ittle help
could she afford the republican leaders in dealing with the momentous
question how to fulfill the immense but confused aspirations they had
raised, how to show that their principles could answer the necessities
of the moment.

The worst, perhaps, that can be said of Madame Sand's political
utterances is that they encouraged the people in their false
belief--which belief she shared--that the social reforms so urgently
needed could be worked rapidly by the Government, providing only it were
willing. Over-boldness of expression on the part of advanced sections
only increased the timidity and irresolution of action complained of in
the administration. As the ranks of the Ministry split up into factions,
Madame Sand attached herself to the party of Ledru-Rollin--in whom at
that time she had confidence,--a party that desired to see him at the
head of affairs, and that included Jules Favre, Etienne Arago, and
Armand Barbes. No more zealous political partizan and agent than Madame
Sand. The purpose in view was to preserve a cordial _entente_ between
these trusted chiefs and the masses whose interests they represented and
on whose support they relied. To this end she got together meetings of
working-men at her temporary Parisian abode, addressing them in speech
and in print, and seemingly blind in the heat of the struggle to the
enormous danger of playing with the unmanageable, unreasoning instincts
of the crowd. She still cherished the chimera dear to her
imagination--the prospective vision of the French people assembling
itself in large masses, and deliberately and pacifically giving
expression to its wishes.

Into the _Bulletin de la Republique_ there crept soon a tone of
impatience and provocation, improper and dangerous in an official organ.
The 16th number, which appeared on April 16, at a moment when the
pending general elections seemed likely to be overruled by
reactionaries, contained the startling declaration that if the result
should thus dissatisfy the Paris people, these would manifest their will
once more, by adjourning the decision of a false national
representation.

This sentence, which came from the pen of Madame Sand, was interpreted
into a threat of intimidation from the party that would make
Ledru-Rollin dictator, and created a considerable stir. There was,
indeed, no call for a fresh brand of discord in the republican ranks.
Almost simultaneously came popular demonstrations of a menacing
cha