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
Little by little the sitting, at first disorderly and tumultuous, had
assumed an ordinary aspect. The uproar had relapsed into a murmur. The
voice of the usher, crying "Silence, gentlemen," had succeeded in
overcoming the hubbub. Every moment fresh Representatives came in, and
hastened to sign the decree of deposition at the "bureau." As there was
a great crowd round the "bureau" waiting to sign, a dozen loose sheets
of paper to which the Representatives affixed their signatures were
circulated in the great Hall and the two adjoining rooms.
The first to sign the decree of deposition was M. Dufaure, the last was
M. Betting de Lancastel. Of the two Presidents, one, M. Benoist d'Azy,
was addressing the Assembly; the other, M. Vitet, pale, but calm and
resolute, distributed instructions and orders. M. Benoist d'Azy
maintained a decorous countenance, but a certain hesitation in his
speech revealed an inner agitation. Divisions, even in the Right, had not
disappeared at this critical moment. A Legitimist member was overheard
saying in a low voice, while speaking of one of the Vice-Presidents,
"This great Vitet looks like a whited sepulchre." Vitet was an Orleanist.
Given this adventurer with whom they had to deal, this Louis Bonaparte,
capable of everything, the hour and the man being wrapt in mystery, some
Legitimist personages of a candid mind were seriously but comically
frightened. The Marquis of ----, who acted the fly on the coach-wheel
to the Right, went hither and thither, harangued, shouted, declaimed,
remonstrated, proclaimed, and trembled. Another, M. A---- N----,
perspiring, red-faced, out of breath, rushed about distractedly. "Where
is the guard? How many men are there? Who commands them? The officer!
send me the officer! Long live the Republic! National Guard, stand firm!
Long live the Republic!" All the Right shouted this cry. "You wish then
to kill it," said Esquiros. Some of them were dejected; Bourbousson
maintained the silence of a vanquished placeman. Another, the Viscount of
----, a relative of the Duke of Escars, was so alarmed that every moment
he adjourned to a corner of the courtyard. In the crowd which filled the
courtyard there was a _gamin_ of Paris, a child of Athens, who has since
become am elegant and charming poet, Albert Glatigny. Albert Glatigny
cried out to this frightened Viscount, "Hulloa there! Do you think that
_coups d'état_ are extinguished in the way Gulliver put out the fire?"
Oh, Laughter, how gloomy you are when attended with Tragedy!
The Orleanists were quieter, and maintained a more becoming attitude.
This arose from the fact that they ran greater danger.
Pascal Duprat replaced at the top of the decrees the words, "République
Française," which had been forgotten.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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