Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-08-05
poNApARre,s oppoRTuNlrY..


| 80 ntNtfAnIE OfFOHV UNITY.
How No Took Advantage Of ma Over
Throw Of the Constellation.
All night long, from tho 10 10 ~
BruinAire. q committee Of the Ancients
was In session, infinitely perfecting their
plans. Next morning at 7 the faithful
,..,,
cording to form, convened ms tho coun-
Gil. for the doubtful members had Ell
Their not been Summoned at all O had
received notice Of q later hour. As soon
a. q quorum was present, Cornet, a we'll
known butt for the wits, rose and de-
nouncod the terrible conspiracy which
was menacing them. Regnier then
moved that, according TO articles 102.
1903 and l04 Of the constitution, both
branches Of the Legislature should meet
next day at noon, and not before, in the
palace Of St. Cloud; that General Bona
parte should DO intrusted with the oxe-
cution Of their decree. and that to that
end he DO appointed commander of the
Paris garrison. Of their own special
guard aud Of the National guard; that
he therefore appear and take the oath,
and that these resolutions be duly COM
municated to tho directory, to the five
hundred, and also to tho public by
printed proclamation. The motion was
carried unanimously.
During these proceedings all the gen
erals present In Paris except Jourdan
and Augerenu, who had not been invit-
ed. but including the stanch republican
I4efebre, commander Of the garrison, had
gathered in and before Bonaparto's
house. They had been requested to come
in uniform in order to arrange for o re-
view. 1t was noticed that Bernadotte,
though present, was not in uniform. He
had so far yielded to the Establishments
OF his brother-in-law as to come. but de-
clared that he would obey only what
was at that moment the chief authority
in the state. Lefebre was in uniform,
but having met on tho way bodies of
troops moving without his orders, and
not being initiated, he was naturally
startled. But Bonaparte knew his man.
Would you, a supporter Of the re-
public, leave it to perish in the hands
Of these lawyersY" was his greeting.
...See, here is the sword / carried at the
Pyramids. ! give 1t to You as A mark of
my esteem and confidence.
LET us throw the lawyers into the
river, " came the expected answer.
A few moments later arrived the au- |
thoritative summons from the Ancients.
.Bonaparte stepped out on the porch and
road their proceedings aloud, by unit
ed impulse the officers fiourished their
swords in response. 1t was but an in
slant before they were mounted, and
with Bonaparte in front the cayalcade, |
headed by men either already famous or
destined to become so-Macdonald, Sc
Murat. Lannes. Andreossy, Ber-
thier and Lefebre-proceeded to the
council chamber. 1t needed but a hasty
glance. as they passed through the city,
20 see that preconcerted orders had al
.eady been carefully executed. The
roops were NIL under arms and at their
tations in commanding places through
mt the town. Arrived at the Tuileries.
he general and his glittering escort On
cred the chamber.
Citizen delegates, he said. "..the re-
'ublic was falling. You understood the
your cours has saved it. Woe
o them who cause disorder or disturb
noel With the help Of General Lefebre,
# General Berthier and my other breth-
EN- in arms I will arrest them. Let no
nan look for precedents in The past.
Nothing in history ia comparable to the
md Of the eighteenth century, nothing
% the present moment. Your wisdom
,assed this motion; our arms, will exc
ute it. We desire a republic founded in
rue liberty, in civil liberty, in, popular
representation. We are going to have it.
swear it In my pwp name and in that
4 my brethren In armsI', ave swear
tn was the antiphonal response OF the
generals. Some one indis-
reetly suggested that Bonaparte had
worn, but not the oath Of allegiance to
he constitution required by their pre-
ious action, but the president hurriedly
oil further proceedings ont Of
rider, the assembly having adjourned
its own act. Professor w. M.
'loane's Life Of Napoleon" in Century.