The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-02-03
Secret History Of the usurpa,ion.

Granier de Cassagnac, oue OF the editors ol
the Constitutional. and the writer who. above
all others, has spoken for Louis Napoleon. has
published what he calls n Complete and .4u-
lhentic account of tie Events of December,
1851. Ia is in fact the hisio.y OF the Usurpa
'ion by the usurper himself, and as such we
give place 10 the following extracts from It.
10 the middle of November the President
yet remained master OF his actions; in few
months il would have been too late for him aud
Tor every body else. He resolved to save the
county. Three men were the confdenis OF
his idea--General de ST. Arnaud, Minister of
War; VI. de Morny. Representative of the peo-
pie; and M. de Maupas, Project Of Police
Louis Napoleon exposed to them the designs
which he had formed. and asked for their con-
cunonce. They all three promised il to him
M. de Morny for all the responsibility TO en-
counter az Minister uf the Interior; NJ. de St.
Arnaud for the military operations; NJ. de
Ma"pas for the action Of the Police.
During more than fifteen days these three
men planned with The P,esilent al the details
of this immense act, au act which is not equal
ed by the 9th Brumaire either 10 difficulty a
bilily, or greatness. The most minute things
were foreseen, concerted. detailed. prepared.
with such marvellous secrecy. that the friends
most 20 be depended upon, the agents the most
done before the fnal moment f1r action arri-
we'd
The smultaneousness OF all the measures 10
be taken evidently the first condition of
success. The principal ofthese measures were
four in number, the arrest Of guilty or da1ge-
rons persons, the publication of the official proc
iamaions, the occupation of he Palace OF the
National Assembly. and the distribution of
troops upon all the points Judged necessary -
The hour OF quarter past six in the morniug
was fixed npon for The simultaneous execution
Of all these measures. IL was necessary that
the plan should not be dvulged by anybody, or
become known piece-meal, bat that il should
burst forth at once in its entirety. and be al the
same moment successful At q quarter past
SIX the arrests were effected nj half past six
ihe troops were at their posts; al seven, the de
cree for the dissolution and The proclamation
were spread the walls OF Paris.
At hall past six, NJ. dc Morny took posses
sion OF the Ministry Of The Interi -, accompa-
MED by $50 OF the Chassenrs dc Vinceunes,
and remitted to Vi. de Thorigny letter in
which the President-lhsnked him for his ser
vices, and informed him of the steps which be
had taken.
M de Bevelle, the Presidents orderly officer,
was instructed to superintend the printing of
the proclamations, and the composilors had
been kept at the national printing office Cor
special service. AT ii o'clock the director OF
the printing Office sent for. and al nidrighl
the establishment was surrounded by gende
armes; senterles were Immediately placed al
every door and window, and then, and not li
Then, did NJ. de Bevelle produce the document
which had been cOnfded to him, The printing
"i which he supernondcd himself. sad remain
cd until their impresaion was compleIei. ard
then carried them 10 The prefecture OF police.
The persons Of whom the police were TO
render themselves masters were OF two Kinds |
the representatives more or less mi <ed up with |
the absolute conspiracy the ch els Of secret
societies and The commanders of barbados. al |
ways ready 10 execute tho orders of the factious.
Both had been for fortnight under the survc'l- |
lance OF Invisible agents Of the pol ce and not
one Of those agents suspected The real object Of |
his mission, having all received orders for in,-
aginary purposes. The whole numbe, of per. |
sons TO be arrested was 76, OF whom ls were
representatives. and so chiefs oi secret socie
Ties and OF baircsdes. The 500 sergents de |
vile and the biigades Of surety had been kept |
at the prefecture OF police on The lsi of De |
cember, until IL o'clock at night, under a pro.
text Of the presence in Paris Of the refugees
OF London. Al ? in the morning of the 81. |
the officers Of peace, and tie forty commissaries
oi police were convoked at their house. At4g
every one had arrived, and were placed in small
OF not exciting suspicion. At5o'clock all the
c"mmissdries went down separately into The Of
fee nj the Prefeci, and received from him
communication Of the simple and entire truth
with the necessary Indications and orders The
men had been selected with special care for The
duty tn be confided 10 them, and all went away
foil Of zeal and ardor. resolved TO accomplish
their duty at any price. None failed 10 his
promise. great number Of carriages; pre-
Pared in advance, were stationed in groups on
the quays IN he neighborhood Of the prefecture
si police, so as not TO excite suspicion. The
arrest had been 80 arranged between the Per
feet of Police and the Minister Of War ,hat
they should precede, by quarter of an hour.
the arrival OF the troops on the places indicated
The arrests were TO be made a, a Quarter past
ak, and the agents were ordered 10 be at the
doors OF the persons TO be arrested, at five min.
utes past six. All was accomplished with snr.
prisins punctuaty, and no arrest took more
than twenty minutes.
The task Of securing the person Of Gen.
Changarnief was coofided 10 Two men selected
for their rare energy. Capt. Baudinoi, Of the
Republican Guard, and The Commissary of Po.
lice, Leras. They took with them no less a
force than l5 picked Police a genrs. 80 Repub-
lican Guards, and picket of 10 cavalry. Al
five minutes past six they rang the bell at No ,
;, Rue de Fsubourg 81. Honore, where the :
General lived. The porter asked who was there ;
and being told to open the door for some one :
wanted TO speak to him, he became suspicious. !
md refused to do so. The Commissary then :
narched into grocers shop next door. from d
which be rightly guessed there mus, be com.
nunicstion with Gen. Chsngarnier's apartment. 4
10 en- imperious tone he demanded the Rev. | 4
which was instantly given TO him. Followed I
~ several OF his men, he proceeded 10 the b
Generals room snstched tho kevs f,o,o ~. .
euanf, whom he met upon the staircase, and h
ushed towards the Generals bedroom, Gen. 7
chsngaroier by this time knew the designs of n
he ip,ruders. He appeared at the door of his C
BEDROOM 10 his shirt with pistol in each hand | I,
The Commissary said, "What are you going TO h
10 General? We are not attempting your life; a
Why should you defend iIi'' Changarmer then v