While the Chartist movement was in full swing carrying out its final "death struggle," the French Republic, which was only separated from the Kingdom of Britain by a strait, was also preparing for the coming drastic changes.
The February Revolution detonated the entire France, and at the same time spread the revolutionary flames to Italy and Germany through Lyon and Strasbourg. The Republic cannot repeat the mistakes of 1793, and the revolutionary enthusiasm must end.
All for France!
Stopping the revolution and preserving the fruits of the Republic became the top priority in Lamartine's mind, and he has been working hard for this goal.
[Lamartine, a Girondin politician described by Marx, 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 ideals and reality. Once the Pandora's Box of revolution is opened, it will be extremely difficult to close it again.
Especially in a situation like this.
With the collapse of the July Monarchy, the proletariat and the industrial bourgeoisie, which were originally "united as one," quickly parted ways.
These two classes, which were originally in secondary contradictions, 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. Capitalists who had benefited from the revolution also responded tit-for-tat. They organized people 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 Republicans, the National Assembly pushed for legal provisions to dissolve the country's factories.
The conflict between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie made the already turbulent Paris even more panic-stricken, and at the same time, Lamartine felt that the burden on his shoulders was even greater.
I'm afraid only Emperor Napoleon can control such an unruly nation!
The words "treason" came to Lamartine's mind.
After reacting, Lamartine shook his head and laughed at himself: "I would even have such an idea!"
After saying that, he turned around and sat back at his desk to read through many newspapers such as "National", "Republic", "Reform" and so on.
Since the February Revolution lifted the censorship of books and periodicals, newspapers in France, especially in the Seine Province (Paris), have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. There are countless newspapers founded by workers' parties, republicans, and even royalists.
It has profoundly affected 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.
Understanding the direction of public opinion in Paris through newspaper content is Lamartine's daily "compulsory course".
Lamartine, who was flipping through the newspapers, suddenly came across an interesting article in the Constitutionalist.
["The Constitutionalist" is a newspaper of the French bourgeoisie; it was published daily in Paris from 1815 to 1870; in the 1940s, it was the organ of the moderate faction of the Orleans faction; during the revolutionary period of 1848-1849, it reflected the Ethnic
The views of the counter-revolutionary bourgeoisie led by Ye Er; it became a Bonapartist newspaper after the coup in December 1851.]
"From Bonaparte to Bonaparte?" Lamartine read out the title of the article, and the guy with an Italian accent who claimed to be the successor of Napoleon came to mind again.
After the February Revolution, I met that guy once. I wonder how he is doing in the United Kingdom now.
["Met once" refers to the fact that after the February Revolution, Napoleon III entered Paris in an attitude of agreeing with 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 read the next content, his expression becoming more solemn.
Universal suffrage, responsible government, equality for all, each of these items tickled Lamartine's nerves like a devil.
Although Lamartine, who retained his romantic style, subconsciously agreed with some of the views of the article, this article may plunge France, which is already polarized, into greater turmoil.
If possible, he really wanted to issue an order to completely ban this article.
It's a pity that the hastily established Second Republic did not grant him such rights.
Lamartine continued to read the contents of the remaining newspapers. About half of the remaining ten newspapers reprinted the article.
Lamartine suddenly realized the seriousness of the incident and that the direction of newspaper public opinion could affect the direction of the people of Seine Province.
I'm afraid the purpose of this article is not to simply praise what the promoter behind the article wants to do.
"Dong dong dong"
A brief knock on the door pulled Lamartine from the realm of consciousness to reality.
Lamartine reacted and said quickly: "Please come in!"
A slightly fat middle-aged man pushed the door in with a panic look on his face: "Mr. Lamartine, on the street... on the street..."
The panic look on the middle-aged man's face made Lamartine's heart thump. He desperately hoped that the news from Shang Bo was not bad news: "Calm down and tell me what happened on the street! Shang Bo."
After hearing Lamartine's serious words, the man named Champo calmed down as if he had found his backbone and said: "Sir, when I passed by the Place de la Concorde, I saw many demonstrators holding banners!"
[Victor Champeau de Lablay became Lamartine's secretary in 1833 and accompanied him on his second trip to the East, but died in Marte in 1850.]
"How much is that?" Lamartine asked the secretary in front of him in a stern tone.
"About nearly a thousand people! I don't know the exact number!" Champeau responded to Lamartine.
"Only a thousand people!" Lamartine muttered quietly, feeling relieved inside.
The march of a thousand people was still within Lamartine's control, as long as it was not like the February Revolution.
"What is the slogan of their march? To maintain the country's factories? To protect workers' wages?" Lamartine continued to ask.
"No..." Champeau shook his head and responded: "None of them? Their slogan is "Long live Napoleon!" "We want Napoleon"? And..."
Champeau glanced at Lamartine and said hesitantly: "And overthrow the Republic!"
"These Bonapartists!" Lamartine said through gritted teeth.
"Monsieur Lamartine, I heard that it was not just the parade! Even the army was shouting "Long live Napoleon"!" Champeau then broke another piece of news to Lamartine.