mbled, they felt that this room had
been excellently chosen. When, however, they considered that the police
would also doubtless come to expel the High Court, and that perhaps they
would not succeed in finding it, each one regretted to himself the choice
of the room. They wished to hide the High Court, they had succeeded too
well. It was grievous to think that perhaps when the police and the armed
force should arrive, matters would have gone too far, and the High Court
would be too deeply compromised.

They had appointed a Recorder, now they must organize a Court. A second
step, more serious than the first.

The judges delayed, hoping that fortune would end by deciding on one side
or the other, either for the Assembly or for the President, either
against the _coup d'etat_ or for it, and that there might thus be a
vanquished party, so that the High Court could then with all safety lay
its hands upon somebody.

They lengthily argued the question, whether they should immediately
decree the accusation of the President, or whether they should draw up a
simple order of inquiry. The latter course was adopted.

They drew up a judgment, not the honest and outspoken judgment which
was placarded by the efforts of the Representatives of the Left and
published, in which are found these words of bad taste, _Crime_ and
_High Treason_; this judgment, a weapon of war, has never existed
otherwise than as a projectile. Wisdom in a judge sometimes consists in
drawing up a judgment which is not one, one of those judgments which has
no binding force, in which everything is conditional; in which no one is
incriminated, and nothing, is called by its right name. There are species
of intermediate courses which allow of waiting and seeing; in delicate
crises men who are in earnest must not inconsiderately mingle with
possible events that bluntness which is called Justice. The High Court
took advantage of this, it drew up a prudent judgment; this judgment is
not known; it is published here for the first time. Here it is. It is a
masterpiece of equivocal style:--

EXTRACT FROM THE REGISTRY OF THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE.

"The High Court of Justice.

"According to Article 68 of the Constitution, considering that
printed placards beginning with these words, 'The President of the
Republic' and ending with the signatures, 'Louis Napoleon Bonaparte'
and 'De Morny, Minister of the Interior,' the said placards ordaining
amongst other