50 



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EtmnBBSK^^BKS 



ance of the government, and for that very reasoi 

 they are hateil by the people, the other hotly of 

 troops were infantry of the line, and crossing the 

 Pont Royale, they came along the southern side 

 of the river. Colli detachments approached the 

 multitude; and crowding upon them, succeeded 

 at last in clearing the space before the Cham- 

 bers. 



The greater part of the throng crossed the 

 bridge, and spread tlipmselves over the Place de 

 la Concorde. This square, perhaps the most 

 beautiful in the world, is about eight acres in ex- 

 tent. In the centre is the famed ohelisk of Lux- 

 or ; on either side of this is a splendid fountain, 

 which was in lull action during the scenes we 

 describe. To the east is the garden of the Tuil- 

 eries — to the west aie the Champ Elysees. This 

 vast area, so associated with air, and luxury, and 

 beauty, was now crowded with an irritated pop- 

 ulace, mainly of the working classes. Their 

 number constantly increased, and bodies of 

 troops, foot and horse, arrived from various quar- 

 ters, till the square was literally covered. The 

 number of persons here collected in one mass 

 was over 100,000. 



At the commencement, the mob amused them- 

 selves with songs, shouts, and pasquinades; but 

 in clearing the space before the Deputies, and 

 driving the people across the bridge, the guards 

 had displayed great rudeness. They pressed 

 upon the masses, and one woman was crushed to 

 death beneath the hoofs of the horses. Pebbles 

 now began to be hurled at the troops from the 

 square. Dashing in among the people, sword in 

 hand, the cavalry drove them away; but as they 

 cleared one space, another was immediately fill- 

 ed. The effect of this was to chafe and irritate 

 the mob, who now began to seize sticks and 

 stones, and hurl them in good earnest at their 

 assailants. 



While this petty war was going on, some 

 thousands of the rioters dispersed themselves 

 through the Champs Elysees, and began to build 

 barricades across the main avenue. The chairs, 

 amounting to many hundreds, were immediately 

 disposed in three lines across the street. Bench- 

 es, trellises, boxes, lences — every moveable tiling 

 within reach, was soon added to the barricades. 

 An omnibus passing by was captured, detached 

 from the horses, and tumbled into one of the 

 lilies. The flag was taken from the Panorama 

 near by, and avast procession paraded through 

 the grounds, singing the Marseillaise, the Parris- 

 sirie, and other patriotic airs. 



Meanwhile, a small detachment of foot guards 

 advanced to the scene of action, but they were 

 pelted with stones, and look shelter in their 

 guard-house. This was assailed with a shower 

 of missiles, which rattled like hail upon its roof. 

 The windows were dashed in, and a heap of 

 brush near by was laid to the wall and set on 

 fire. A body of horse guards soon arrived, and 

 dispersed the rioters; but the latter crossed to 

 the northern side of the Champs Elysees, at- 

 tacked another guard-house, and set it on fire. — 

 A company of the line came to the spot, bill the 

 mob cheered them, and they remained inactive. 

 The riot proceeded, and, in face of the soldiers, 

 the people fed the fire with fuel from the sur- 

 rounding trees and fences, sung their songs, 

 cracked their jokes, and cried "Down with Gui- 

 zot T "Vive la Reformer &c. &c In these 

 scenes the boys took the lead, performing the 

 most desperate feats, and inspiring the rest l>\ 

 their intrepidity. A remarkable air of fun and 

 frolic characterised the mob — wit flew as freely 

 on all sides as stones and sticks ; every missile 

 seemed winged with a joke. 



Such was the course of events the first day, so 

 far as they fell under my own observation! it 

 appears from the papers that similar proceed- 

 ings — though in some cases of a more serious 

 character — took place elsewhere. Great masses 

 of people gathered at various points. They 

 made hostile demonstrations before the office of 

 Foreign Affairs, crying out " Down with Guizot!" 

 Some person called for the Minister. " He is not 

 here," said one; "he is with the Countess Le- 

 vel)" — a remark which the habitue's of Paris will 

 understand as conveying a keen satire. At other 

 points, a spirit of insubordination was manifest- 

 ed. Bakers' .-hops were broken open, armories 

 forced, and barricades begun. Every where the 

 hymn of the Marseillaise and Dumas' touching 



death-song of the Girondins were sung, often by 

 hundreds of voices, and with thrilling effect.— 

 The rappel, for calling out the National Guard, 

 was beaten in several arrondissements. As night 

 closed in, heavy masses of soldiery, horse and 

 foot, with trains of artillery, were seen at vari- 

 ous points. The Place du Carrousel was full of 

 troops, and at evening they were reviewed by the 

 King and the Dukes of Nemours and Alontpen- 

 sier. Six thousand soldiers were disposed along 

 the Boulevards, from the Madeleine to the Porte 

 St. Man in. Patrols were seen in different quar- 

 ters during the whole night. About 12, tranquil- 

 ity reigned over the city, disturbed only in a few 

 remote and obscure places by the building of 

 barricades, the arrest of rioters, and one or two 

 combats, in which several persons were killed. 

 Such was the first day's work— the prelude lo 

 the mighty drama about to follow. 



Wednesday, the 23d, was fair, with dashes of 

 rain at intervals, as in our April. 1 was early 

 abroad, and soon noticed that companies of Na- 

 tional Guards were on duty. Only regular troops 

 had been culler! out the day before — a fact which 

 showed the distrust entertained by the king, of 

 the National Guards. This was noticed by the 

 latter, and was doubtless one of the causes which 

 hastened the destruction of the government. 



At nine o'clock, I passed up the Boulevards. 

 Most of the shops were shut, and an air of un- 

 easiness prevailed among the people. At the 

 Porte St. Denis, there was a great throng, and a 

 considerable mass of troops. Barricades were 

 soon after erected in the streets of St. Denis, 

 Clery, Rue Saint Eustaehe, Cad ran, &c. Several 

 fltsilades took place between the people and the 

 soldiers, and a number of persons were killed. 

 Some contests took place in other quarters, dur- 

 ing the morning. At two o'clock, the Boule- 

 vards, Rue St. Denis, Rue St. Martin, Monlmar- 

 tre, St. Honore— in short, all the great thorough- 

 fires— were literally crammed with people. Bo- 

 dies of horse and foot, either stationary or pa- 

 trolling, were every where to be seen. 



It was about this time that some officers of the 

 National Guards ordered their men to fire ; hut 

 they refused. In one instance, 400 National 

 Guards were seen inarching, in uniform, but 

 withoul arms. It became evident that the sol- 

 diers generally were taking part with the people. 

 This news was carried to the palace, and Count 

 Mole was called in to form a new ministry. He 

 undertook the task, and orders were immediately 

 given to spread the intelligence of this through 

 the city. 



Meanwhile the riot and revel went on in vari- 

 ous quarters. The police were active, and hun- 

 dreds of persons were arrested and lodged in 

 prison. Skirmishes took place between the sol- 

 diers and the people— long processions were 

 seen, attended by persons who sang choruses 

 and shouted " Down with Guizot "— " Long live 

 reform !" 



About four o'clock, the news of the downfall 

 of the Guizot ministry was spread along the 

 Boulevards. The joyful intelligence ran over 

 the city with the spread" of light, li was every 

 where received with acclamation. The people 

 and the troops, a short time before, looking at 

 each other in deadly hostility, were seen shaking 

 hands, and expressing congratulations. An im- 

 mense population— men, women and children- 

 poured into the Boulevards, to share in the jubi- 

 lation. Large parlies of tde National Guard pa- 

 raded the streets, the officers and men shouting, 

 " Five la Rtformr," and the crowd cheering loud- 

 ly. Bands of 500 to 1500 men and hoys went 

 about making noisy demonstrations of joy. On 

 being met by the troops, they divided to let them 

 pass, and immediately resumed their cries and 

 their songs. 



Towards half-past six o'clock, in the evening, 

 an illumination was spoken of, and many per- 

 sons lighted up spontaneously. The illumina- 

 tion soon became more general, and the populace 

 in large numbers went through the streets, call- 

 ing " Light up!" Numerous ban. Is, alone, or 

 following detachments of the National Guards 

 went about shouting " Fipe le Roi .'" " Vivela Re 

 forme?' and singing the " Marseillaise" At ma- 

 n\ points where barricades had been erected, 

 and the people were resisting the troops, they 

 ceased when they heard the news of the resigna- 

 tions, and the troops retired. "It is all over," 



was the general cry, and a feeling of relief seem- 

 ed to pervade every bosom. 



There can be no doubl that, but for a fatal oc- 

 currence which soon after took place, the farther 

 progress of the revolt would have been stayed. 

 Many wise people now say, that the revolution 

 was all planned beforehand; they had foreseen 

 and predicted it; and from the beginning of the 

 outbreak, everything tended lo this point. 



The fact is unquestionably otherwise. The 

 opposition, with their various clubs and societies 

 distributed through all classes in Paris, and hold- 

 ing constant communication with the ouvriers or 

 btovsemen, no doubt stood ready to take advan- 

 tage of any violence on the part of the govern- 

 ment which might justify resistance; hut they 

 had not anticipated such a contingency on the 

 present occasion. It is not probable that the 

 Mole ministry would have satisfied the people ; 

 but the king had yielded ; Guizot, the special ob- 

 ject of hatred, had fallen, and it was supposed 

 that farther concessions would he made, as con- 

 cession had been begun. But accident, which 

 often rules the fate of dynasties and empires, now 

 stepped in to govern the course of events, and 

 give them a character which should astonish the 

 world. 



In the course of the evening, a large mass of 

 people had collected in the Boulevards, in the 

 region of Guizot's office — [he Hotel des Affaires 

 Etrangers. The troops here had unfortunately 

 threatened the people, by rushing at them with 

 fixed bayonets, after the announcement of the 

 resignation of the ministry, and when a good 

 feeling prevailed among all classes. This irrita- 

 ted the mob, and was partly, no doubt, the occa- 

 sion of the large gathering in this quarter. For 

 some reason, not well explained, a great many 

 troops had also assembled here, and in the vicin- 

 ity. At ten o'clock, the street from the Madeleine 

 to the Rue de la Paiv, was thronged with sol- 

 diers and people. There was, however, no riot, 

 and no symptom of disorder. 



At this moment, a number of young men, 

 about sixty in number, came along the Boule- 

 vard, on the side opposite to the soldiers, and the 

 Foreign office. It is said that the colonel antici- 

 pated some attack, though nothing of the kind 

 was threatened. It appears that the soldiers 

 stood ready to fire, when one of their guns went 

 off and wounded the commandant's horse in the 

 leg. He mistook this for a shot from the crowd, 

 and gave instant orders to fire. A filsilade im- 

 mediately followed. Twenty persons fell dead, 

 and forty were wounded. The scene which en- 

 sued baffled description. The immense masses 

 dispersed in terror, and carried panic in all di- 

 rections. The groans of the dying and the 

 screaming of the wounded filled the air. Shops 

 and houses around were turned into a hospital. 

 "We are betrayed — we are betrayed!" "Re- 

 venge!" "Revenge!" was the cry of the masses. 

 From this moment the doom of the monarchy 

 was sealed. The leaders of the clubs, no doubt, 

 took their measures for revolution. An immense 

 wagon was soon brought to the scene of the 

 massacre ; the dead bodies were laid on it, and 

 flaring torches were lighted over it. The ghastly 

 spectacle was paraded through the streets, and 

 the mute lips of the corpses doubtless spoke 

 more effectively than those of I he living. Large 

 masses of people, pale with excitement, and ut- 

 tering execrations upon the murderers, followed 

 in the train of the wagon, as it passed through 

 the more populous streets of the city, and espe- 

 cially in those quarters inhabited by the lower 

 classes. The effect was such as might have been 

 anticipated. At midnight the barricades were 

 begun, and at sunrise the streets of Paris formed 

 a net-work of fortifications, which set the troops 

 at defiance. More than two thousand barricades, 

 some of them ten feet in height, were thrown up 

 during that memorable night; yet such was the 

 suddenness and silence of the operations, that 

 most of the inhabitants of the city slept secure 

 ly, fondly dreaming that the tempest had passed, 

 ami that the morning would greet them in peace. 

 On Thursday, the decisive day, the weather 

 was still mild and without rain, though the sky 

 was dimmed with clouds. At eleven o'clock in 

 Che morning I sallied forth. I cannot express 

 my astonishment at the scene. The whole 

 Boulevard was a scene of desolation. From the 

 Rue de la Paix to Rue Montmartre— the finest 



