alais Bourbon, the former place of meeting for
the Chamber of Deputies. There was no enthusiasm in the body for the
Republic, and evidently a hostile feeling towards the Provisional
Government, which it was disposed to think too much allied with
Red Republicanism.

Two days after the Assembly met, the Provisional Government resigned
its powers. To Lamartine's great chagrin, he stood, not first, but
fourth, on a list of five men chosen temporarily to conduct the
government. Some of his proceedings had made the Assembly fear
(very unjustly) that he shared the revolutionary enthusiasms of
Ledru-Rollin.

It was soon apparent that ultra-democracy in France was not favored
by the majority of Frenchmen. The Socialists and Anarchists, finding
that they could not form a tyrant majority in the Assembly, began
to conspire against it. While a debate was going on ten days after
it assembled, an alarm was raised that a fierce crowd was about
to pour into its place of meeting. Lamartine harangued the mob,
but this time without effect. His day was over. He was received
with shouts of "You have played long enough upon the lyre! _A bas_
Lamartine!" Ledru-Rollin tried to harangue in his turn, but with
no better effect. The hall was invaded, and Lamartine, throwing
up his arms, cried, "All is lost!"

Barbes, the man who led an _emeute_ in 1839, and whose life had
been spared by Louis Philippe through the exertions of Lamartine,
led the insurgents. They demanded two things,--a forced tax of
a milliard (that is, a thousand million) of francs, to be laid
on the rich for the benefit of the poor; and that whoever gave
orders to call out the National Guard against insurgents should
be declared a traitor. "You are wrong, Barbes," cried a voice from
the crowd; "two hours' sack of Paris is what we want." After this
the president of the Assembly was pulled from his chair, and a new
provisional government was nominated of fierce Red Republicans,--not
red enough, however, for the crowd, which demanded Socialists and
Anarchists redder still. By this time some battalions of the National
Guard had been called out. At sight of their bayonets the insurgents
fled, but concentrated their forces on the Hotel-de-Ville. This
again they evacuated when cannon were pointed against it, and the
cause of order was won.

General Cavaignac, who had just come home from Algeria, was made
War Minister, and the clubs were closed. Louis Blanc was sent into
exile. The