an opposition paper, or in any way to censure the proceedings of government.

Neither were the civil and religious rights of the people respected, as they had hoped would be the case in 1830. The manner of arrest, of trial, and of imprisonment, was frequently in defiance of the constitution; and in political cases it was extremely difficult for the prisoner to obtain an acquittal. Public instruction was so much neglected that one half of the population were unable to read or write. Private meetings of more than twenty persons were forbidden, if the object of assembling was politics. At the same time the expenses of government were enormous. The numerous diplomatic transactions with other European courts; the protracted struggle in Algiers; the frequent intermarriages; the standing army of hundreds of thousands of men; the belt of fortifications around Paris; the immense number of public officers depending on the crown, made France poor, and paralyzed exertions which if properly applied and fostered, might have given to the nation that commercial or manufacturing importance for which it is admirably adapted by nature and geographical position.

These were the principal causes which led to the downfall of Louis Philippe. In summing them up, we may observe, that his foreign policy was in general commendable, but opposed to the character of his people; his internal policy was marked by selfishness, added to a strange blindness as to the ultimate consequence.

The more the bold, the bustling, and the bad,

Press to usurp of power, the more

Behoves it virtue, with indignant zeal,

To check their combination.

THOMSON.

ALTHOUGH the day after the battle [February 25] passed away without any infraction of peace, it was one of strange tumultuous excitement. The streets were crowded with promenaders of both sexes, wearing more the appearance of celebrating a festival, than reviewing the traces of a recent and bloody revolution. Notwithstanding the superficial mirth and forced hilarity of the citizens, the whole city wore a sad and desolate aspect. Pavements, trees, posts, portions of

houses, had been torn up to construct barricades. The streets appeared as though an earthquake had suddenly destroyed all order, and heaved their contents together, in heavy confused masses. Near the residence of the minister of foreign affairs, pools of blood lay, fifty paces long. Quantities of blood were in other places, although not in the same amount. During the day all the detached forts around Paris surrendered without resistance. Through the exertions of Lamartine, order was in a great measure restored before night. With the most admirable courage and exertion, he moved among the still infuriated mob, exhorting them to trust in the provisional government, and rally for its defence. From the windows of the Hôtel de Ville he five times addressed the people, and prevented an outbreak, which, once started, would have been the most terrible witnessed by France since 1793. By his suggestions, capital punishment for political crimes was abolished, and the tri-coloured flag substituted for the fearfully emblematic red one. His words to the people on the latter subject are worthy of preservation. "To-day you demand from us the red flag instead of the tri-colour one. Citizens for my part I will never adopt the red flag; and I will explain in a word why I will oppose it with all the strength of my patriotism. It is, citizens, because the tri-colour flag has made the tour of the world, under the republic and the empire, with our liberties and our glories, and that the red flag has only made the tour of the Champ de Mars, trailed through torrents of the blood of the people." The effect of such oratory was all-powerful. While shedding tears, the populace seized the speaker's hands, embraced him, and bore him away in triumph. Soon after fresh masses of the people arrived, armed with swords and bayonets. Rushing into the doors, they filled the large saloons of the Hôtel de Ville, and demanded the destruction of the provisional government. Terrible cries were now heard outside, where it was believed that the mob were massacring the members. Lamartine was again called for; but when raised on a staircase, it was half an hour before he could be heard. During that fearful interval, weapons of every kind were brandished around him, yells of demoniac fury rang along the walls, and all trembled lest he should be torn from his place and trampled under foot. His very calmness at length restored some degree of quiet, and then folding his arms, he commenced his address. It was

finished by softening, appeasing, and caressing the people, causing them either to withdraw, or unite as the safeguards of the new government.

On the following day, the restoration of order was completed. The public departments resumed their duties, business revived, and a more cheerful aspect began to present itself in the streets and places of public resort. Under the scientific direction of the students of the polytechnic school, the streets were partially cleared of the barricades, but in such a way as not to compromise the security against a surprise afforded by these popular fortifications. This enabled farmers to bring in their provisions, which by this time were greatly needed. The coach and cab drivers resumed their occupations; the law courts their sittings; fancy shops were reopened, and every means taken to calm the popular apprehensions. On the same day, Lamartine proclaimed to shouting multitudes the establishment of a republic, the abolition of the death punishment for political crimes, and other measures adopted by the provisional government. They had been deliberated upon and passed in a session of sixty consecutive hours, amid the infuriated yells of an intoxicated and distrustful populace. The abolition of capital punishment contributed, perhaps, more than any other measure to convince the irritated populace of the wisdom and moderation of their new leaders, and to save France, for that time, at least, from the horrors of anarchy and civil war. The unanimity with which the people accepted their new rulers was strangely in contrast with the bitter prejudices they had previously entertained, thus forming as sudden and remarkable a transition from one extreme to the other, as we have seen characterizing all the great events of this extraordinary revolution. Marshal Bugeaud on the part of the army, and the archbishop of Paris on that of the clergy, immediately gave in their adhesion; while with regard to the middle classes, whether in Paris or the provinces, together with the entire press, there appears to have been little hesitation. A few attempts to get up a legitimatist demonstration were either suppressed or treated with cold indifference. The Sabbath [February 27] was set apart as a day of festivity and rejoicing. The barricades had been removed, the streets were crowded, and every thing appeared as though the events of the week had been forgotten. At two P.M., the provisional government re

viewed the national guards, before the "column of July." In the evening, the city was illuminated in such a manner as to make the tri-colour conspicuous in the most important public buildings. Newspapers were distributed among the vast crowds, and to attract notice, the carriers proclaimed aloud that the ex-king was dead.

A large

Although in general both public and private property was respected, yet beyond the walls of the capital there was much wanton destruction. On Saturday, the king's beautiful country-seat at Neuilly was burned to the ground, although most of its valuable contents were saved. body of marauders then rushed into the cellars, where they found wine of all descriptions, and a cask of rum, which they broke open. After free indulgence, they commenced at furious battle with empty bottles, during which most of them were felled to the ground. Meanwhile, those above having pillaged the building, set it on fire, thus burning to death or suffocating their drunken comrades. More than one hundred dead bodies were dug out on Sunday. On the same day [Sabbath] the splendid mansion of the Baron Rothschild, at Surennes, was committed to the flames, under the impression of its being the king's property. On ascertaining their mistake, the mob, with ridiculous insolence, waited upon the proprietor, to apologize for their mistake. A gang of incendiaries proceeded to Maison Lafitte, near Paris, for the purpose of burning the bridge. The national guard immediately took arms, but not being sufficiently strong to oppose the mob, they were reinforced by a larger detachment, accompanied by a squadron of dragoons. These attacked the incendiaries, killed eight, took a number prisoners, and saved the bridge. The greatest damage was that done to the northern railroad, where property was destroyed to the value of two millions of dollars.

The gradual restoration of confidence between different classes of the populace, as well as with the government, was the work of the week immediately succeeding the revolutionary one. The provisional authorities immediately commenced repairing the mischief done in the "three days," taking freely into employment all workmen at that time idle. As an additional security, a garde nationale mobile" of twenty-four battalions, to be clothed and paid by the state. Twenty thousand of the most indigent youth of Paris were quickly enrolled and marched off for the frontiers.

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Satur