Europe -- Politics and government -- 1815-1848; France -- Foreign relations -- Great Britain
Legitimist historians and others, professing to write in a more
impartial spirit, have commented most adversely upon his conduct in
this, the supreme crisis of his eventful life. It must, however, be
admitted by everybody who studies the question with an open mind
that France was irrevocably resolved to expel the Bourbons. It has,
nevertheless, been contended that, had the Duc d'Orléans consented to
undertake the regency, no serious objections would have been made to
the enthronement of the Duc de Bordeaux,[7] in whose favour Charles
and the Dauphin had abdicated on August 2. Unfortunately, however,
it was notorious that this young prince was the pupil of the Jesuits,
and the prejudice against him, on that account, was unquestionably
very strong. Without doubt, had the plan been given a trial, it must
have speedily ended in disaster. In addition to the many and great
difficulties with which Louis Philippe was confronted, during the
whole course of his reign, he must, as Regent, have been perpetually
exposed to the suspicion of acting under the inspiration of the young
King's family, and that suspicion would quickly have proved fatal.
There were, therefore, but two alternatives, either a republic or
an Orleans monarchy. Seeing the dispositions of the continental
sovereigns and the condition of France in 1830, the proclamation of
a republic, if it had not entailed war, must certainly have produced
anarchy and brought untold misery upon the people. On the other hand,
the statutory monarchy, at the time when it was set up, had the
support of the best elements of the nation, and Louis Philippe, by
accepting the crown, can justly claim to have preserved France from
the imminent danger of civil and foreign war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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