their party, and the elections were
much less favourable to the views and wishes of the "reds" than would
otherwise have been the case. While Ledru Rollin and his communist
colleagues in office were mismanaging everything connected with home
interests, Lamartine was conducting the foreign affairs of France
with surpassing judgment. At first all European governments saw the
proclamation of a French republic with awe, and their thoughts were
only how most effectually to arm and combine against French republic
propagandism. Lamartine soothed this alarm. He addressed a diplomatic
circular to all the agents of France through Europe, expounding the
principles upon which the French republic was founded. His policy might
be summed up in a single sentence of this manifesto,--"The republic is
the will of a great people; it derives its title from itself. Its policy
is peace."

The government adopted the plan of large workshops, and workmen were
employed at the rate of a million and a half sterling a year. Louis
Blanc admitted that unless the work produced should prove remunerative
in the market, it would be impossible for the government to continue
so enormous an outlay. The operatives, perceiving the hesitation of the
government, prepared to carry their communistic views into operation
themselves, without having the trouble of using the provisional
government for their execution.

On the appointed day the assembly met, and the republic was proclaimed.
The real feelings and opinions of the assembly were soon seen; they were
elicited by the ministerial reports. The following description of the
scene presented on the occasion is quoted from the contemporary press:--

"All the preliminaries having been gone through, powers verified, a
president (M. Buchez) and vice-presidents, secretaries, &c, appointed,
the members of the government proceed to lay before the assembly an
account of their ministries since the establishment of the republic.

"On Saturday, May 6, the president announced that the citizen minister,
Lamartine, was about to make a communication from the government, when
that gentleman ascended the tribune, and proceeded to read a document,
which purported to be a report of the acts of the provisional government
in their _ensemble_--the restoration of order, organisation of the
national guard, _mobile garde_, the army, &c.--enumerating what had been
done in the midst of two months of a crisis during which not a drop of
b