United States or Tuvalu ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The prefect and town authorities, proud of their own sagacity in capturing State prisoners who were endeavoring to escape from France, held them in custody while they sent word of their exploit to Paris. They at once received orders to put all the party on the train for Belgium. Charras was liberated at Brussels, Changarnier at Mons, Lamoricière was carried to Cologne, M. Baze to Aix-la-Chapelle.
The papers devoted to the Elysee interests attacked Changarnier; the papers of the party of Order attacked Bonaparte; the Permanent Committee held frequent secret sessions, at which it was repeatedly proposed to declare the fatherland in danger; the Army seemed divided into two hostile camps, with two hostile staffs; one at the Elysee, where Bonaparte, the other at the Tuileries, where Changarnier resided.
The meaning of all this was hardly doubtful. Changarnier took up the gauntlet, and at a time when the question of Revision was before the Chamber he declared that no soldier would ever be induced to move against the law and the Assembly, and he called upon the Deputies to deliberate in peace.
At Creil station the first person whom Charras saw was General Changarnier. "Ah! it is you, General." The two proscripts embraced each other. Such is exile. "What the deuce are they doing with you?" asked the General. "What they are probably doing with you. These vagabonds are making me travel under the name of Vincent." "And me," said Changarnier, "under the name of Leblanc."
He has a big nose, thick lips, heavy eyebrows, an intelligent and severe eye, and grey, ill-combed hair. Changarnier looks like an old academician, just as Soult looks like an old archbishop. Changarnier is sixty-four or sixty-five years old, and tall and thin. He has a gentle voice, a graceful and formal air, a chestnut wig like M. Pasquier's, and a lady-killing smile like M. Brifaut's.
Why it fell out, that, when Miss Changarnier came floating down the staircase again, robed in something thin, white, and glittering as the hoar-frost itself, the darkness of her hair was twined neither with the roseate Marlboro' bells, nor yet with the long acacia-sprays whose golden balls should have expanded and bloomed in the light and heat till they seemed like fragrant drops of lustre, Miss Changarnier could best tell for herself.
He has violated the Assembly, he violates Belgium. But all the same, you are a medley of strange rascals. He who is at the top is a madman, those who are beneath are blockheads. Very well, my friends, let me go to sleep." And he went to sleep. Almost the same incident happened nearly at the same moment to Generals Changarnier and Lamoricière and to M. Baze.
The police agents did not leave General Changarnier until they had reached Mons. There they made him get down from the train, and said to him, "General, this is your place of residence. We leave you free." "Ah!" said he, "this is my place of residence, and I am free? Well, then, good-night."
He naturally turned to the army; but the leading generals distrusted him, and were in the ranks of his enemies. They were all Orléanists or Republicans. The ablest general in France was probably Changarnier, who had greatly distinguished himself in Algeria.
Hence their virtuously proud indignation at the unenthusiastic wits and scoffers. That same evening the Ministers were summoned to the Elysee; Bonaparte presses the removal of Changarnier; five Ministers refuse to sign the order; the "Moniteur" announces a Ministerial crisis; and the party of Order threatens the formation of a Parliamentary army under the command of Changarnier.
Word Of The Day