Hotel-de-Ville, General La Fayette at
its head, and my old acquaintance Monsieur Alexandra de Laborde taking
an active part. How all this is to end I cannot imagine; the cry for a
republic, though strongly echoed, will, I think, be unavailing; and the
reasonable part of the community cannot desire that it should be
otherwise, inasmuch as the tyranny of the many must ever be more
insupportable than that of one, admitting that even a despotic monarchy
could in our day exercise a tyranny, which I am not disposed to admit.

The tri-coloured flag now floats on many of the churches, while that of
the _Fleur-de-lis_ still waves from the column in the Place Vendome, on
other public buildings, and the Tuileries. What a strange state of
things! but every thing is strange in this eventful crisis.

---- has just been here, and reports that yesterday a meeting of the
Deputies took place at the house of M. Casimir Perier, in order to
consult on what measures they ought to pursue in the present state of
affairs. He says, that pusillanimity, and want of decision consequent
on it, marked the conduct of the assembly. They lost the time, so
precious in a crisis like the actual one, in disputing about words,
when deeds ought to have been had recourse to. They are accused of
being influenced by a dread of offending the now tottering power, lest
it should once more be solidly reinstated, and yet of being anxious to
remain well with those opposed to it; and they are said to have
temporised with both, allowing the time for serving either to have
passed away.

A bitter feeling towards the royal family seems to pervade the minds of
the populace; and this has been fomented by the most gross and
disgusting falsehoods dispensed around by the medium of obscene
_brochures_, and songs which are sung and distributed through the
streets. Even now beneath my window two men are offering, and crying
aloud, the Amours of the Duchesse d'Angouleme and the Archbishop of
Paris. The most spotless woman in France and the most devout man! The
same hand that would pull down the throne would raze the altar!

---- and ---- have been among the fighting, and report wonders of the
bravery of the populace. They fight with an enthusiasm and courage
worthy of a better cause, and have evinced a humanity to their wounded
adversaries that elicits admiration even from those who are the most
opposed to the cause they have espoused. The citizens, and the women
too, have come