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
We reproduce this Proclamation exactly, even to the punctuation. The
words "Will be shot" were in capital letters in the placards signed "De
Saint-Arnaud."
The Boulevards were thronged with an excited crowd. The agitation
increasing in the centre reached three Arrondissements, the 6th, 7th,
and the 12th. The district of the schools began to disorderly. The
Students of Law and of Medicine cheered De Flotte on the Place de
Panthéon. Madier de Montjau, ardent and eloquent, went through and
aroused Belleville. The troops, growing more numerous every moment,
took possession of all the strategical points of Paris.
At one o'clock, a young man was brought to us by the legal adviser of
the Workmen's Societies, the ex-Constituent Leblond, at whose house the
Committee had deliberated that morning. We were sitting in permanence,
Carnot, Jules Favre, Michel de Bourges, and myself. This young man, who
had an earnest mode of speaking and an intelligent countenance, was
named King. He had been sent to us by the Committee of the Workmen's
Society, from whom he was delegated. "The Workmen's Societies," he said
to us, "place themselves at the disposal of the Committee of Legal
Insurrection appointed by the Left. They can throw into the struggle
five or six thousand resolute men. They will manufacture powder; as for
guns, they will be found." The Workmen's Society requested from us an
order to fight signed by us. Jules Favre took a pen and wrote,--"The
undersigned Representatives authorize Citizen King and his friends to
defend with them, and with arms in their hands, Universal Suffrage, the
Republic, the Laws." He dated it, and we all four signed it. "That is
enough," said the delegate to us, "you will hear of us."
Two hours afterwards it was reported to us that the conflict had begun.
They were fighting in the Rue Aumaire.
[10] A typographical error--it should read "Article LXVIII." On the
subject of this placard the author of this book received the following
letter. It does honor to those who wrote it:--
"CITIZEN VICTOR HUGO,--We know that you have made an appeal to arms. We
have not been able to obtain it. We replace it by these bills which we
sign with your name. You will not disown us. When France is in danger
your name belongs to all; your name is a Public Power.
"FELIX BONY.
"DABAT."
CHAPTER V.
BAUDINS'S CORPSE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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