The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to England. volume 5 (of 6): Mémoires d'outre-tombe volume 5Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de
History
The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to England. volume 5 (of 6): Mémoires d'outre-tombe volume 5
Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de
Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de, 1768-1848
Lastly appeared an address to Messieurs the members of the Municipal
Commission forming a provisional government; it demanded:
"That no proclamation be issued naming a ruler, so long as the
form itself of the government can not yet be decided; that the
Provisional Government remain in power until the wish of the
majority of Frenchmen be known, any other measure being ill-timed
and culpable."
This address, emanating from the members of a commission appointed by
a large number of citizens of different wards in Paris, was signed
by Messieurs Chevalier[264], as chairman, Trélat[265], Teste[266],
Lepelletier, Guinard[267], Hingray[268], Cauchois-Lemaire[269], etc.
In this popular assembly, they proposed to offer the Presidency of
the Republic by acclamation to M. de La Fayette; they relied upon
the principles which the Chamber of Representatives of 1815 had
proclaimed, when separating. Various printers refused to publish these
proclamations, saying that they had been forbidden to do so by M. le
Duc de Broglie. The Republic was casting the throne of Charles X. to
the ground, and it feared the prohibitions of M. de Broglie, who had no
character of any kind.
[Sidenote: The Orleanist party.]
I have told you how, during the night between the 29th and 30th of
July, M. Laffitte, with M. Thiers and M. Mignet, had made every
preparation to draw the eyes of the public on M. le Duc d'Orléans. On
the 30th appeared proclamations and addresses, the fruit of this cabal,
with "Let us avoid the Republic" for their burden. Next came the feats
of arms of Jemmapes[270] and Valmy[271], and the people was assured
that M. le Duc d'Orléans was not a Capet, but a Valois[272].
And meanwhile M. Thiers, sent by M. Laffitte, was ambling towards
Neuilly with M. Scheffer[273]: H.R.H. was not there. Great wordy
contests between Mademoiselle d'Orléans[274] and M. Thiers: it was
agreed that they should write to M. le Duc d'Orléans to persuade him
to rally to the Revolution. M. Thiers himself wrote a note to the
Prince, and Madame Adélaïde promised to precede her family to Paris.
Orleanism had made progress and, on the evening, of that same day, the
question had been raised among the Deputies of conferring the powers of
Lieutenant-general on M. le Duc d'Orléans.
M. de Sussy, with the Saint-Cloud Ordinances, had met with an even more
indifferent reception at the Hôtel de Ville than in the Chamber of
Deputies. Armed with a "receipt" from M. de La Fayette, he returned to
M. de Mortemart, who exclaimed:
"You have done more than save my life; you have saved my honour."
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account