The republic., 1851-08-06

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The debate which commenced on the 18th in
stant prefaced by M. Dupin, the president,
who seems TO consider himself schoolmaster, at
the head Of set Of rowdy scholars His pettish
seedlings, whenever pupil is not Of his opinion,
well sustains this conception of his position. After
having counselled forbearance and moderation, the
tribune successfully occupied by several speak
ers. Nj. Falloux made brilliant speech in favor
of monarchy, and General Cavaignac replied On
the 10Th M. Coquerel, the Protestant clergyman,
made eloquent but impractical and contra
dictory argument for revision in behalf of Louis
Napoleon. This followed by very capital
and convincing speech from M. Michel (de Bour-
ges) for the constitution and its loyal admins
| tration.
On the 10th M. Michel finished his address, and
was followed by M. Berger, the Dan O'Connell of
Bourbonism He is man of admitted eloquence,
sincere conviction, and gentemanly bearing. He
spoke with great fervor and excellent temper and
manner; yet it but the effort of prophet
seeking to raise the dead, without the answering
spirit of Inspiration. The carcass still lay ghastly
and silent under his impassioned cry that the day
of resurrection had come. Eloquent as was his
appeal, noble were the sentiments that breathed
through his address. nothing could have been
fatal to his purpose. The feeling of the Assembly
the verdict pronounced the next day in Paris and
spread over the country-was, Monarchy is
dead !"
On the 18th M. Duprat spoke against revision as
we'll as M. de Larocheaquen. The latter is a Mon
archst, and is in favor of the Bourbon restoration;
but he is an honest man. and cannot be bent TO false
hood and inconsistency. He declares, and very
Justly. that the present constitution based
universal suffrage; that all the members elect
ed and the government put into operation by this
principle. The mutilation of suffrage by the law
of the 3lst of May cutting off three or four millions
of voters, he contends, was act of treason; and
before he consents to revision he insists that this
violent and unconstitutional law be repealed. He
is thus in favor of putting monarchy and repubi-
canism TO the vote, and he will honestly abide by
the result. This straight forward integrity dis
mays the Legitimists. and hence he is christened
by them the "Enfant Terrible of their party.
The same day Victor Hugo ascended the tribune.
He is perhaps the most dreaded of all the Republi-
cans. His bitter sarcasm, his passionate appeals,
his crushing broadsides of denunciations, his start
ling powers of prophetic painting, they rose in
the memory of the four hundred and fifty Revision
lists, made them quyer in their seats Already had
the discussionn the Assembly to their disadvan
tage The game was obvious. Victor Hugo must
be put down; the debate must be stihed The scene
which followed is past description. The fret
tence which fell from his lips was received with
deep murmurs from the Right. As his Paxhan
shot broke thick and fast, he was repeatedly
sailed by jibes, personal attacks, and insinuations.
But must give you passage, and a long one. for
it is as good as play. commend the facetious
interruptions of the president to your especial no.
tice:
NJ V. Hugo then spoke of the republic in the
highest terms of eulogium, declaring that France
had never been so great as at present. fact fully
admitted by foreign nations. The majority de-
MED the spirit of their age when they refused to
do justice to the philosophy, the industry, and the
science of France in the present day.
Voice.-We do not forget the odes which
have been written in honor of the monarchy
Nj. Victor Hugo.-And yet it now desired
TO again introduce the monarchy, and with 1t all
| the Calamities which it had engendered. "You
are dead" said the honorable gentleman, "and
you want to reappear. [Agitation.l You want
| to bring back that form OF government which was
accompanied with many catastrophes. You
wish to again enter that invariable series of
events which began by a restoration continued
by violence of the police and violations of the
charter, and ended in that event which the Place
close to the Assembly had witnessed, (the decapi-
tation OF Louis XVI) [Great agitation.l
On the Right.-Order, order!
The President, to the speaker in the tribune
You exceed all bounds!
On the Left-You, MIR. President allow the con-
stituton to be insultedi
The President.-The scaffold OF the Place Louis
XVI. neither the constitution nor the re-
vision.
M. ". Huso.- WHAT after the respectful terrns
| of widow and martyrking had been used, they
wished to reproach him with calling TO mind the
souvenirs of history! What! when he said
"Place the foot that fatal pavement, and you
will cause to arise the scaffold which sent Louis
XVI. to the tomb, or the hackney coach which
conveyed the new monarchy to exile he was ac
cused of creating passion and disorder! Move
ment.l M. Berger had said the day before that
France could never adapt herself to democracy.
On the Left-He did not say that.
M. V. Hugo-Thirty- seven years before the
partisans OF pure monarchy were terrified at the
idea of constitutional monarchy and said that it
good for England, exactly as M Berryer had
said the day before that the republic was good for
America. But the people might accustom them
selves to democracy, they had done to constitu-
| tional monarchy. The agitation which they took
for fever was life-was movement. There had
been royalists- [nterruptionl-th liberty Of the
press was suppressed would they also suppress
the liberty of the tribune2 [Interruption.l
On the Left.-Sience
The President.-Ask M. Michel (de Bourges) if
the liberty of the tribune does not exist it is the
speaker who makes the hearer.
M Michel, (de Bourges III is not the speaker
who makes the hearer, but the hearer the speaker
The President-I declare that it is impossible
always to the silence when the speakers
much unlike. Movement
| M. v. Hugo.-When the President ceased to
protect the speaker, the liberty of the tribune did
not exist. He was about to say that there had been
those royasts had confessed their principles on the
eve of danger, and not the day after danger had
ceased. They were not citizens-they were che
uGliers; and if they desired civil war, they made
it-they did not excite it; if they combatted the
people, they did not act like foxes against the lion
they endeavored openly to destroy the republic,
but not by stealth; in a word, they did not stam-
mer "Vive lie Roi' after having cried twenty
seven times in day "vive la Republique!" Zap
plause on the Left The French monarchy had, it
was true, long held the fret place, but now it no
| longer existed.
Nj. Leo de Laborde.-I demand to be allowed to
speak.
At this moment NJ. de Faloux proceeded towards
the tribune; M V. Hugo, however, refused to allow
him to speak, and the Left, by its cries, cncour-
aged the refusal.
NJ V. Hugo.-Newspaper truly told them that
the legitimate monarchy was impossible, and that
a monarchy of glory, an empire, was alone possi-
bic. Well, he examined the proposed monarchy Of
glory, and he asked where it's glory was' Was it
in universal suffrage mutilated-in Lyons placed
in state Of siege-in casemates in which mat
tresses not allowed to rot, but in which men
were? Was it in the hope of foreign nations in
France destroyed-in Sicily given up to the tIsii-