The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 06: Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes
General
The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 06: Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes
German literature -- 19th century -- Translations into English; German literature -- 20th century -- Translations into English
"Pity on Louis Philippe!" replied the _Tribune_. "This man asks
for fifteen millions and our pity! Did he have pity on Italy, on
Poland?"--_et cetera_.
I saw a few days ago the young orphan of Menotti, who was hanged in
Modena. Nor is it long since I saw Señora Luisa de Torrijos, a poor
deathly-pale lady, who quickly returned to Paris when she learned on the
Spanish frontier the news of the execution of her husband and of his
fifty-two companions in misfortune. Ah! I really pity Louis Philippe.
_La Tribune_, the organ of the openly declared Republican party, is
pitiless as regards its royal enemy, and every day preaches the
Republic. The _National_, the most reckless and independent journal in
France, has recently chimed in to the same air in a most surprising
manner. And terrible as an echo from the bloodiest days of the
Convention sounded the speeches of those chiefs of the _Société des Amis
du Peuple_ who were placed last week before the court of assizes,
"accused of having conspired against the existing Government in order to
overthrow it and establish a republic." They were acquitted by the jury,
because they proved that they had in no way conspired, but had simply
uttered their convictions publicly. "Yes, we desire the overthrow of
this feeble Government, we wish for a republic." Such was the refrain of
all their speeches before the tribunal.
While on one side the serious Republicans draw the sword and growl with
words of thunder, the _Figaro_ flashes lightning, and laughs and swings
its light lash most effectually. It is inexhaustible in clever sayings
as to "the best republic," a phrase with which poor Lafayette is mocked,
because he, as is well known, once embraced Louis Philippe before the
Hôtel de Ville and cried, "Vous êtes la meilleure république!" The _Figaro_
recently remarked that we of course now require no republic, since we
have seen the best. And it also said as cruelly, in reference to the
debates on the civil list, that "_la meilleure république coute quinze
millions_." The Republican party will never forgive Lafayette his blunder
in advocating a king. They reproach him with this, that he had known
Louis Philippe long enough to be aware beforehand what was to be expected
of him. Lafayette is now ill--_malade de chagrin_--heart-sick. All! the
greatest heart of two worlds must feel bitterly the royal deception. It
was all in vain that he in the very beginning continually insisted on the
_Programme de l'Hôtel de Ville_, on the republican institutions with
which the monarchy should be surrounded, and on similar promises. But he
was out-cried by the _doctrinaire_ gossips and chatterers, who proved
from the English history of 1688 that people in Paris in July, 1830, had
fought simply to maintain the Charter, and that all their sacrifices and
struggles had no other object than to replace the elder line of the
Bourbons by the younger, just as all was finished in England by putting
the House of Orange in place of the Stuarts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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