The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-21
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.
The Last Days of the French Assembly
Louis NapoIeon's Coup D'Etat.

The Last Days of the French Assembly
Louis NapoIeon's Coup D'Etat.
Narrative of Colonel l. Espinasse.
'On the 30th of November the Minister of
War, st. Arnaud, sent for me and said:
Colonel, we find ourselves in most critical
situation. The Assembly shows itself more
and more hostile to the President If il is
allowed to continue in its course the conspir-
acy it has fostered, the first act of which was
the proposition of the Questors to give con-
troll of the military to the President of the
Assembly, will before long, burst upon us.
The projects of the conspiracy no
longer secret. They wish to imprison the
President at Vincennes and take possession
of the government Civil war stares MS in the
face. The army will be dismembered. pulled
apart by factions, who, the day after their
victory, will disagree To conclude, we
would have the Social Republic Reign
OF Terror worse than that of 1893, the ruin
and disgrace of the country. The President
wishes to prevent such state OF affairs, and,
in order to do so, has determined to dissolve
the Assembly, to arrest the principal leaders,
and to appeal for the approval of his acts to
the whole nation. have counted on you
and the energy know you to possess for the
execution of the measures rendered necessary
by this salutary coup d'etat Am l de-
ceivedf'
81 replied that the President could count
upon me-"
1t is scarcely likely that a rough soldier
like St. Armand made such long speech to
the Colonel. What he really said was proba-
bly, more like this: 1.-The President is about
to clean ont those idiots of the Assembly.
Under Bonaparte the army will receive its
due. Take hand in it and you will become
Grand Cross of the Legion and General of
division"
II then" continued L'Espinasse received
a card giving me admission to all parts of the
Palace of the Assembly. l took advantage
of it to reconnoiter the position. Having
discovered its weak point and made my ar
engagements accordingly, returned to the
Minister and told him that success was GER
tain. The order was not long in coming.
On the night OF Dec. 1 | was awakened by
three commissaries of police, each bearing a
letter. The letters contained warrants for
the arrest of the Questors. l was ordered to
take possession of the Palace of the Assem-
bly,, and TO deliver letter from the Prince to
President Dupn.
1.-THE three commissaries of police were
rather agitated at first in view of the gravity
of the act, but the firm words | addressed to
them restored their courage; besides, they saw
by the expression of my face how determined
L was.
cat 2:30 in the morning my regiment
quietly marched out of its barracks at the
'Ecole Militaire.' Two hundred men sur
rounded the buildings of the Legislative
1dldCe. 1A6lT OTuGTS vert HOb W dllOW any
one to leave it. For my part, l went with a
strong detachment to the little wicket gate
and asked to speak with the officer OF the
guard and the major in command at the
palace The two officers, surprised at seeing
me there at such an hour, were at once ar
rested and placed in room with sentry at
the door. Master of the palace, preceded
to the arrest of the three Questors, Baze,
General Leflo and De Planat.
"BaZe aired his eloquence before my men.
They only laughed at him.
General Leflo, in full uniform, attempted
to harangue the soldiers, to protest in the
name of the rights of the Assembly. l did
not permit him to continue, and, while
treating him with all due respect, gave him
to understand that as a soldier in the dis
charge of duty, l could not allow an appeal
from the orders l was executing to the men
who accompanied me.
II made a sign to my soldiers they led him
away.
"The Questors were safe. i now went to
NJ. Dupin and handed him the letter from
the Prince. Its contents explained the neces-
sitv of the coup 'etat. 1t guaranteed him his
liberty but advised him to pass the first
moments quietly in his seat at the National
Assembly like that better was Dupins
answer. He remained.
Everything was going splendidly. Day
was breaking, so | reunited to my corps the
troops destined to surround the Assembly,
and who till then, ignored the nature of
their mission. / said to them: Soldiers! a
plot has been laid by several members OF the
Assembly. It's object was to send the nephew
of the Emperor Napoleon to Vincennes.
Would you rather be commanded by pekins
(citizen duffers) than by the nephew of the
Emperor
"rhe troops answered as one man: Long
live Louis Napoleonp
THE game seemed in our hands, but as
there might be rising in Paris oran attempt
to attack the Assembly, | neglected no pre-
cautions. A considerable number OF the en-
ployes families were lodged in the servants
quarter of the palace. l had to allow them
to come and go. About six deputies profited
by this to assemble in their hall and dcuss
measures for deposing he Prince
"When | heard what was going on at once
ordered a major of the gendarmerie mobile
to expel this attempt at a sitting from the
hall. He was greeted with cries and groans.
/ thought at one time that he would be killed,
Finally he had to beat retreat. | entered
the hall at the head of my grenadiers. l was
received with shouts. The deputies present
began TO scuffie with my men. Wishing to
avoid scandal, | pro6ted by moment of
silence and said Gentlemen, in the name of
your own dignity, cease your opposition to
the execution of my orders, and do not place
me under the necessity of making use OF the
force at my command
"Yells, cries and imprecations drowned my
voice. | could not allow such a scene to con-
tinue Some of the most violent seized my
gendarmes by their belts. l gave the
order in a voice that overpowered the din:
'Gendarmes, remove these gentlemen
The order was executed, but not without
difficulty. The gendarmes carried the depu-
ties out like SO many parcels. Some, COM
pletely maddened, chung to their benches.
That made the gendarmes say: These chaps
must think good deal of their twenty-five
francs One, wilder than the rest insisted
on being struck. He was so persistent that
finally the gendarme, saying, so that is your
last word, is it? knocked him down. He was
then carried out, perfectly delighted.
The palace cleared, l posted my details,
thinking that nothing else remained Tor me
to do when l received word that the IDENTITIES