No. 70 dressed in a sort of blue
cloth military cloak, and armed, as we found out later on.

The situation was grave; sixteen Representatives arrested, all the
generals of the Assembly, and he who was more than a general, Charras.
All the journals suppressed, all the printing offices occupied by
soldiers. On the side of Bonaparte an army of 80,000 men which could be
doubled in a few hours; on our side nothing. The people deceived, and
moreover disarmed. The telegraph at their command. All the walls covered
with their placards, and at our disposal not a single printing case, not
one sheet of paper. No means of raising the protest, no means of
beginning the combat. The _coup d'etat_ was clad with mail, the Republic
was naked; the _coup d'etat_ had a speaking trumpet, the Republic wore a
gag.

What was to be done?

The raid against the Republic, against the Assembly, against Right,
against Law, against Progress, against Civilization, was commanded by
African generals. These heroes had just proved that they were cowards.
They had taken their precautions well. Fear alone can engender so much
skill. They had arrested all the men of war of the Assembly, and all the
men of action of the Left, Baune, Charles Lagrange, Miot, Valentin,
Nadaud, Cholat. Add to this that all the possible chiefs of the
barricades were in prison. The organizers of the ambuscade had carefully
left at liberty Jules Favre, Michel de Bourges, and myself, judging us
to be less men of action than of the Tribune; wishing to leave the Left
men capable of resistance, but incapable of victory, hoping to dishonor
us if we did not fight, and to shoot us if we did fight.

Nevertheless, no one hesitated. The deliberation began. Other
representatives arrived every minute, Edgar Quinet, Doutre, Pelletier,
Cassal, Bruckner, Baudin, Chauffour. The room was full, some were
seated, most were standing, in confusion, but without tumult.

I was the first to speak.

I said that the struggle ought to be begun at once. Blow for blow.

That it was my opinion that the hundred and fifty Representatives of the
Left should put on their scarves of office, should march in procession
through the streets and the boulevards as far as the Madeleine, and
crying "Vive la Republique! Vive la Constitution!" should appear before
the troops, and alone, calm and unarmed, should summon Might to obey
Right. If the soldiers yielded, they should go to the Assembly and make
an end of Louis B