Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 393, July 1848Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 393, July 1848
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
In this state of France, with the feeling of impatient jealousy
and irritation against tyranny and despotism expressed by the
departments towards the capital, with the evident disunion between
the provinces and Paris, what are likely to be the destinies of
the Republic hereafter? Again it must be said--who can tell,
who foresee, who predict? The Republic has been accepted, and
is maintained, from a love of order and the _status quo_: but
there is no enthusiasm, no admiration for the republican form of
government throughout the country at large; there is, at most,
indifference to any government, whatever it may be, provided it but
insure the stability and prosperity of the country. If an opinion
may be hazarded, however, it is, that the danger to the present
established form of things will not arise so much from the conflict
of contending parties in the capital, as from the discontent,
disaffection, jealousy, and, perhaps, final outbreak and resistance
of the departments. Terrorism has had its day; and it would be
difficult, if not impossible, to apply the system once again to the
country in its present state. What other means will the violent
possess--what coercive measures, if, when parties come to an issue,
the wearied and disgusted country should rise to protest against the
disorders of Republican Paris? There seem at present to be none. The
result of such an outbreak would be inevitable civil war. The strong
instance before alluded to, of the determination of the departments
to assert a will of their own, was given in a very striking
manner in the affair of the 15th May. One of the conspirators got
possession of the electric telegraph at the Home Office, and sent
down despatches into all the provinces, to inform the country
that the Assembly was dissolved, and the new government of the
ultra-anarchist party had taken the reins of power. Instead of being
awed into submission as heretofore, instead of calmly and resignedly
accepting the _fait accompli_ as was their wont, the departments
immediately rose to protest against the new revolution of Paris.
Before a counter-despatch could be sent down into the provinces,
to let them know that the former order of things was restored, the
national guards of all the great towns were up and out, with the cry
"to arms!" and it was resolved to march upon Paris. It was not only
in the towns within a day's journey of the capital that the movement
was spontaneously made. In the furthest parts of the country, from
the cities of Avignon, Marseilles, Nismes, and all the south of
France, the national guards were already on their way towards the
capital, before the information that declared the more satisfactory
result of the day could be made public. It is more than probable,
then, that, should a desperate faction ever seize upon the power, or
even should a close conflict of parties further endanger the safety
of the country and its tottering welfare, that the provinces would
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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