The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-10-11


Inc k,ng, though still undecided, had, never
theless, deemed it prudent to Weld 40 far a. n
send for Count Mole, in order to conf;de n
him the formation of q new Cabinet. But the
condloons which N. Mole thought fit to make
. SINE qua non did not prove acceptable to the
Aing, WHO, while ready to change Ministers
would not submit to the humiliation of ac.
knowiedging himself being in the wrong, by
adopting new course of policy. Therefore
though ne appears to have admitted at last
some notifications which he deemed would sat
isfy n. Mole, who retired without giving a de.
cided answer, he continued to consult secretly
with N. Guizot, who advised him not to Weld
but TO employ force in order to suppress the
popular movement. In accordance with this
advice, Marshal Bugeaud was appointed com
mander-in-chief of the troops present in Paris
as well as of the National Guard of that city,
and ordered forthwith to take measures for
curDfng the mutinous spirit eyinced by the
Pasis;ana -
The secret political societies continued. mean.
while, actively engaged in organizing their
forces and tanning the flames of insurrection.
About ten o'clock at night, several columns OF
resoiute Republicans were directing their march
towards the Offices of the National" and the
" Reforme," where M. Marrast and other Jour
naiists addressed them, and, without exciting
them TO any direct act of violence, neyerthe.
less advised them not to desist from the move.
ment IN which they were engaged, until some
really important concessions had been extorted
from the King.
small body of workmen, armed with swords
and pixies, after having listened to these
speeches, directed their course through " la rue
de Choiseut," towards the palace of the Minis.
ter for Foreign Affairs, in the front of which
was stationed q detachment of infantry, in or.
der to protect it and its inhabitants from any
attempt at violence on the part of the adverse.
ries OF the Government and enemies of M.
Guizot. The Republicans, who had torches in
their hands illuminating a red banner which
was carried before them, stopped as soon as
they perceived the soldiers, headed by their
leader, in battle array.
But the horse of the officer, frightened by
the waving flag and the flames of the torches,
rose on his hind legs, and, throwing himself
backwards, caused some confusion among the
soldiers; and just at that moment a shot was
fired, but whether by accident or on purpose of
doing harm, remains uncertain. Still, this shot
might be counted as the immediate cause of
the revolution; because the soldiers, believing
their leader or themselves aimed at, discharged
instantly their muskets upon their presumed
assailants, killing several of them. The deci.
mated Republicans dispersed and fed rapidly,
supposing themselves pursued by the soldiers ;
but these, as we'll as their commander, we're,
on the contrary, almost despairing with sorrow
at what had taken place. An attempt was
made, though in vain, to explain the cause
which had prompted the soldiers to commit this
rash act; but the minds of the multitude not
being in disposition calmly to listen to the
voice of truth, this unhappy accident was look
ed upon as a treacherous and cool-blooded
slaughter of good patriots. The dead bodies,
placed on wagons, were carried round and ex-
posed, in the most disgusting manner, to the
their luminosity toward the Ministers and the
King himself, as the alleged instigators of this
sanguinary deed. The furies of vengeance be-
ing thus let loose, the city became the theatre
of violence and bloodshed, and an end put to
the hope of peaceful solution of the political
question which agitated the Parisians.
The King had meanwhile, after q severe in.
dlslhCnuatI1u v.,eJL-~I- "a .nnoanuence of tha
Cabinet, to send for M. Theirs, whom he view,
ed, and not without reason, as personal though
not irreconcilable enemy. 1t was about ten
o'clock at night when NJ. Theirs received the
call from the King, which he instantly obeyed.
On his arrival at the 7hileries, NJ. Guizot was
yet with Louis Philippe, whose apartment he
left inst at the very moment when his rival was
about to enter it. With all his innate pride,
M. Guizot must certainly then have felt some
humiliation, while a less vain man than M.
Theirs might have felt his selfesteem increas'
ed at the triumph achieved at last over so for.
midsble an adversary. The meeting between
the King himself and his former Prime Minis.
ter, whom he had treated so badly in 1910, can
not but have been very painful to the royal
Gall L. .r.,, xuh.oh ha bod c,QE
ed was, in this moment of victory, forgotten by
M. Theirs, and he accepted the commission Of
forming new Ministry, on the condition of M.
Odillon Barrot being admitted as a member of
it. Even this was acceded to by the distressed
King.
M. Theirs seemed to have felt quite conf
dent that the agitated minds of the people would
be Gained, and order restored, as soon as 1t be-
came known that he and M. Barrot had been
appointed Ministers of the Crown. But the
movement had already proceeded so far as to
have fallen under the direction of the most ar
dent Republicans, of the Communists, of the
Socialists and of the foreign refugees, over
whom neither he nor M. Barrot exercised any
control.
But acting under this mistaken idea, and per-
haps doubling the sincerity of the King, and no
doubt anxious to prevent any unnecessary blood
shed, he persuaded the King, or approved his
suggestion, to countermand the orders issued to
Marshal Bugeaud, and to enjoin him to stop
the aggressive movements of the troops, which
were henceforth to act only defensive part. 1t
being generally admitted that the throne OF
Louis Philippe would have remained erect, had
the experienced Marshal been allowed to exc
cute the movement in which he was engaged,
when receiving the counter orders of the King.
M. Theirs has been the object of much obloquy,
and even been accused of premeditated treach-
cry. But while there is every reason to reject
this accusation as altogether unfounded, it can
not be denied that he committed an error OF
Judgment, which was, however, more excusable,
than had he been advising an attack upon the
people, which must have resulted in the sacri-
fee of thousands of human lives, and which
might have proved unnecessary, and which, In
deed, under the present circumstances, the King
being originally the provoking party, could
scarcely have been considered justifahle at all.
it deserves to be noticed, that as soon as M.
Theirs had left the King, in order to consult
with the persons who were intended to constr
tute the new Cabinet, M. Guizot, who had mean
while been waiting, in some other part of the
palace, entered again the Kings apartment, and
remained there for about an hour. Nothing has
transpired with regard to the subject which con-
stituted the topic of conversation between the
King and him, but that it was something of
grave importance might be reasonably conjec-
tured. 1t has been said that M. Guizot was
urging the King not to desist from employing
force but there is no evidence that this was the
case. Still, it is certain that NJ. Guizot showed
neither regret with the course which he had
been pursuing, and which had provoked the dis
pleasure and anger of the people, nor any wish
to desist from the attempt at enforcing obedi-
ence and order by the means of the bayonets.
The result of the withdrawal of the orders which,
upon his urgent request, had been issued to
Marshal Bugeaud, might indeed give M. Guizot
good reason to maintain that had his last