emand. The discussion took its
tone from the known ambition of Louis Napoleon Buonaparte, and his open
attempts to tamper with the army. To prevent a _coup d'etat_, of which
many became apprehensive, the assembly began a struggle to obtain more
direct power over the troops. A _projet de loi_ was brought forward by
the questors to that effect. The ministry and the Buonapartists demanded
that the sole power over the army should be vested in the chief of the
state--the president of the republic, and not in the president of the
legislative assembly. General St. Arnaud, afterwards commander-inchief
of the French army in the Crimea, was foremost in the interest of Louis
Napoleon. It would be difficult to say which of the two parties, that
consisting of the Buonapartists and the executive on the one hand,
or the majority of the assembly on the other, was the more
unconstitutional, faithless, and ambitious. The allegation of M.
Cremieux was true, "the majority of the assembly had no great attachment
to the republic. It incessantly invoked the constitution, which it every
day trampled under foot. The assembly was afraid because it did not feel
behind it that force which supported assemblies." The assembly voted
against the government by a large majority. The conflict between
that body and the executive increased from day to day. Both parties
contemplated a _coup d'etat_, and each proceeded to its execution
characteristically. The assembly prepared a bill, the real object
of which was to facilitate the impeachment of the president of the
republic. Numerous causes for impeachment were provided, such as the
president taking command of the armed force in person, inciting his
own re-election to the presidency, or attempting to change the form of
government. The most serious provision of this _projet de loi_, was
that whenever the president of the republic was accused, "_the accused
immediately ceases his functions_." By the introduction of this project
things were brought to a pass, between the assembly and the president of
the republic, in which the power of one or other must perish. If Louis
Napoleon permitted the project to become law his personal destruction
would be effected by the legitimist majority. If he were not re-elected
president of the republic, and descended into private life, he would
be politically ruined, for he was heavily in debt, and no pecuniary
resources were at his disposal sufficient for his maintenance as a
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