158 EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [456 



Assemblce was dissolved, that universal suffrage was re- 

 established, that a state of siege was in force," that "the 

 principles of 1789 were to remain the basis of our public 

 law," that " the last word was to be spoken by the nation 

 to be consulted through the voice of the plebiscite." The 

 issue was thus sufficiently beclouded as far as the masses 

 were concerned. To this was added the element of force. 

 Instructions were sent out to the prefects to " replace im- 

 mediately all hostile or suspected functionaries, to dissolve 

 hostile municipal councils, not to tolerate any discussion of 

 things that had happened, to demand the submission of the 

 proofs of articles for the press." In Paris public and pri- 

 vate buildings were searched for arms and dangerous litera- 

 ture. Even people under the least suspicion were taken 

 into custody, filling prisons and forts. Napoleon well knew 

 that the Assembly had no doubts about the real meaning of 

 the proclamation. Thus, before the next dawn, sixteen of 

 the most hostile members of the Assembly were arrested in 

 their homes, among them Thiers. The rest were dispersed 

 during an attempt to gather at the Palais-Bourbon. Two 

 hundred and eighteen were taken into custody during the 

 following night.^' 



The result of the plebiscite of December 20, 185 1, fully 

 justified Napoleon's expectations. Of a total of 8,079,953 

 votes cast, 7,439,216 voted in the affirmative on a ballot 

 w'hich stated that "the people want [trir/] the maintenance 

 of the authority of Louis Napoleon and delegate to him the 

 powers required to create a constitution on the basis pro- 

 posed by his proclamation of December the second. "^^ 



It may be maintained that such methods of force and 

 compulsion can no longer be applied in a peaceful and well- 

 governed commonwealth. But even to-day a territory under 

 the military occupation of the victor, who himself demands 

 its annexation, can hardly be styled a peaceful and well- 

 governed commonwealth. It would of necessity follow that 



^" Ibid., vol. i, pp. 5-6; see also La Gorce, Histoire de la seconde 

 Republique frangaise, vol. ii, books xx-xxi. 

 ^® La Gorce, Histoire du second Empire, vol. i, p. 12. 



