Chapter VII

We are surrounded in the Louvre courtyard--Our ammunition
taken by surprise--Proclamation of the Écoles--Letter of
Louis-Philippe to La Fayette--The Chamber vote of thanks to
the Colleges--Protest of the École polytechnique--Discussion
at the Chamber upon the General Commandership of the
National Guard--Resignation of La Fayette--The king's
reply--I am appointed second captain

During my hour on sentry-go, a great number of artillerymen had come in; we were almost our full complement. Some, cloaked in mantles, had gained entrance by the gate on the Carrousel side, although we had been told it had been closed by order of the Governor of the Louvre. We were afterwards assured that the Duc d'Orléans was among the number of the cloaked artillerymen; doubtless, with his usual courage, he wanted to judge for himself of the temper of the corps to which he was attached. Just as I re-entered the guardroom, everything was in a frightful state of commotion; it looked as though the battle was going to break out in the midst of the very artillery itself, and as though the first shots would be exchanged between brothers-in-arms. One artilleryman, whose name I have forgotten, jumped up on a table and began to read a proclamation that he had just drawn up: it was an appeal to arms. Scarcely had he read a line before Grille de Beuzelin, who belonged to the reactionary party, snatched it from his hands and tore it up. The artilleryman drew his dagger and the affair would probably have ended tragically, when one of our number rushed into the guardroom, shouting--

"We are surrounded by the National Guard and troops of the line!"

There was a simultaneous cry of "To our guns!"

To make a way through the cordon that surrounded us did not disconcert us at all, for we had more than once vied in skill and quickness with the artillerymen of Vincennes. Moreover, at the first gunshot in Paris, as we knew very well, the people would rally to our side. They had come to see what terms we could offer. The artillerymen who were not of our opinion had withdrawn to that portion of the Louvre nearest the Tuileries: there were about a hundred and fifty of them. Unfortunately, or, rather, fortunately, we learned all at once that the cellars where we kept our ammunition were empty. The Governor of the Louvre, foreseeing the events that I have just related, had had it all taken away during the day. We had therefore no means of attack or defence beyond our muskets and six or eight cartridges per man. But these means of defence would seem to have been formidable enough to make them do nothing more than surround us. We spent the night in expectation of being attacked at any moment. Those of us who slept did so with their muskets between their legs. The day broke and found us still ready for action. The situation gradually turned from tragedy to comedy: the bakers, wine-sellers and pork--butchers instantly made their little speculation out of the position of things and assured us we should not have to surrender from famine. We might be compared to a menagerie of wild beasts shut up for the public safety. The resemblance was the more striking when the people began to gaze at us through the barred windows. Amongst those who came were friends who brought us the latest news. Drums were beating in every quarter--though that was not news to us, for we could hear them perfectly well for ourselves--but the drummers _did not grow tired._

Up to noon, the situation of the king, politically, was serious; at that hour no decision had been arrived at either for or against him. General La Fayette had, however, published this proclamation--

"_Order of the Day_, 21 _December_

"The Commander-in-Chief is unable to find words to express
the feelings of his heart in order to show to his brethren
in arms of the National Guard and of the line his admiration
and his gratitude for the zeal, the steadiness and the
devotion they displayed during the painful events of
yesterday. He was quite aware that his confidence in their
patriotism would be justified on every occasion; but he
regrets exceedingly the toils and discomforts to which they
are exposed; he would gladly forestall them hut he can only
share them. We all of us feel equally the need of protecting
the capital against its enemies and against anarchy, of
assuring the safety of families and property, of preventing
our revolution from being stained by crimes and our honour
impugned. We are all as one man jointly and severally
answerable for the carrying out of these sacred duties;
and, amidst the sorrow which yesterday's disorders and
those promised for to-day cause him, the Commander-in-Chief
finds great consolation and perfect security in the kindly
feelings he bears towards his brave and dear comrades of
liberty and public order.
"LA FAYETTE"

At one o'clock we learnt that students, with cards in their hats, and students from the École in uniform were going all over the town together with the National Guards of the 12th legion, urging all to moderation. At the same time, placards, signed by four students (one from each College), were stuck up on all the walls. Here is the literal rendering of one of them--

"Those patriots who have devoted their lives and labours
throughout crises of all kinds to the cause of our
independence are still in our midst standing steadfast in
the path of liberty; they, in common with others, want large
concessions on behalf of liberty; but it is not necessary
to use force to obtain them. Let us do things lawfully and
then--a more Republican basis will be sought for in all our
institutions and we shall obtain it; we shall be all the
more powerful if we act openly. _But if these concessions be
not granted, then all patriots and students who side with
democratic Principles will call upon the people to insist
on gaining their demands._ Remember, though, that foreign
nations look with admiration upon our Revolution because we
have exercised generosity and moderation; let them not say
that we are not yet fit to have liberty in our hands, and by
no means let them profit by our domestic quarrels, of which
they, perhaps, are the authors."

(Then followed the four signatures.)

The parade in the streets of Paris and these placards on every wall about the city had the effect of soothing the public mind. The absence, too, of the artillery, the reason for which they did not know, also contributed to re-establish tranquillity. The king received a deputation from the Colleges with great demonstration of affection, which sent the deputies home delighted, with full assurance that the liberties they longed for were as good as granted. That night the National Guard and troops of the line, who had been surrounding us, fell into rank and took themselves off; and the gates of the Louvre opened behind them. We left the ordinary guard by the cannon and all dispersed to our various homes. Things were settled, at all events, for the time being.

Next day, came an "order of the day" from La Fayette containing a letter from the king. We will put aside the "order of the day" and quote the letter only. We beg our readers to notice the words that are italicised:--

"TUESDAY MORNING,
"22 _December_

"It is to you I address myself, my dear general, to transmit
to our brave and indefatigable National Guard the expression
of my admiration for the zeal and energy with which it
has maintained public order and prevented all trouble.
_But it is you, especially, that I ought to thank, my dear
general, you who have just given a fresh example of courage,
patriotism and respect for law, in these days of trial,
as you have done many times besides throughout your long
and noble career._ Express in my name how much I rejoice
at having seen the revival of that splendid institution,
the National Guard, which had been almost entirely taken
away from us, and which has risen up again brilliantly
powerful and patriotic, finer and more numerous than it
has ever been, as soon as the glorious Days of July broke
the trammels by which its enemies flattered themselves they
had crushed it. It is this great institution to which we
certainly owe the triumph amongst us of the sacred cause of
liberty, which both causes our national independence to be
respected abroad, whilst preserving the action of laws from
all attack at home. Do not let us forget that there is no
liberty without law, and that there can be no laws where any
power of whatever kind succeeds in paralysing its action and
exalting itself beyond the reach of laws.

"These, my dear general, are the sentiments I beg you to
express to the National Guard on my behalf. I count on the
continuation of its efforts AND ON YOURS, so that nothing
may disturb that public peace which Paris and France need
greatly, and which it is essential to preserve. Receive, at
the same time, my dear general, the assurance of the sincere
friendship you know I hold towards you, LOUIS-PHILIPPE"

As can be seen, on 22 December, the thermometer indicated gratitude.

On the 23rd, upon the suggestion of M. Laffitte, the Chamber of Deputies passed a vote of thanks to the young students, couched in these terms--

"A vote of thanks is given to the students of the College
for the loyalty and noble conduct shown by them the day
before in maintaining public order and tranquillity."

Unluckily, there was a sentence in M. Laffitte's speech requesting the Chamber to pass this vote of thanks which offended the feelings of the École polytechnique. The phrase was still further emphasised by the remarks he made--

"The three Colleges," the minister said, "which sent deputations to the king displayed very noble sentiments and great courage and entire subjection to law and order, and have given proof of their intentions to make every effort to ensure the maintenance of order."

"On what conditions?" then inquired the deputies, who bore in mind the sentences that we have underlined in the proclamation issued by the Colleges.

"NONE ... NO CONDITIONS WERE MADE AT ALL," M. Laffitte replied. "_If there were a few individuals who had proposals to make or conditions to offer, such never came to the knowledge of the Government._"

The next day a protest, signed by eighty-nine students of the Polytechnique, replied to the thanks of the Chamber and to M. Laffitte's denial in the following terms:--

"A portion of the Chamber of Deputies has condescended
to pass a vote of thanks to the École polytechnique with
reference to certain facts that were _very accurately_
reported.

"We, students of the Polytechnique, the undersigned, deny in
part these facts and we decline to receive the thanks of the
Chamber.

"The students have been traduced, said the protest issued
by the School of Law; we have been accused of wishing to
place ourselves at the head of malcontent artizans, and of
obtaining by brute force the consequences of principles for
which we have sacrificed our very blood.

"We have solemnly protested, we who paid cash for the
liberty they are now haggling over; we preached public
order, without which liberty is impossible; but we did
not do so in order to procure the thanks and applause of
the Chamber of Deputies. No, indeed! we only fulfilled
our duty. Doubtless, we ought to be proud and elated at
the gratitude of France, but we look in vain for France
in the Chamber of Deputies, and we repudiate the praises
offered us, the condition of which is the assumed disavowal
of a proclamation, the terms and meaning whereof we
unhesitatingly declare that we adopt in the most formal
manner."

Of course, the Minister for War at once arrested these eighty-nine students, but their protest had been issued, and the conditions under which they had consented to support the Government were kept to themselves. It will, therefore, be seen that the harmony between His Majesty Louis-Philippe and the students of the three Colleges was not of long duration. It was not to last much longer either between His Majesty and poor General La Fayette, for whom he now had no further use. He had staked his popularity during the troubles in December and had lost. From that time, he was of no more use to the king, and what was the good of being kind to a useless person? Two days after that on which La Fayette received the letter from the king, thanking him for his past services and expressing the hope for the _continuance of those services_, the Chamber proposed this amendment to Article 64 of the law concerning the National Guard, which the deputies had under discussion--

"As the office of commander-general of the National Guard
of the kingdom will cease with the circumstances that
rendered the office necessary, that office can never be
renewed without the passing of a fresh law, and no one shall
be appointed to hold the position without such a special
law."

This simply meant the deposition of General La Fayette. The blow was the more perfidious as he was not present at the sitting. His absence is recorded by this passage from the speech which M. Dupin made in support of the amendment--

"I regret that our illustrious colleague is not present
at the sitting; he would himself have investigated this
question; he would, I have no doubt, have declared, as he
did at the Constituent Assembly, that the general command
of the regiments of the National Guard throughout the
kingdom is an impossible function which he would describe as
dangerous."

M. Dupin forgot that the Constituent Assembly, at any rate, had had the modesty to wait until the general sent in his resignation. Now, perhaps it will be said that it was the Chamber which took the initiative, and that the Government had nothing to do with this untoward blow given on the cheek of the living programme going on at the Hôtel de Ville. This would be a mistake. Here is an article of the bill which virtually implied the resignation of La Fayette--

"ARTICLE 50.--In the communes or cantons _where the
National Guard will form several legions_, the king may
appoint a superior commander; _but a superior commander of
the National Guards of a whole department, or even of an
arrondissement of a sous-préfecture, cannot be appointed._"

The next day after that scandalous debate in the Chamber, General La Fayette wrote this letter to the king, in his own handwriting this time, for I have seen the rough draft--

"SIRE,--The resolution passed yesterday by the Chamber of
Deputies _with the consent of the king's ministers_, for the
suppression of the general commandantship of the National
Guards at the very same moment that the law is going to
be voted upon, expresses exactly the feeling of the two
branches of the legislative power, _and in particular that
of the one of which I have the honour of being a member._ I
am of opinion that it would be disrespectful if I awaited
any formal information before sending in my resignation of
the prerogatives entrusted to me by royal command. Your
Majesty is aware, and the staff correspondence bill proves
the fact, if needful, that the exercise of the office down
to the present time has not been such a sinecure as was
stated in the Chamber. The king's patriotic solicitude will
provide for it, and it will be important, for instance,
to set at rest, by Ordinances which the law puts at the
king's disposal, the uneasiness that the sub-dividing of
the provincial battalions and the fear of seeing the highly
valuable institution of the artillery throughout the kingdom
confined to garrison or coast towns.

"The President of the Council was so good as to offer to
give me the honorary commandership; but he himself and
your Majesty will judge that such nominal honours are not
becoming to either the institutions of a free country or to
myself.

"In respectfully and gratefully handing back to the king the
only mandate that gives me any authority over the National
Guards, I have taken precautions that the service shall
not suffer. General Dumas[1] will take his orders from the
Minister of the Interior; General Carbonnel will control the
service in the capital until your Majesty has been able to
find a substitute, as he, too, wishes to resign.

"I beg your Majesty to receive my cordial and respectful
regards, LA FAYETTE"

Louis Blanc, who is usually well informed, said of General La Fayette that he was a gentleman even in his scorn, and took care not to let the monarch detect in his letter his profound feelings of personal injury.

He would not have said so if he had seen the letter to which he refers, the one, namely, that we have just laid before our readers. But Louis Blanc may be permitted not to know the contents of this letter, which were kept secret, and only communicated to a few of the General's intimate friends. Louis Philippe sent this reply on the same day--

"MY DEAR GENERAL,--I have just received _your letter. The
decision you have taken has surprised me as much as it has
pained me._ I HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO READ THE PAPERS. The
cabinet meets at one o'clock; I shall, therefore, be free
between four and five, and I shall hope to see you and to be
able to induce you to withdraw your decision. Yours, my dear
general, etc., LOUIS-PHILIPPE"

We give this letter as a sequel to that of M. Laffitte, and we give them without commentary of our own; but we cannot, however, resist the desire to point out to our readers that King Louis-Philippe must have read the papers in order to know what was going on in the Chamber, and that at noon on 25 December he had not yet done so! How can anyone think after this proof of the king's ignorance of his ministers' doings that he was anything more than constitutional monarch, reigning but not ruling! But let us note one fact, as M. de Talleyrand remarks on the end of the reign of the Bourbon dynasty, that on 25 December 1830 the political career of General La Fayette was over. Another resignation there was at this time which made less stir, but which, as we shall see on 1 January 1831, had somewhat odd consequences for me; it was given in the same day as General La Fayette's and it was that of one of our two captains of the fourth battery.

As soon as this resignation was known, the artillerymen held a special meeting to appoint another captain and, as the majority of the votes were in favour of me, I was elected second captain. Within twenty-four hours my lace, epaulettes and worsted cordings were exchanged for the same in gold. On the 27th, I took command on parade, clad in the insignia of my new office. We shall soon see how long I was to wear them.

[1] Mathieu Dumas.