heart and in manner—in a word, just what we have witnessed during the reign of the Commune; young men and girls from eighteen to twenty-three years old ruling Paris and destroying it by incendiarism; and, lo, it is after having witnessed such scenes of horror and the lessons which they teach, that you have nevertheless ventured to deliver the address to which I am replying, and your audience went so far as to applaud your words!
In my view, this latter fact is an indication of the disorder in which at this very moment we still are. No, the end of France’s afflictions is not yet!
But I have said enough, sir. I have sought, as the only reply to your harangue, to put facts in opposition to words. I have sought, while replying to you, to defend the church; and I think I have at the same time defended public peace. In theory, as against this or that government, neither my faith, my reason, nor my patriotism would raise great objections, were it not that I have seen your party at work, and that my sight is still filled with those sombre scenes, and my memory with the recollection of your deeds. In vain do you try to cover them over with clever words and honeyed insinuations. My knowledge of the preacher spoils the effect of the sermon on me. And my recollection of the whilom dictator puts me on my guard against the impressiveness of the candidate who is aspiring not to establish liberty, as he pretends, but to destroy religion and to get into power. You are not an apostle, you are a pretender. The republic is I!—that is your programme and the sole object of your discourse. Well! depend upon it, France has a republican government now, the need of a change to another, even though accompanied with the
advantage of having you for its president, is not at all felt.
Please accept, sir, with the expression of my regret to be compelled to thus combat you, that of the sentiments of respect which, as your colleague, I have the honor to offer you.
✠ Felix, Bishop of Orleans,
Deputy at the National Assembly for the Department of Loiret.
[162] The Hôtel de Ville is the seat of head municipal authority for the city of Paris; the mairies are the subordinate seats of local authority for the arrondissements into which Paris is divided.—Translator.