aced the Republican party in a minority in the National
Assembly; the abrogation of the law of exile against the royal family
permitted him to return to his castle of Chambord; and it was thence
that on the 5th of July 1871 he issued a proclamation, in which for the
first time he publicly posed as king, and declared that he would never
abandon the white standard of the Bourbons, "the flag of Henry IV.,
Francis I., and Joan of Arc," for the tricolour of the Revolution. He
again quitted France, and answered the attempts to make him renounce his
claims in favour of the comte de Paris by the declaration (January 25,
1872) that he would never abdicate. In the following month he held a
great gathering of his adherents at Antwerp, which was the cause of
serious disturbances. A constitutional programme, signed by some 280
members of the National Assembly, was presented for his acceptance, but
without result. The fall of Thiers in May 1873, however, offered an
opportunity to the Royalists by which they hastened to profit. The comte
de Paris and the prince de Joinville journeyed to Frohsdorf, and were
formally reconciled with the head of the family (August 5). The
Royalists were united, the premier (the duc de Broglie) an open
adherent, the president (MacMahon) a benevolent neutral. MM. Lucien Brun
and Chesnelong were sent to interview the comte de Chambord at Salzburg,
and obtain the definite assurances that alone were wanting. They
returned with the news that he accepted the principles of the French
Revolution and the tricolour flag. But a letter to Chesnelong, dated
Salzburg, 27th of October, declared that he had been misunderstood: he
would give no guarantees; he would not inaugurate his reign by an act of
weakness, nor become "le roi legitime de la Revolution." "Je suis le
pilote necessaire," he added, "le seul capable de conduire le navire au
port, parce que j'ai mission et autorite pour cela." This outspoken
adherence to the principle of divine right did credit to his honesty,
but it cost him the crown. The duc de Broglie carried the septennate,
and the Republic steadily established itself in popular favour. A last
effort was made in the National Assembly in June 1874 by the duc de la
Rochefoucauld-Bisaccia, who formally moved the restoration of the
monarchy. The comte de Chambord on the 2nd of July issued a fresh
manifesto, which added nothing to his former declarations. The motion
was rejected by 272 to 79, and on the 25th