distant from them as
heaven is from earth. That which makes them representatives of the small
traders' class is that they do not intellectually leap the bounds which
that class itself does not leap in practical life; that, consequently,
they are theoretically driven to the same problems and solutions, to
which material interests and social standing practically drive the
latter. Such, in fact, is at all times the relation of the "political"
and the "literary" representatives of a class to the class they
represent.

After the foregoing explanations, it goes with-out saying that, while
the Mountain is constantly wrestling for the republic and the so-called
"rights of man," neither the republic nor the "rights of man" is its
real goal, as little as an army, whose weapons it is sought to deprive
it of and that defends itself, steps on the field of battle simply in
order to remain in possession of implements of warfare.

The party of Order provoked the Mountain immediately upon the convening
of the assembly. The bourgeoisie now felt the necessity of disposing
of the democratic small traders' class, just as a year before it
had understood the necessity of putting an end to the revolutionary
proletariat.

But the position of the foe had changed. The strength of the proletarian
party was on the streets; that of the small traders' class was in the
National Assembly itself. The point was, accordingly, to wheedle them
out of the National Assembly into the street, and to have them break
their parliamentary power themselves, before time and opportunity could
consolidate them. The Mountain jumped with loose reins into the trap.

The bombardment of Rome by the French troops was the bait thrown at the
Mountain. It violated Article V. of the Constitution, which forbade
the French republic to use its forces against the liberties of other
nations; besides, Article IV. forbade all declaration of war by the
Executive without the consent of the National Assembly; furthermore,
the constitutive assembly had censured the Roman expedition by its
resolution of May 8. Upon these grounds, Ledru-Rollin submitted on June
11, 1849, a motion impeaching Bonaparte and his Ministers. Instigated by
the wasp-stings of Thiers, he even allowed himself to be carried away to
the point of threatening to defend the Constitution by all means, even
arms in hand. The Mountain rose as one man, and repeated the challenge.
On June 12, the National Assembly rejected