night of the 9th and 10th of August their government forms
itself for action, it has been set up as it will behave, with violence
and fraud.--In vain have they annoyed and worked on the sections
for the past fortnight; they are not yet submissive, only six out of
forty-eight at the present hour, eleven o'clock at night, being found
sufficiently excited or purged to send their commissioners forthwith,
with full power, to the Hotel-de-ville. The others will follow, but the
majority rests inert or recalcitrant.[2667]--It is necessary, therefore,
to deceive or force this majority, and, to this end, darkness, the late
hour, disorder, dread of the coming day, and the uncertainty of what
to do, are precious auxiliaries. In many of the sections,[2668] the
meetings are already adjourned or deserted; only a few members of the
permanent bureau in the room, with a few men, perhaps asleep, on the
nearly empty benches. An emissary arrives from the insurgent sections,
along with a company of trusty fellows belonging to the quarter, and
cries out, Save the country! The sleepers open their eyes, stretch
themselves, raise their hands, and elect whoever is designated,
sometimes strangers and other unknown individuals, who will be disowned
the coming day at a full meeting of the section. There is no official
report drawn up, no balloting, the course pursued being the most prompt.
At the Arsenal section, six electors present choose three among their
own number to represent 1,400 active citizens. Elsewhere, a throng of
shrews, night-brawlers and dishonorable persons, invade the premises,
chase out the believers in law and order, and win all the desired
appointments.[2669] Other sections consent to elect, but without
consenting to give power of attorney. Several make express reservations,
stipulating that their delegates shall act in concert with the legal
municipality, distrusting the future committee, and declaring in advance
that they will not obey it. A few elect their commissioners only to
obtain information, and, at the same time, to show that they intend
earnestly to stop all rioting.[2670] Finally, at least twenty
sections abstain from or disapprove of the proceedings and send no
delegates.--Never mind, they can be dispensed with. At three o'clock
in the morning, 19 sections, and, at seven o'clock, 24 or 25,[2671] are
represented one way or another at the Town-hall (Hotel-de-ville), and
this representation forms a central committee. An