The History of a Crime Part 67

Such people as these gave their adherence with little hesitation to the deed which "saved society."

Some others, amongst those who composed this mosaic, possessed no political enthusiasm, and merely consented to figure in this list in order to keep their situations and their salaries; they were under the Empire what they had been before the Empire, neuters, and during the nineteen years of the reign, they continued to exercise their military, judicial, or administrative functions un.o.btrusively, surrounded with the right and proper respect due to inoffensive idiots.

Others were genuine politicians, belonging to that learned school which begins with Guizot, and does not finish with Parieu, grave physicians of social order, who rea.s.sure the frightened middle-cla.s.ses, and who preserve dead things.

"Shall I lose my eye?" asked Messer Pancrace.

"Not at all, my friend, I hold it in my hand."

In this quasi Council of State there were a goodly number of men of the Police, a race of beings then held in esteem, Carlier, Pietri, Maupas, etc.

Shortly after the 2d of December under the t.i.tle of Mixed Commissions, the police subst.i.tuted itself for justice, drew up judgments, p.r.o.nounced sentences, violated every law judicially without the regular magistracy interposing the slightest obstacle to this irregular magistracy: Justice allowed the police to do what it liked with the satisfied look of a team of horses which had just been relieved.

Some of the men inscribed on the list of this commission refused: Leon Faucher Goulard, Mortemart, Frederic Granier, Marchand, Maillard Paravay, Beugnot. The newspapers received orders not to publish these refusals.

M. Beugnot inscribed on his card: "Count Beugnot, who does not belong to the Consultative Committee."

M. Joseph Perier went from corner to corner of the streets, pencil in hand, scratching out his name from all the placards, saying, "I shall take back my name wherever I find it."

General Baraguay d'Hilliers did not refuse. A brave soldier nevertheless; he had lost an arm in the Russian war. Later on, he has been Marshall of France; he deserved better than to have been created a Marshal by Louis Bonaparte. It did not appear likely that he would have come to this.

During the last days of November General Baraguay d'Hilliers, seated in a large arm-chair before the high fireplace of the Conference Hall of the National a.s.sembly, was warming himself; some one, one of his colleagues, he who is writing these lines, sat down near him on the other side of the fireplace. They did not speak to each other, one belonging to the Right, the other to the Left; but M. Piscatory came in, who belonged a little to the Right and a little to the Left. He addressed himself to Baraguay d'Hilliers: "Well, general, do you know what they are saying?"

"What?"

"That one of these days the President will shut the door in our faces."

General Baraguay d'Hilliers answered, and I heard the answer,--"If M.

Bonaparte should close the door of the a.s.sembly against us, France will fling it wide open again."

Louis Bonaparte at one moment thought of ent.i.tling this committee the "Executive Commission." "No," said Morny to him, "that would be to credit them with courage. They will willingly be supporters; they will not be proscribers."

General Rulhiere was dismissed for having blamed the pa.s.sive obedience of the army.

Let us here mention an incident. Some days after the 4th of December, Emmanuel Arago met M. Dupin, who was going up the Faubourg Saint Honore.

"What!" said Arago, "are you going to the Elysee?"

M. Dupin answered, "I never go to disreputable houses."

Yet he went there.

M. Dupin, it may be remembered, was appointed Attorney-General at the Court of Cessation.

CHAPTER VII.

THE OTHER LIST

Opposite to the list of adherents should be placed the list of the proscribed. In this manner the two sides of the _coup d'etat_ can be seen at a glance.

"DECREE.

"ARTICLE I.--The ex-Representatives of the a.s.sembly, whose names are found beneath, are expelled from French territory, from Algeria, and from the Colonies, for the sake of public safety:--

"Edmond Valentine. Charra.s.sin.

Paul Racouchot. Bandsept.

Agricol Perdiguier. Savoye.

Eugene Cholat. Joly.

Louis Latrade. Combier.

Michel Renaud. Boysset.

Joseph Benoist (du Rhone). d.u.c.h.e.

Joseph Burgard. Ennery.

Jean Colfavru. Guilgot.

Joseph Faure (du Rhone). Hochstuhl.

Pierre-Charles Gambon. Michot Boutet.

Charles Lagrange. Baune.

Martin Nadaud. Bertholon.

Barthelemy Terrier. Schoelcher.

Victor Hugo. De Flotte.

Ca.s.sal. Joigneaux.

Signard. Laboulaye.

Viguier. Bruys.

Esquiros. Gaston Dus...o...b...

Madier de Montjau. Guiter.

Noel Parfait. Lafon.

Emile Pean. Lamarque.

Pelletier. Pierre Lafranc.

Raspail. Jules Leroux.

Theodore Bac. Francisque Maigne.

Bancel. Malardier.

Belin (Drome). Mathieu (de la Drome).

Bosse. Millotte.

Bourzat. Roselli-Mollet.

Brive. Charras.

Chavoix. Saint-Ferreol.

Clement Dulac. Sommier.

Dupout (de Bussac). Testelin (Nord).

"ARTICLE II.--In the event, contrary to the present decree, of one of the persons named in Article I. re-entering the prohibited limits, he may be transported for the sake of public safety.

"Given at the Palace of the Tuileries, at the Cabinet Council a.s.sembled, January 9th, 1852.

"LOUIS BONAPARTE.

"DE MORNY, Minister of the Interior."

There was besides a list of the "provisionally exiled," on which figured Edward Quinet, Victor Chauffour, General Laidet, Pascal Duprat, Versigny, Antony Thouret, Thiers, Girardin, and Remusat. Four Representatives, Mathe, Greppo, Marc-Dufraisse, and Richardet, were added to the list of the "expelled." Representative Miot was reserved for the tortures of the casemates of Africa. Thus in addition to the ma.s.sacres, the victory of the _coup d'etat_ was paid for by these figures: eighty-eight Representatives proscribed, one killed.