Make France Great Again

Chapter 37 Lamartine under the Republic

While the Chartist movement was in full swing for its final "dying struggle", the French Republic, which was separated from the British Kingdom by only one strait, was also preparing for the upcoming upheaval.

The February Revolution detonated the whole of France, and at the same time spread the flame of revolution to Italy and Germany via Lyon and Strasbourg. The Republic cannot repeat the mistakes of 1793, and the enthusiasm for revolution must end.

All for France!

Stopping the revolution and preserving the fruits of the republic became the first priority in Lamartine's mind, and he has been working hard for this goal.

[Lamartine, a Girondist politician in Marx's mouth, served as the interim head of the government when the Provisional Government of the Second Republic was established, and concurrently served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from February 24 to May 11, 1848. 】

However, there is a gap between ideal and reality. Once the Pandora's box of revolution is opened, it will become extremely difficult to close it again.

Especially in a situation like this.

With the collapse of the July Dynasty, the originally "unified" proletariat and the industrial bourgeoisie quickly parted ways.

The two classes, who were originally in secondary conflicts, were united because of the political imbalance of the July Dynasty. After the main contradiction disappeared, the secondary contradiction became the main contradiction.

Under the increasingly acute class contradictions, workers began to unite spontaneously to smash machines and go on strike. The capitalists who benefited from the revolution also confronted each other. They organized personnel to beat workers who wanted to dismantle machines, and united in the National Assembly Under the banner of the Party of Order and the Conservative Republican Party, they pushed the National Assembly to dissolve the National Factory Act.

The conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie made the already turbulent Paris even more panicked, and at the same time made Lamartine feel that the burden on his shoulders was even greater.

Thinking of this, Lamartine, standing in front of the study window of his apartment on Rue Saint-Honoré, couldn't help frowning.

I am afraid that such a rebellious nation can only be controlled by Emperor Napoleon!

The words "big rebellion" appeared in Lamartine's mind.

After reacting, Lamartine shook his head and laughed at himself: "I would have such an idea!"

After finishing speaking, he turned around and sat back at the desk to read "National", "Republic", "Reform" and many other newspapers.

Since the February Revolution lifted the censorship of books and periodicals, newspapers in France, especially in the province of Seine (Paris), have sprung up like mushrooms. It deeply affects the direction of public opinion in the entire Seine province.

As the interim head of the republic, Lamartine had to review the contents of the newspapers one by one.

It is Lamartine's daily "compulsory course" to understand the direction of public opinion in Paris through newspaper content.

Lamartine, flipping through the newspapers, suddenly came across an interesting article in the "Constitutionalist".

[The Constitutionalist is a newspaper of the French bourgeoisie; published daily in Paris from 1815 to 1870; in the 1940s it was the organ of the moderate wing of the Orleanists; The views of the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie headed by Yell; after the coup in December 1851, it became the newspaper of the Bonapartists. 】

"From Bonaparte to Bonaparte?" Lamartine read out the title of the article, and the guy with an Italian accent who claimed to be Napoleon's successor appeared in his mind again.

After the February Revolution, I met that guy once, and I don't know how he is doing in the United Kingdom now.

["Meeting once" refers to the fact that after the February Revolution, Napoleon III entered Paris with a gesture of approving the revolution and supporting the republic. However, the Lamartine government expelled Napoleon III from the French Republic on the grounds that Napoleon III was a war criminal.

Lamartine continued to flip through the next content, his expression becoming more serious.

The law of universal suffrage, responsible government, and equality for all, each of which is like a devil, provokes Lamartine's nerves.

Although Lamartine, who retains a romantic style, subconsciously agrees with certain points of the article, this article may plunge France, which is already polarized, into a greater turmoil.

If possible, he really wanted to issue an order to completely ban this article.

It's a pity that the hastily created Second Republic did not give him such rights.

Lamartine continued to read the contents of the remaining newspapers, and about half of the remaining dozen or so newspapers reprinted the article.

Lamartine suddenly realized the seriousness of the incident, and the direction of newspaper public opinion can affect the direction of the people of Seine.

I am afraid that the purpose of this article is not simply to praise, what the driving force behind the article wants to do.

"Boom boom boom"

A brief knock on the door pulled Lamartine out of consciousness and into reality.

Lamartine, who reacted quickly, said, "Please come in!"

A slightly fat middle-aged man hurriedly opened the door and entered: "Mr. Lamartine, on the street...on the street..."

The panicked expression of the middle-aged man made Lamartine's heart thump. He desperately hoped that the news from Chambolt was not bad news: "Calm down and tell me what happened on the street! Chambolt"

After hearing Lamartine's serious words, the man named Chambord calmed down as if he had found a backbone and said, "Sir, when I passed by the Place de la Concorde, I saw many demonstrators holding banners!"

[Victor Chambord de La Blaile, became Lamartine's secretary in 1833 and accompanied him on his second trip to the East, but died in Marthe in 1850. 】

"How much is that many!" Lamartine asked the secretary in front of him sternly.

"There are nearly a thousand people! I don't know the exact number!" Chambord responded to Lamartine.

"Only a thousand people!" Lamartine muttered in a low voice, and he also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

The parade of a thousand people is still within the control of Lamartine, as long as it is not like the February Revolution.

"What is the slogan of their march? Maintain the national factory? Guarantee workers' wages?" Lamartine continued to ask.

"No..." Chambord shook his head and responded, "Neither? Their slogan is "Long live Napoleon!" ""We want Polon"? And..."

Chambord glanced at Lamartine and said hesitatingly: "There is also the overthrow of the Republic!"

"These Bonapartists!" Lamartine spit out from his mouth through gritted teeth.

"Mr. Lamartine, I heard that there are not only parades! Even the army is shouting "Long live Napoleon"!" Chambo then exploded another message to Lamartine.

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