“Alas! your Prince Louis occupies himself too much with it. It is he, through Émile Thomas, who has made the national workshops fail.”
“Prince Louis could never occupy himself too much with the affairs of France, do you hear, little insurgent? He must save us by a good Empire, securely founded, and which must last, at least, until my death.”
XXXV
DARK DAYS FOR THE REPUBLIC
ONE of our schoolmates brought us the next day a clipping from a newspaper containing an article applauding the measures taken by the Government after the following facts had occurred.
Under the threat, voted by the National Assembly, of an immediate disbanding, the workmen had sent delegates to the Luxembourg, who had begged Monsieur Marie, a man high in the Government, to delay the Assembly’s decision.
Monsieur Marie had answered, so said the newspaper, “as a Cæsar might have done”:
“If the workmen will not leave, we will make them do so by force; do you understand?”
That night armed bands had gone through the streets of Paris, singing: “On n’part pas! on n’part pas!” to the tune of the Lampions. Groups of workmen had been heard to say: “We have been betrayed, and we must begin the revolution of February over again.” Other groups had cried out: “We must have Napoleon!” and they had been the most clamorous of all. The workmen were indignant with de Lamartine, Garnier-Pagès and Arago, who had failed in all their promises.
The poor people were in revolt. There was danger of a massacre. The anger of the wretched had burst forth.