108 THE COLTON PAPERS. 



Most vivid bursts of approbation and applause followed the close of 

 every sentence ; but it was evident, that even in the midst of this 

 excitement, this great and magnanimous people had decided, as it 

 were, by simultaneous impulse, on the nature of their struggle, and 

 the purity of the cause in which they had embarked ; for not one 

 single cry of Vive la Republique was heard, while the whole of Paris 

 re-echoed to the constitutional and animating exclamation of Vive 

 la Charte ! It must be remembered, that although these obnoxious 

 Ordinances from the Court made their appearance on Monday, the 

 effect produced by their publication was not generally visible until 

 Tuesday morning ; for the Moniteur, the only paper in which they 

 were first promulgated, is very little read in the quarters of Paris 

 occupied by the laborious and industrious classes of the community ; 

 although they are constant and very observant readers of those 

 journals devoted to the defence of the laws and the constitution. 

 Judge then of their astonishment when the morning of Tuesday was 

 ushered in by the total disappearance of every liberal journal what- 

 soever ; when this disappearance of the journals established that 

 astounding fact, that the liberty of the press was annihilated, and 

 when the walls of every street in Paris were placarded by an Ordi- 

 nance of the Police, signed " Mangin," announcing, in most despotic 

 and unequivocal terms, a forbiddance to all public establishments 

 whatever either to receive or to circulate any journal not having the 

 authorisation of Government, as specified in the Ordinance of Mon- 

 day. This document was conceived in the following terms: 



" WE, THE PREFECT OF POLICE, &c. 



" Whereas the Ordinance of the King, bearing date the 25th of 

 this month, puts in force the Articles 1, 2, and 9, of the Law of the 

 21st October, 1814, &c. &c. 



" ART. 1. Every person who distributes any printed paper upon 

 which there does not appear a true description of the name, resi- 

 dence, and profession of the author, or who shall circulate them for 

 the purpose of perusal, shall be conducted to the Commissary of 

 Police of the quarter, and the papers shall be seized. 



" ART. 2. Every person keeping a reading-room, coffee-house, 

 &c., allowing newspapers, or other printed works, to be read therein, 

 in contravention of the Ordinance of the King, of the 25th instant, 

 relative to the press, shall be prosecuted, as culpable of the same 

 offence committed by such journal, and his establishment be pro- 

 visionally closed. 



" ART. 3. The present Ordinance shall be printed, published, and 

 placarded in the public places. 



" ART. 4. The various authorities of the capital are charged with 

 the execution of this order. 



(Signed) " MANGIN, Prefect of Police." 



The feeling of astonishment was instantly absorbed in sentiments 

 of indignation, when an extract from the Moniteur was cried through 

 the streets, announcing the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies, 



