Chapter 257: The Momentum for Amending the Constitution
"France neither wants to restore the old order, whatever its disguise may be, nor to attempt harmful and unrealizable utopias. Because I am an opponent of both, France places its hopes in me.
…
If my government fails to achieve all the planned improvements, it will be due to factionalism.
One can see that for two years I have always had the support of Parliament when it came to fighting chaos with repressive measures. But when I wanted to implement welfare and improve the situation of the residents, it refused to help me.
At the beginning of a new phase of our political era, every French people should take active action and make their voice heard. If France realizes that people have no right to go beyond the constitution to deal with the constitution, France only needs to make one point; my strength and courage will not fail
it.
No matter what responsibilities the country asks of me, I am determined to carry out its will.
.....
France will not suffer in my hands."
As soon as the article was published, it caused uproar in industrial/semi-industrial cities such as Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nancy, Loire, and Dijon. Anyone with a little knowledge of politics will understand that the president's open letter has targeted the people.
Parliament, he is calling on all French people to oppose this National Assembly that they voted for.
"Is this guy Jérôme Bonaparte so eager to overthrow the National Assembly?" At this moment, Thiers, who stayed at the residence on Poirtier Street, became even more gloomy. Sitting on the sofa, he looked at him angrily.
Beside him, Beriye seemed to be questioning Beriye.
"Obviously! He can't wait any longer!" Berryer shrugged and said with a helpless expression: "Our strength is no longer enough to fight against him. When the National Assembly has lost the ability to check and balance the president, the president naturally cannot
It will be in the eyes of the National Assembly.”
Count Chambord's self-destruction caused both the orthodox and Orleanist camps to explode. On the orthodox side, some Orthodox and clerical people led by Broglie and Montalembert separated from the Party of Order and joined Bonaparte. On the Orleans side, except for Mo
In addition to Count Ley choosing to retire due to excessive disappointment, Odilon Barrot also left the Party of Order and moved closer to Bonaparte.
The once largest party was completely split into a minority, and Thiers and Berryer alone could no longer support the skeleton of the Party of Order.
"Fortunately, those "social democrats" have no intention of welcoming another emperor!" Thiers calmly analyzed the current situation. He turned his attention to Berryer and said: "Mr. Berryer, we must
Take action! We cannot be a match for Bonaparte with our strength alone!"
"What do you mean?" Berryer responded to Thiers.
"We must find help!" Thiers's mouth showed a sly smile.
"Help... who else..." Berryer subconsciously wanted to reject Thiers' idea, "Wait, you mean..."
"But we are royalists!" Berryer, whose moral bottom line is not very flexible, is having a fierce struggle in his thoughts.
"Mr. Berryier, we are all tomorrow's republicans!" Thiers said again what he had said during the February Revolution.
"Now that you have thought of a countermeasure, I will just follow your lead!" Berryer seemed to have agreed with Thiers' actions in his heart, and he pretended to be reserved and left the decision-making power in Thiers' hands.
"Then we have to have a good "negotiation" with the Republicans!" Thiers emphasized.
At the same time that Thiers and Berryer were conspiring, the trio of the Duke of Broglie, Montalembert and Odilon Barrot, who had defected or semi-dedicated to the Bonapartists, came to Jérôme Bonaparte.
Bar's residence, the Tuileries Palace.
Since the last time Jerome Bonaparte stayed at the Tuileries Palace, he has taken root in the Tuileries Palace.
The Elysée Palace, which once served as the president's office and rest residence, was completely reduced to the residence of Prince Montfort.
The Duke of Broglie and his party, led by Valewski, entered a living room of the Tuileries Palace.
There is a strong atmosphere of the First Empire in the living room. A half-open portrait of Napoleon is wrapped in a gold-rimmed frame and hung on the fireplace. Jerome Bonaparte is sitting on the sofa next to the fireplace.
"The Duke of Broglie, Mr. Odilon Barrot, and Count Montalembert welcome you!" Jerome Bonaparte stood up, shook hands with the three of them one by one, and invited them to sit down together.
Jérôme Bonaparte, who was sitting on the sofa, had his legs slightly spread apart, his hands hanging on the sofa, his body tilted back in a relaxed posture and asked: "You three, I don't know why you came to the Elysee Palace.
What are you doing?"
"That's it! Mr. President!" Odilon Barro told about the news about Jerome Bonaparte they saw in the Havas News Agency newspaper.
"So that's what happened!" Jérôme Bonaparte put his legs together, straightened his body on the sofa, and asked with a serious expression, "Gentlemen, I think you should understand my purpose.
What exactly is it!"
"Your Excellency, you still have more than a year, so you don't need to be in such a hurry!" Montalembert advised Jérôme Bonaparte: "You will cause some people who are loyal to you to defect to the other side!
"
"You are talking about Mr. Thiers," Jérôme Bonaparte said bluntly to Montalembert.
"That's right!" Montalembert nodded in response to Jérôme Bonaparte.
"Count Montalembert, Mr. Odilon Barro, the Duke of Broglie!" Jerome Bonaparte named them in turn: "You have been working with Mr. Thiers for a long time. Haven't you noticed?
Mr. Thiers is a complete egoist! All his actions are for himself. He formed the Party of Order to check and balance me. He disagreed with Changarnier as speaker to prevent Changarnier from seizing his power.
ecological niche…”
Jérôme Bonaparte criticized Thiers mercilessly.
From a certain point of view, Thiers is the same type of guy as Jérôme Bonaparte.
"A person like this will never condescend to others! He is like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark all day long, and will bite you hard at any time when you are not prepared." Jérôme Bonaparte said rudely to Thiers.
Slander.
When the three of Montalembert heard Jérôme Bonaparte's comments about Thiers, they were all silent.
"Okay! Gentlemen, since you all understand what I want to do, I would also like to ask you to wave my flag to support me after the parliament resumes!" Jérôme Bonaparte said in a gentle tone to the three people present.
said.
"Mr. President, please forgive me! This action of yours is likely to fail!" Duke Broy, who had been silent for a long time, said: "According to the constitution, when more than two-thirds of the people agree,
, the constitution can take effect. Our number is far less than three-quarters."
I just want less than three-quarters.
Jérôme Bonaparte said silently in his heart. He knew that some people in his camp, including his father, Prince Montfort, were still hesitating about wanting and wanting at the same time.
They want to overthrow the Legislative Assembly, but they don't want blood splattered on them.
In an attempt to complete the coup in a legal way without any bloodshed.
Wanting to accomplish something but not willing to bear the cost is part of the Bonapartist mentality.
For this kind of guy who is on both ends of the spectrum, Jérôme Bonaparte can only tell them with the harshest reality that if they do not choose to completely trample the National Assembly under their feet, then the power they rely on will be destroyed on May 1852.
Total collapse in two weeks.
Nothing is more sobering than a rejection by the Legislative Assembly.
"I just want to see how many people in the Parliament are willing to support us!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to the Duke of Broglie: "In the next year, we only need to win this
The support of some people is enough! As a last resort, I still hope that all this can be solved by referendum rather than force! A four-year term is simply not enough to support me in accomplishing a great cause! Duke Broy, are you willing to help me?
"
Jérôme Bonaparte's words once again confused the Duke of Broglie and others. In their opinion, the president still respected the constitution.
In order for the president not to use force to amend the constitution, they must compromise on the president's behavior.
"Of course!" Duke Broglie immediately agreed to Jérôme Bonaparte's request.
In the next ten days or so, the Duke of Broglie traveled around for Jerome Bonaparte, and Montalembert also became the spokesperson of Jerome Bonaparte's Elysée Palace. Thiers carefully
The designed Parliamentary Permanent Committee completely became the Elysée Palace faction with the help of insiders.
Even Speaker Dupin, who was once hostile to Jérôme Bonaparte and his faction, gradually moved closer to the Elysee Palace.
At the same time, a petition from the Gironde entered Paris.
"His Excellency the President is an indispensable presence in France, and his term should be extended!" Georges Eugène Haussmann, then a senior official in the Gironde Province, also called on public occasions for the French provinces to unite and send petitions to Paris, so that Paris can
See their attitude.
Eugène Osman's public statement undoubtedly pointed the way for other senior officials in the provinces. When the president suppresses the parliament, it is a necessary measure to please the president.
For a time, except for a few senior officials from the stubborn royalist areas, senior officials from other provinces expressed their hope to Paris that Jerome Bonaparte would stay in office.
The soldiers were not idle either. Under the arrangements of the Paris Military Office and the Ministry of War, the commanders of the Strasbourg Front, the Alpine Front, and the Italian Front also expressed their attitudes to Paris.
Petitions poured into Paris from all directions, and Jerome Bonaparte's momentum reached its peak surrounded by high-ranking officials and generals from various provinces.