The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-WitnessHugo, Victor
History
The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-Witness
Hugo, Victor
France -- History -- 1789-1900
They left the Salle Roysin in order, two by two, arm in arm. Fifteen or
twenty men of the people escorted them. They went before them, crying,
"Long live the Republic! To arms!"
Some children preceded and followed them, shouting, "Long live the
Mountain!"
The entrances of the closed shops were half opened. A few men appeared
at the doors, a few women showed themselves at the windows. Knots of
workmen going to their work watched them pass. They cried, "Long live
our Representatives! Long live the Republic!"
Sympathy was everywhere, but insurrection nowhere. The procession
gathered few adherents on the way.
A man who was leading a saddled horse joined them. They did not know
this man, nor whence this horse came. It seemed as if the man offered
his services to any one who wished to fly. Representative Dulac ordered
this man to be off.
In this manner they reached the guard-house of the Rue de Montrenil. At
their approach the sentry gave the alarm, and the soldiers came out of
the guard-house in disorder.
Schoelcher, calm, impassive, in ruffles and a white tie, clothed, as
usual, in black, buttoned to the neck in his tight frock coat, with the
intrepid and brotherly air of a Quaker, walked straight up to them.
"Comrades," he said to them, "we are the Representatives of the People,
and come in the name of the people to demand your arms for the defence
of the Constitution and of the Laws!"
The post allowed itself to be disarmed. The sergeant alone made any show
of resistance, but they said to him, "You are alone," and he yielded.
The Representatives distributed the guns and the cartridges to the
resolute band which surrounded them.
Some soldiers exclaimed, "Why do you take away our muskets! We would
fight for you and with you!"
The Representatives consulted whether they should accept this offer.
Schoelcher was inclined to do so. But one of them remarked that some
Mobile Guards had made the same overtures to the insurgents of June, and
had turned against the Insurrection the arms which the Insurrection had
left them.
The muskets therefore were not restored.
The disarming having been accomplished, the muskets were counted; there
were fifteen of them.
"We are a hundred and fifty," said Cournet, "we have not enough
muskets."
"Well, then," said Schoelcher, "where is there a post?"
"At the Lenoir Market."
"Let us disarm it."
With Schoelcher at their head and escorted by fifteen armed men the
Representatives proceeded to the Lenoir Market. The post of the Lenoir
Market allowed themselves to be disarmed even more willingly than the
post in the Rue de Montreuil. The soldiers turned themselves round so
that the cartridges might be taken from their pouches.
The muskets were immediately loaded.
"Now," exclaimed De Flotte, "we have thirty guns, let us look for a
street corner, and raise a barricade."
There were at that time about two hundred combatants.
They went up the Rue de Montreuil.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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