“But the Government, which has undertaken the task of delivering the contaminated soil of France from foreign hordes, should take care. In times like the present, and under the fearful conditions in which we find ourselves, it is not enough to be honest. It is also necessary to show energy, to keep a cool head, and not to allow one’s self to be drowned in a glass of water. Let the Cremieuxs, the Glais-Bizoins, and the Fourichons remember the manner in which the men of 1792 and ’93 acted! To-day we need a Danton, a Robespierre, the men of the Convention! Away with you, gentlemen! Make room for the Revolution! That alone can save us. Great crises demand great measures!” The fatherland disappears before the Republic! Resort to the great measures adopted by Danton and Robespierre! Behead every one who differs from us in religious and political affairs, and establish the guillotine as a permanent institution. Dismiss Generals Chanzy and Bourbaki, Faidherbe and Vinoy, Ducrot and Trochu, and appoint private soldiers in their place. That is the gospel preached by the son of a Prefect in the department of Doubs, an officer of Garibaldi’s General Staff. I wonder whether these proposals will commend themselves to many of the Versailles people when they see this letter in the _Moniteur_ one of these days? _Tuesday, December 13th._--In the morning wrote another article on the confession of faith of the cosmopolitan Republicans. The Chief’s health is somewhat better, only he feels very exhausted.... At lunch Bucher, Hatzfeldt, and Keudell declared in all seriousness that they thought the Chancellor would resign. It was jestingly suggested that he would be followed by a Ministry under Lasker, who would be “a kind of Ollivier,” and then half in joke, half in earnest, the possibility was discussed of our having for a Chancellor Delbrück,--“a very clever man, but no politician.” I regarded it as absolutely inconceivable that the Chief could ever be allowed to resign, even if he requested to be relieved from office. They thought, nevertheless, that it was possible. I said that in such circumstances they would be obliged to recall him in less than a month. Bucher questioned whether he would come back, and said positively that so far as he knew him, if the Count once retired he would never take office again. He enjoyed himself far too well at Varzin, free from business and worry of every kind. He liked best of all to be in the woods and fields. The Countess had once said to him: “Believe me, a turnip interests him (Bismarck) more than all your politics.” That statement, however, must not be too hastily accepted, and must be limited to a temporary state of feeling.