Vile for two
days! At the end of that time he was
replaced by another, and nothing further
has since been heard of Lagrange, who,
las creator and father of the revolution Of
l946, had, of course, attracted consider
able attention at first. ~. !.
1t appears, that, on Monday following
the flight OF Louis Philippe, a grand
counsel was held Of all the revolutionary
leaders assembled to dictate terms & haas
clos with closed doors othe Provisional
Government. The wise and calm demean-
or of Lamartine seems to have irritated, in
no small degree the boiling, passionate ma
turc of Lagrange, whose excitement was
so fierce and terrible that several members
of the Assembly prepared to withdraw in
alarm. Lamertine alone blenched not, and
the sangfroid and self-possession displayed
in his replies only served to increase the
savage anger of his opponent all the more.
At length. exasperated beyond control,
the infatuated republican, drawing a pistol
from his pocket, rushed towards Lamer-
tine, and exclaiming, Thou art no true
patriotv pointed the weapon at the head
Of the Minister. ''What binders me from
taking thy life now, at once: upon the in
stant?" shrieked he, with redolibled fury,
as the calm glance of Lamartine met his
eve. .'Your own conscience" coolly re-
piled the Minister, and the utter useless
ness of such an outrage, for should | fall,
there viii still remain my colleagues, who
III, TO man, have resolved TO die rather
than submit toviolence, or to return to the
senseless anarchs OF 9o.'' .~..
The words had the effect of calming for
an instant the fury of Lagrange. He
dropped the weapon which he held, and
turned pale as death, while his eye quailed
before the steady gaze of Lamartine, he
mtlttered between his teeth, Chou art
not true Republican, nor yet true pat
riot, but verify believe thou art an hon
est mani" and then sank back again upon
his seat at the counsel board, trembling in
every limb, and apparently exhausted
with the effort of passion to which he had
given way. 1t was then that his neigh
Dor, La Caussidiere, managed to sieze the
pistol which he had placed beside him,
and by this presence of mind saved the
assembly from a dreadful eatastrophy, for
in the space Of few moments Lagrange
arose, and, with the most frightful wells
and howlings, began to rend the clothes
from his bacl, and to tear the flesh from,
his bosom, until the blood spurted forth,
all the while uttering the most fearful i'm
precations and blasphemies. In an instant
the assembly was in an, uprror: the terror
Of the scene was greater than words can
describe. a;ItaHas evident that the serce
excitement OF the last few days had turns
ed the brain of Lagrange, and produced a
fit of raging madness. He was secured
with difficulty, to a maison de saulte, at
| Montmartre where he now remains, | be-
lieve, still a raving madman.--Paris cor.
!, OF, The Atlas ,enta,.E jsdt Lla.rs a@s /,