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involved a doubtful claim. But there are cases which lawyers can never be called upon calmly to decide. If we can fancy a people with eyes bent on the ground, and arms folded, lost in the most peaceable and profound meditation, coming to an eminent jurisconsult, and requesting mildly to know whether they have a right to resist their government, whatever might be their right, it would be their wisdom and their policy not to do so. But when a whole people feel at once, as by inspiration-feel without pause, or without reflection—that their government is changed-that their liberties are violated, that their laws are broken throughthey do not err, they cannot err, if all the lawyers in the universe, consulting all the laws that ever were written, declared the contrarythey have a right to resist, nay, more- they are certain to resist with success.

Monsieur Périer, and those who adopted M. Périer's opinions, spoke and thought then like reasonable men; but in all great crises, that part of our minds which is the most passionate and imaginative rises above our ordinary reason. It has a more powerful and comprehensive judgment, a clearer and more sympathetic prescience. In great emergencies, your man of feeling is right, your man of calculation

is wrong. A few passionate words of Mirabeau judged and decided the revolution of 1789.— The meeting at M. Laborde's was without result. On the 27th a similar meeting took place at M. Périer's. Here Messrs. Mauguin, Bertin de Vaux, De Puyraveau, were of the opinion expressed the day before by M. de Laborde; Messrs. Sébastiani and Dupin adopted the previous opinion of M. Périer.* After some debate on the propriety of a letter to Charles the Tenth, this meeting ended like the former one, with an appointment for the morrow.

On the 28th, M. de Puyraveau, M. Mauguin,

* An assemblage of electors at M. G. Gassicourt's produced more important results. It was there agreed to form twelve committees to correspond with the twelve arrondissements of Paris; twelve committees sitting permanently, and organizing and exciting resistance in their several districts.

These boards were to have a common centre, and communicate through M. Schonen with the liberal deputies.

Such was the existing difference of opinion, even at this time, in respect to active resistance, that M. Périer said to M. Schonen, who was exciting the people Vous nous rendez en sortant de la légalité - vous nous faites quitter une position superbe. On the same evening, M. Odilon Barrot said that war was declared, that force alone could decide the contest, and that it was the duty of every one to take arms.

M. Lafitte, and General Lafayette (who had then arrived), pronounced all reconciliation impossible, and were for inviting the Chamber to place itself behind the barricades of the people. Messrs. Dupin, Sébastiani, and Guizot still protested against any act contrary to the law, and declared that the Chamber should remain as a mediator in the conflict, and pronounce itself merely the advocate of public order. A proclamation, much in this sense, containing a compromise between the two parties, although opposed by M. Lafitte as beneath the exigencies of the occasion, was at last agreed to: it was moreover resolved to send a deputation to the Duc de Raguse, with an order, delivered in the name of the law, to stay, on his personal responsibility, the fury of the troops. This first meeting on the 28th separated at two o'clock, to meet at four.*

Its result had been the proclamation,† (which however was not to be published till the following day,) the deputation to the Duc de Raguse, and a declaration from General Lafayette, ex

*To meet at M. Bérard's.

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+ This proclamation, given to M. Coste, the editor of the Temps,' for insertion, was rendered by him more popular and more energetic than it was originally conceived.

pressing, as I have stated, the resolution he had adopted on his arrival at Paris, to place himself at all hazards at the head of the insurrection.

In the short interval which took place between the first and the second meeting of the deputies, the prospects of the people had appeared rather on the decline. Neither was the answer of Marmont, that he would only accept unqualified submission as a basis of treaty,' well calculated to restore the courage of any whose spirit had begun to fail.

Messrs. Villemain, Bertin de Vaux, and Sébastiani, although the two former had been hitherto sufficiently energetic, now refused to sign the proclamation of the morning, and retired in spite of the remonstrances of their colleagues. More favourable advices, however, arrived before the meeting had broken up, and M. Guizot, who, though willing to make an easy compromise with the crown at a more fortunate moment, showed both courage and presence of mind at this important crisis, proposed at once to affix to the proclamation the names of all the deputies of the liberal party known to be at Paris. This measure, after some dispute, was adopted at the suggestion of M. Lafitte, who rather happily observed,

"That if the people were defeated, there was

no fear but that the deputies, whose signatures had been used without their consent, would deny their connection with the paper it was affixed to; while, if things turned out otherwise, few would notice their absence, or express any disapprobation at the liberty taken with their names." Another meeting took place at eight o'clock, at M. Puyraveau's, when Lafayette, Mauguin, Laborde, were still for adopting a decided part-for even publicly appearing in their uniform of deputies, and with the tricolor in their hats; while General Sébastiani, on the other hand, was still anxious that some power should remain capable of mediation, and not committed by any decided act of hostility against Charles X. Those who were of the former opinion agreed to meet at five o'clock the following morning at M. Lafitte's.

On the 29th, at eleven o'clock, and not at five, the meeting took place; and instead of ten Deputies who had met the night before at M. de Puyraveau's, between thirty and forty were collected. The disposition that prevailed, even among the more moderate, was different from that of the preceding day.†

*Monsieur Dupin's name was omitted, on knowing which he expressed great regret.

This was natural; a great change had taken place

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