Part 12 (1/2)

”Suppose I add to it this line I find on the paper before me on the table, that our good Marrast had just written as the text for a paragraph which would probably have cost him another fine and imprisonment, had the paragraph been completed and published?”

”Read! read!” cried Rollin.

”With your permission, Armand?”

”Certainly,” replied the editor, still continuing his promenade.

”'Again the House of Orleans triumphs!'” read Louis Blanc, aloud.

”And is it not true--the accursed tyrants?” vociferated Rollin.

”Aye, true!” was the mild answer; ”alas, too true! That perfidious House does triumph, and for that very reason the fact should never be acknowledged by its opponents.”

Rollin shook his head, and, throwing himself back in his capacious chair, folded his arms, sunk his chin upon his breast and closed his eyes.

Marrast continued his walk.

Flocon remained silent and thoughtful.

Albert gave a significant smile.

”Oppose ceaselessly, but quietly, every act of despotism this Bourgeois Government may attempt; but, be the result what it may, never admit yourselves discouraged, depressed, dismayed, defeated. From every fall rise like Antaeus, with renewed vigor. Nor is it wise or prudent in those engaged in a great and glorious cause to provoke danger, to brave penalty, when nothing of good to that cause can reasonably be expected.

Prudence, policy, patience and perseverance accomplish more than rashness, yet are not inconsistent with intrepidity, boldness, patriotism and philanthropy the most exalted. Comrades, what says the past, the past ten years, in whose events we have all so intimately mingled? Shall I tell you?”

”Aye! 'L'Histoire de Dix Ans,'” said Flocon.

”We are all sure of being immortal there, in that same book of yours!

Eh! Louis?” cried Rollin, opening his large blue eyes.

Louis Blanc smiled and continued:

”Shall I convince you, comrades, by the history of the past ten years, the scenes we have all witnessed, the events we have all deplored, the defeats we have all sustained, the insulting ovations we have all been forced to behold and the unceasing triumphs and tyranny of the House of Orleans that, had patience and prudence been our motto, these defeats and triumphs would never have been witnessed, because these premature revolts would never have been made?”

Albert bowed and gave his peculiar smile.

”Our friend Albert smiles, and well he may. He has had a sad experience in this error of premature outbreaks. In April, 1834, he exerted every energy to restrain the revolt in Lyons, as chief of the Societe des Droits de l'Homme, and as the undoubted friend of the operatives. But his efforts were futile. Exasperated, urged on by less experienced leaders, they were in full tide of revolution, and could no more be restrained in their unwise rising than could the mountain cataract in mad career be dammed. The result was, of course, defeat--most disastrous defeat. Hundreds of the people perished, and our friend was imprisoned and fined for taking part in a movement, which he had in vain attempted to quell, and then, with the certainty of defeat, had joined, rather than desert the people who trusted and relied on him.”

”A n.o.ble act!” cried Marrast, as he paced the room.

Albert quietly smiled, but otherwise his countenance remained unmoved.

”And was it not a most n.o.ble and a most wise act,” continued the author of ”The Ten Years,” ”when our friend Flocon, by an energetic and eloquent harangue, restrained the indignant people from razing to the ground the office of the 'Gazette de France,' the organ of the d.u.c.h.ess of Berri, and his bitter foe? Terribly would that rash act have recoiled on us, and yet, at the same time, with this most patriotic and prudent deed before us, a wilder measure than even that was adopted, and it was quelled only by force. You all remember the events. In February, '33, Eugene Brifault, in his 'Corsair,' alluded jestingly to the mysterious pregnancy of the mother of Henry V., Duke of Bordeaux, as did every one, she then being imprisoned at Baye because of her prior conspiracy to place her son on the throne, and her secret marriage in Italy being unrevealed. The Legitimists of 'Le Revenant' challenged; the allusion was repeated, and a second trial and a death ensued. 'Le National' and 'La Tribune,' regarding these repeated challenges as a menace to the Republicans, hurled defiance at the Legitimists, and demanded twelve distinct rencontres in behalf of as many names of our friends posted at their offices, among which those of Armand Carrel, G.o.defroi Cavaignac and Armand Marrast were conspicuous. The challenge is accepted--the names of twelve Legitimists are furnished--Armand Carrel selects Roux Laborie--they fight, and Carrel is dangerously wounded--the police then interfere--the affair ends with Flocon's terrific and audacious defiance flung down at the whole Legitimist and Orleans parties in the columns of 'La Reforme.' Now, what to Republicans were the quarrels of Legitimists and Orleanists? If we were to be ruled by a king, what cared we whether that king were Henry V. or Louis Philippe? How would the sacrifice of Carrel, Marrast, Cavaignac, or of any of those twelve brave men have been repaid, or made up? And afterwards, alas! in July of '36, when Armand Carrel, causelessly a.s.suming a quarrel not his own, because of a fancied attempt to degrade the press, by rendering its issues accessible, by cheapness, to the ma.s.ses, was slain in the Bois de Vincennes by the vulgar bullet of emile de Girardin, of 'La Presse.'

What reparation to our cause was it that our champion had died like a hero, and Chateaubriand, Arago, Cormenin and Beranger wept around his grave? Alas! that inestimable life belonged to his country and his race, and not to himself, to fling away in an obscure quarrel.”

”But we are not all of us Armand Carrels,” said Rollin.

”And yet, to the great cause of human liberty, and the amelioration of man's condition, to which each of us stands sworn, are pledged our lives. To hazard that cause, by the sacrifice of those lives, or by rashly and unwisely attempting its advancement, makes us violators of our vows, quite as much in reality as if we had become traitors.”

”But the instances you cite are those only of individual rashness, Louis, and not of the people, or of their leaders acting in concert,”

remarked Marrast.

”True, concert of action has been chiefly needed, but I have only to recall the dates and places of our repeated attempts and defeats, for the past ten years, to convince you all that those attempts were premature, and had they not been so, they might have been successful--that they have frittered away energies which, properly concentrated and directed, might have achieved a revolution; and that while they have betrayed our designs and depressed our friends, have enabled our foes insultingly to triumph and caused them to be on the constant qui vive to antic.i.p.ate our movements. What but premature and undigested uprisings were the conspiracy of the bell-tower of Notre Dame, in January of '32, when 'Le National' was seized--or the disturbances in La Vendee--or those in Gren.o.ble--or those in Ma.r.s.eilles--or those in the Rue des Prouvaires--or those in April, during the cholera, when Casimir Perier died--or those of the 5th and 6th of June, on the occasion of General Lamarque's funeral, on pretence of avenging upon the Government the affront offered during the obsequies of Casimir Perier, the victim-Premier of the cholera? For the part taken by 'La Tribune,' then conducted by Marrast, in this revolt, its press was seized and sealed. The same was the fate of 'La Quotidienne,' and the same would have been the fate of 'Le National,'