ublic man. Then or never must he make some bold and comprehensive
movement to countervail the majority of the assembly. The issue of this
conflict has been presented by the author, in another of his works, with
such brevity, that he cannot hope to offer a more complete condensation.
It was as follows:--"On the 1st of December a proclamation was put
forth dissolving the assembly, and calling upon the people by universal
suffrage to accept a government identical with the scheme of Napoleon
I. when first consul. The proclamation made known the desire of the
president to surrender his position into the hands of the people, or
to accept the headship of a new government on the plan he proposed, and
resting on universal suffrage. These proclamations were posted on all
the walls of Paris by dawn of the 2nd of December; all the leading
men of the assembly were arrested; Paris was filled with troops. After
struggles on the part of the assembly, and many casualties in the
streets, the eventful day of the 2nd of December wore away. On the 3rd
the people awoke from the stupefaction with which the suddenness of the
_coup_ struck them, and preparations were made by the republicans and
red republicans for resistance. On the 4th that resistance was offered;
barricades were erected, and every token of a fierce contest quickened
into life. Whenever an opportunity occurred, the soldiery were
assassinated, and the military retaliated with savage vengeance.
Men, women, and children were swept from the streets by discharges of
musketry and grape. By the night of the 4th, the conflict was over.
The president ruled all things. The 'ticket' put to the electors was
as follows:--'The French people wills the maintenance of Louis Napoleon
Buonaparte's authority, and delegates to him the powers necessary to
frame a constitution on the basis of his proclamation of the 2nd of
December.' This was to be carried by a simple affirmative or negative
by all Frenchmen twenty-one years of age, in possession of their civil
rights. On the 20th and 21st of December the ballot took place, and
the result was that more than eight millions of men voted in the
affirmative. The votes of the army were taken separately. The army
in France voted almost unanimously for Buonaparte; in Algiers a
large majority was against him. Before twelve months the empire was
proclaimed."*

* Nolan's "History of the War against Russia," vol. ii.,
chap, lxxvii. J. S, Virtue, City