the Representatives, a protest of the
Council of State, a protest of the Magistracy, a protest of the Press,
that this protest would be unanimous and would enlighten France, but
that no other form of resistance would obtain unanimity. That as for
himself, having always considered the Constitution worthless, having
contended against it from the first in the Constituent Assembly, he
would not defend it at the last, that he assuredly would not give one
drop of blood for it. That the Constitution was dead, but that the
Republic was living, and that we must save, not the Constitution, a
corpse, but the Republic, the principle!

Remonstrances burst forth. Bancel, young, glowing, eloquent, impetuous,
overflowing with self-confidence, cried out that we ought not to look at
the shortcomings of the Constitution, but at the enormity of the crime
which had been committed, the flagrant treason, the violated oath; he
declared that we might have voted against the Constitution in the
Constituent Assembly, and yet defend it to-day in the presence of an
usurper; that this was logical, and that many amongst us were in this
position. He cited me as an example. Victor Hugo, said he, is a proof of
this. He concluded thus: "You have been present at the construction of a
vessel, you have considered it badly built, you have given advice which
has not been listened to. Nevertheless, you have been obliged to embark
on board this vessel, your children and your brothers are there with
you, your mother is on board. A pirate ranges up, axe in one hand, to
scuttle the vessel, a torch in the other to fire it. The crew are
resolved to defend themselves and run to arms. Would you say to this
crew, 'For my part I consider this vessel badly built, and I will let it
be destroyed'?"

"In such a case," added Edgar Quinet, "whoever is not on the side of the
vessel is on the side of the pirates."

They shouted on all sides, "The decree! Read the decree!"

I was standing leaning against the fire place. Napoleon Bonaparte came
up to me, and whispered in my ear,--

"You are undertaking," said he, "a battle which is lost beforehand."

I answered him, "I do not look at success, I look at duty."

He replied, "You are a politician, consequently you ought to look
forward to success. I repeat, before you go any further, that the battle
is lost beforehand."

I resumed, "If we enter upon the conflict the battle is lost. You say
so, I believe it; but if we do not