“In a few days when his wounds had somewhat healed he left for Bordeaux. There the Assembly had already held its first meeting. Its initial act had been to nominate Thiers President of the Republic, or, to be more exact, _chef du pouvoir executif de la République Française_. In spite of his three-and-seventy years _le petit bourgeois_ was still in the perfection of health and vigour. He could still say to the friends who gathered round him: _C’est nous qui sommes encore les jeunes aujourd’hui_.” Chateaubriand used to call Thiers the “heir of the future” (_l’héritier de l’avenir_). That future had now arrived. During his retirement from public affairs in the early days of the Empire it had been prophesied of him that only a great national disaster would draw him from his obscurity. Now that the disaster had occurred, everyone turned to _le petit grand homme_ as the only man in France capable of confronting Bismarck and facing all the growing difficulties of an almost desperate situation. It was to those difficulties that the third Republic owed its proclamation. For at first sight it seems incredible that an assembly in which monarchists had a substantial majority should decree a Republic. But neither legitimists nor Orleanists desired to assume the terrible responsibilities which would obviously devolve on the new ministers: to restore the monarchy under such circumstances, when the new king’s first act would be to sign the dismemberment of France, would be to discredit for ever the monarchical _régime_. Thiers, though holding himself aloof from all parties and adopting no label save one, “_La France_,” was said to have Orleanist leanings. That is probable. Nevertheless, he realised that only a republic was feasible, because, as he said, “it is the form of government which divides us least.”[224]