a National Telegraph?
Not only grain shall circulate, while there is grain, on highways or
the Rhone-waters, over all that South-Eastern region,--where also if
Monseigneur d'Artois saw good to break in from Turin, hot welcome might
wait him; but whatsoever Province of France is straitened for grain, or
vexed with a mutinous Parlement, unconstitutional plotters, Monarchic
Clubs, or any other Patriot ailment,--can go and do likewise, or even do
better. And now, especially, when the February swearing has set them all
agog! From Brittany to Burgundy, on most plains of France, under
most City-walls, it is a blaring of trumpets, waving of banners, a
constitutional manoeuvring: under the vernal skies, while Nature too
is putting forth her green Hopes, under bright sunshine defaced by the
stormful East; like Patriotism victorious, though with difficulty, over
Aristocracy and defect of grain! There march and constitutionally
wheel, to the ca-ira-ing mood of fife and drum, under their tricolor
Municipals, our clear-gleaming Phalanxes; or halt, with uplifted
right-hand, and artillery-salvoes that imitate Jove's thunder; and
all the Country, and metaphorically all 'the Universe,' is looking on.
Wholly, in their best apparel, brave men, and beautifully dizened women,
most of whom have lovers there; swearing, by the eternal Heavens and
this green-growing all-nutritive Earth, that France is free!

Sweetest days, when (astonishing to say) mortals have actually met
together in communion and fellowship; and man, were it only once
through long despicable centuries, is for moments verily the brother of
man!--And then the Deputations to the National Assembly, with highflown
descriptive harangue; to M. de Lafayette, and the Restorer; very
frequently moreover to the Mother of Patriotism sitting on her stout
benches in that Hall of the Jacobins! The general ear is filled with
Federation. New names of Patriots emerge, which shall one day become
familiar: Boyer-Fonfrede eloquent denunciator of a rebellious Bourdeaux
Parlement; Max Isnard eloquent reporter of the Federation of Draguignan;
eloquent pair, separated by the whole breadth of France, who are
nevertheless to meet. Ever wider burns the flame of Federation; ever
wider and also brighter. Thus the Brittany and Anjou brethren mention
a Fraternity of all true Frenchmen; and go the length of invoking
'perdition and death' on any renegade: moreover, if in their
National-Assembly harangue, they