Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (Vol. 1)Trollope, Frances Milton
History
Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (Vol. 1)
Trollope, Frances Milton
Paris (France) -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
We have really had something very like a panic amongst us, from the
rumours in circulation respecting this terrible trial, which is now
rapidly approaching. Many people think that fearful scenes may be
expected to take place in Paris when it begins.
The newspapers of all parties are so full of the subject, that there
is little else to be found in them; and all those, of whatever colour,
which are opposed to the government, describe the manner in which the
proceedings are to be managed, as the most tyrannical exercise of
power ever practised in modern Europe.
The legitimate royalists declare it to be illegal, inasmuch as the
culprits have a right to be tried by a jury of their peers--the
citizens of France; whereas it appears that this their chartered right
is denied them, and that no other judge or jury is to be permitted in
their case than the peers of France.
Whether this accusation will be satisfactorily answered, I know not;
but there certainly does appear to be something rather plausible, at
least, in the objection. Nevertheless, it is not very difficult to see
that the 28th Article of the Charter may be made to answer it, which
says,--
"The Chamber of Peers takes cognizance of high-treason, and
of attempts against the safety of the state, _which shall be
defined by law_."
Now, though this _defining by law_ appears, by what I can learn, to be
an operation not yet quite completed, there seems to be something so
very like high-treason in some of the offences for which these
prisoners are to be tried, that the first clause of the article may do
indifferently well to cover it.
The republican journals, pamphlets, and publications of all sorts,
however, treat the whole business of their detention and trial as the
most tremendous infringement of the newly-acquired rights of Young
France; and they say--nay, they do swear, that crowned king, created
peers, and placed ministers never dared to venture upon anything so
tyrannical as this.
All that the unfortunate Louis Seize ever did, or suffered to be
done--all that the banished Charles Dix ever threatened to do--never
"roared so loud, and thundered in the index," as does this deed
without a name about to be perpetrated by King Louis-Philippe the
First.
At last, however, the horrible thing has been christened, and PROCÈS
MONSTRE is its name. This is a happy device, and will save a world of
words. Before it received this expressive appellation, every paragraph
concerning it began by a roundabout specification of the horrific
business they were about to speak of; but since this lucky name has
been hit upon, all prefatory eloquence is become unnecessary: _Procès
Monstre!_ simply _Procès Monstre!_ expresses all it could say in two
words; and whatever follows may safely become matter of news and
narrative respecting it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account