Corps
Legislatif is large: cries of La Dechaeance loud--a few cries, very
feeble, of Vive la Republique!

What followed on the 4th--the marvellous audacity with which
half-a-dozen lawyers belonging to a pitiful minority in a Chamber
elected by universal suffrage walked into the Hotel de Ville and said,
"The Republic is established, and we are its Government," history has
told too recently for me to narrate. On the evening of the 5th the
Council of Ten met again: the Pole; the Italian radiant; Grimm
and Ferrier much excited and rather drunk; the Medecin des Pauvres
thoughtful; and Armand Monnier gloomy. A rumour has spread that General
Trochu, in accepting the charge imposed on him, has exacted from the
Government the solemn assurance of respect for God, and for the rights
of Family and Property. The Atheist is very indignant at the assent of
the Government to the first proposition; Monnier equal indignant at the
assent to the second and third. What has that honest ouvrier conspired
for?--what has he suffered for?--of late nearly starved for?--but to
marry another man's wife, getting rid of his own, and to legalise a
participation in the property of his employer,--and now he is no better
off than before. "There must be another revolution," he whispers to the
Atheist.

"Certainly," whispers back the Atheist; "he who desires to better this
world must destroy all belief in another." The conclave was assembled
when Lebeau entered by the private door. He took his place at the head
of the table; and, fixing on the group eyes that emitted a cold gleam
through the spectacles, thus spoke:

"Messieurs, or Citoyens, which ye will--I no longer call ye
confreres--you have disobeyed or blundered my instructions. On such an
occasion disobedience and blunder are crimes equally heinous."

Angry murmurs.

"Silence! Do not add mutiny to your other offences. My instructions were
simple and short. Aid in the abolition of the Empire. Do not aid in any
senseless cry for a Republic or any other form of government. Leave
that to the Legislature. What have you done? You swelled the crowd that
invaded the Corps Ligislatif. You, Dombinsky, not even a Frenchman, dare
to mount the President's rostrum, and brawl forth your senseless jargon.
You, Edgar Ferrier, from whom I expected better, ascend the tribune, and
invite the ruffians in the crowd to march to the prisons and release
the convicts; and all of you swell the mob at the Hotel de Ville,