, 1869-05-02
A DECEMBER NIGHT.
i ~rcrct Pugc from the History OF thc
Comp d,Etnts

COup d'EfNfs
Translated tr Tie Csntinn1t: co::rtrtsl ffo:. En-
efHe t'r1s,s :. Inr1s iii Lxct,aitr, fsat.
The couspi11tcrs had resolved u commit the
rp4p I'tt1t On TIC II Of December, The anniversary
fere sncle Id eeea he nssa reception m Il he
Eysee, Louis Napolcon,s residence; but
wien the guests took their leave Al II O'Clock,
Moc1ra1t, Snpo:een $ conataets, -cna.oed win
e!ra- Tnc wEo.c Plot was cnec Eorc discussed,
Ard ~ Necessary ~ nssaEseaentaa q xeFe E. eonp'sse:l
tTtcd and won; TIC commander OF the Natsonat
GS.:t Ct PARIS nnoteEt memter q the coasPlv-
ro! sEo1!d not &c hea:sp, and that no National
GIa7lsGen ehocld appesr II their uniforms IL
nc s,srsss II: z o:ds1 :sas Ii: plot nsSat be,
tc carried l1to cycc-.iea Eithoat taets
te.ES discovered By tic pcc7te Of the c1Hl:aL To
ne ra'ass o1 r. ao1 a 70
tic National prtatinc Uace thc ce::cts aEd rro-
ssc 6:eas et Z ,say % On TIC following mo5.s-saea
were the three tasks Of this Momcatous night Of
tic 1st to TIC I'd OF December 1851, L which Louis
throne. -.
i ~ whole bundle or e paper tsas was sent
ttat some pressing night wo:k awaited them. The
"copyss was cut 50 a. TO prevent the tyle-7cttess
from asefanins he meaning % 81 tas5 !, t,R RIeees i
ton, they manifested . certain a.st5ust, and
that some ct them even refused to perform the
eSe5ed eosdi' eaad remane eaen e' " then. eass
watched BY two policemen, until everything
was N rcattness The company Of sea;:a.Ees.
once, was commanded y ca7taia Deiarouche
l'OisJ. Ills instructions were simply Is follows:
"Shoot down all who attempt to ieare The b1ild-
Was very plain, lut witkal vcr5 necessary. Th=
struck On. were carried 70 tic ro'.cc Prefecture
En$nf r., 49, Vty7x Mn tfrtJk
ttnlrei policemen an4 all pubic Detectives hal
Lien crletcd to assemble at tie rol1c. pEettstaIe
nj IL O'Clock p. IL on the 1st OF DGStnees, rsEtt1
London TO Parts. At hait-past . on the
enieers and ,he iorty Police Commissioners
Prefecture. At half past al ha arrived. and ha,
been scattered In small groups IN atton5 ro2r15
so Is to avoid unpleasant qussaanng on thsE
Scenltd, enc by one. 10 tic room Of the PTefecs,
Nho told tnera the whole truth, and save them al
Necessary hints, or1ers and Instructions Tue men
| who were TO perform this peculiar taak were
Eickej out with the utmost calc, and al LEFT the
Prefecture full ot at,lor and 1ca and with the de-
i te7mtnaticn to 90 Their dnt5 A. any cost Not
n single one Of them left his premise l71e-
I deemed. ~.
One Of the most dlincul, neasures WAS the occu-
patton o. !he ra.aec q the Sal9nd Is AsssE5ly.
scccll Regiment OF the tine, took the task up0r
, h;u.se!l. 4 battalion Of his regiment had been
.o.ue.su " tnounL saas'. n aus pu..ant VI rae
commander Of the battalion was not Initiated inrn
The plot; he received bis ins;rEctions 2s usual,
l!on L,epteuaat So'oaea n.1L to"atu Gainsa. ,sa
| with Lieutenant EoluEcl Mol, withdrew 10 bis
! rooms, not. however. ~ltnou1 nasilK PREVIOUSLY
ee pos sna
ts nss had been placed a. 5ne poInss 1ssgna'ed ln
nss i9l!uef esIe!a ~ c:oss = e. tns eotn. r.
Esahdef o. tne Eaiia!ta en- Etas't on malins NJ;
i iIo tas SoA6 ou. Iue Sattaln "no vas acsllH Is
tiTt Auiutanl, nau been e.n.cI oaL Of the palace
r. n IT. nl n ~ n'i,s ~
GANG 11easJ auo tElea 10 lSaea tEe tohaEacue!-
Miner. nnt nc VIZ unae!e 70 Iuu E.s rpoms
ssa, Mnt a1ieant @ na m wa
ssna s .oWasu e!as1 ~ I'c nolIus s ny Hnuet- H
tooh aSn 20 nas L'eusshant n IooGsl S1Ss; aS
~ ,ects rntch r., IN ~ hi,, I'm arnrhansJons
1he Ieuses:aat co.onel roc IN she ntnost hurry.
.eS Z m.s W y;,a-, nnc,"n ~ ~ cni,na
Is,t,tsc ~ To1, I.sa,,,nrt n ,,c fnr ,ir
"a Esglas;ss ;ss "a s':say
h rs SG!sM =, mo b.,,a.,on ., ar rer
tts ~ reicIe, x the hcad y, NJ tII,c.s NJ 4
~ rG;fe- rt3 asnr n me nf,ca, an,Ttrnrnt7 ~
tne Trrs.,ent NJ tsc Assembly. Tic hastcue1I tc
11cc1 nm, nv, e,rla,n"a q f,ninnel vsS,t .tn rn,
ir,Hrd u.oI ~ 10 h.,s.I ~''D''' 1As Nv 'oo
HTete eumnia1.,, no ca,,y cut the o,,,crs of ,he
pr4nec,,. '' s1S
"oh, ~, coloEel yon d.shoaor ne" So SAYING.
.ae p9oie olees l1fc oT NJ epauletses, b1okc Ms
Colonel Esplnas*s bad him 1emes Cd BY his s1sn: :,
IteIs, Saoseu g IeIsGeMan tae eess!Gs o. tac
GM1sm NJ ~ t,. snUm n,t1 ~ .nE W anu gGiSy r.
lnt pa!asG. Leu'euan' SCsoGSi sNot ~ oaa uot ~
sItS3 uesaso' tue9 'ueAsu ~ N49 s"o1a as1o
u. Ene o,,, ~. .o
! W. kooa ZOE 5ou ~ ttlAo nc sald 70
n1onta snah aIn ESltps IsF Aaoaio nave run II
'nIHugn !o1. sts oe}s
rht, ~ III st.ss, r,o, ,no r,,,,. =, ~, a.,
! MIAs ILlN a!taCA uIua tnc Fat1ce o. tac Nh
uoaA aas Hssenp9 t9 nas utnS .ns, Me u.nes a,sesIA
~ snHn n.t uuen VET eaEtasu WIN
,1 a ~ e, nT ,s, seS s5ai. uot ncpe Ing ue
eS " ~ -. .as ss.n steAse uS@4 III sooue
1caSnoiaSs9 T; .. so ~ ene sI ano.nel:
| ING MieeS o1 SeLeiai AnaEs1Inef, VINO WAS
H. aeameot o. the ANN ~ I'm On a os
oHI!E 10 w "en' % AnuMu .uttsp.o1sl, Vas connll'
rlEu tns Ioss nuaI1nnt 2, NJ IoEee ~
publican Gaard we're oF.ered to eaect ns appre-
Lens1ns pow =! tAeu WG1e auuAclous FecEts8
teHoHsI.ne Eei5 Een capable o. ca,IJlas such an
I 9nueftaEne mo eHece Iney ING taken WITH them
fesn Eicsea policemen anL fofsy soliIers Of ne
fcpooHcan t'natu General lhanFasnler hal
setn on a!s sGanl for Ions time, bus he now no
thenna' Snmmunicas,ons % 81 Earlier. ne eI.rn. I.
irct o. Police, fsli nal CONVINCED him
1oned '.'-..
aMer ans % SoeS , a ~ dnes 81 ne Gens1ass sesi
| ~ she noitreman Eaz n.,,ssf1v wt+t nv, ths
COMMISSIONS. md his men forced their way into
| Ee no4ss " Wy u E19sely sure 9ccapl nE
PAT o, INC E1opno IeGr: % Ins R9stss hsa aafmsa s
tne nonse, hnt tne noncenen Wefe alrsaay On tas
| T. islt ~ VIA Na5 Sene.A NsNhat, Wuo neiu Ses
Gg tGe aes 70 CnanEa5nlsIs M 1a apsIt1snA Is The
s h.a, oi@ns ~ =, NJ she aoos. tne n@sas1H @ n
band they poanee upon u On hun Ind a,sasa hun. "A.
iex moments sitsr*s,a y. u he - 30 seea dsaE@e into
cot II Of mounten M Eeruhic.n " Gna5is VIII al Is
The e ,ase 1n arrst ths ii,Ssfanns ceo,,,, r.,
nd NM vnc 81 -. e oss IN nopsss 1n n
accd tha Fre,eh s1T,61. nlta.s 1ra ,ss S'sS
Seen tnrIused to pnec CommIssioner Mn1u,r mi
wso n.ens ths 49, .MsrsS ~ .,.u !,
.ette me ss,ptsrv ~ ~ ps,dt ~ ~ ;ht ~ =
t,onss 1ssemLi1 and Feni r. ~ toTaTa Re,esu:a "a ed
TN n o1,;er - M ,nn.,nncn n T1s.s" ~
tsn1m,ss,one1 ~ fo1io4ed IN not ns.se n, h.s
heeIs, III nre ~ ssr no,,ren7en ~ nenet1.tc5
m n Ihe bets,oc NJ ms e;ene1, r1ho hod
ha,,ily been aroused frpm bis sieep, and. shouted
| - MIN
II am Police Commissioner, and come to n
| reg. you" -. :,
am rrnrrsrn1aitye al he neonIe: the oonsttu-
lion protects &c: you c.nno1 arrest ne; by 50 DO
ing YOU would commit crime -
s,ref, you. ana DO not Know Int yuu NAV haye
becn catFnt IN the nrt Of committing some
% aYes. IN the c.tmo Of s,cen,np. bn. n,,v rive
me tnnr nnmcs, - '4S Pta5 sne
~ nm Po1iee Commissions, unhuc,t Wv
uY0u1 name ia not nnsnorn r. NJ =: I. h..
Yaatet3v h1en honnrah1y 1nentsoned. ~, 10 4,nnrh
ssTnn s,e an nf1rrr Il "a ynnr nt1 to ~ 49, -.
tereet cf the fsT. and rnt to ytc,afe Il ~ e -.
re tvnnSi ~ - er411ne H :; " 3oas1
IInau!t knta ieau We cuGs 70 af1est tae Gen.
s!a pedssn asa y gt M aa as,e Maeo Gen
s-. 49,. ~. ."tI.l s.a'eu aooot coo-
ffnhan,, tn ~, Sis "a ne ln.sso
reYrscd 10 do "a and ralfesi rnon ,1e Genses; =,
rsss Nnd not Ia of1er any msisfanGa sT,iInn ,e ~
Eot,,s ~ nsre snf1c5est f61Tn uttS ~ 1as = LIE
sHad intended Is oaeT:any res.ssareer rsn1,a,,