This evening I went to the meeting in the Rue Lafaurie-Monbadon over
which I have ceased to preside. Schoelcher presided. I spoke. I am
satisfied with myself.
March 2.--Charles has returned. No session to-day. The adoption of peace
has opened the Prussian net. I have received a packet of letters and
newspapers from Paris. Two copies of the _Rappel_.
We dined _en famille_, all five of us. Then I went to the meeting.
Seeing that France has been mutilated, the Assembly ought to withdraw.
It has caused the wound and is powerless to cure it. Let another
Assembly replace it. I would like to resign. Louis Blanc does not want
to. Gambetta and Rochefort are of my way of thinking. Debate.
March 3.--This morning the Mayor of Strasburg, who died of grief, was
buried.
Louis Blanc called in company with three Representatives, Brisson,
Floquet and Cournet. They came to consult me as to what ought to be done
about the resignation question. Rochefort and Pyat, with three others,
are resigning. I am in favour of resigning. Louis Blanc resists. The
remainder of the Left do not appear to favour resignation _en masse_.
Session.
As I ascended the stairs I heard a fellow belonging to the Right, whose
back only I could see, say to another: “Louis Blanc is execrable, but
Victor Hugo is worse.”
We all dined with Charles, who had invited Louis Blanc and MM.
Lavertujon and Alexis Bouvier.
Afterwards we went to the meeting in the Rue Lafaurie-Monbadon. The
President of the Assembly having, on behalf of the Assembly, delivered
a farewell address to the retiring members for Alsace and Lorraine, my
motion to maintain their seats indefinitely, which was approved by the
meeting, is without object, inasmuch as the question is settled. The
meeting, however, appears to hold to it. We will consider the matter.
March 4.--Meeting of the Left. M. Millière proposed, as did also M.
Delescluze, a motion of impeachment against the Government of the
National Defence. He concluded by saying that whoever failed to join him
in pressing the motion was a “dupe or an accomplice.”
Schoelcher rose and said:
“Neither dupe nor accomplice. You lie!”
March 5.--Session of the Assembly.
Meeting in the evening. Louis Blanc, instead of a formal impeachment of
the ex-Government of Paris, demands an inquiry. I subscribe to this. We
sign.
Meeting of the Left. They say there is great agitation in Paris. The
Government which usually never receives less than fifteen dispatches a
day from Paris has not received a single one up to 10 o’clock to-night.
Six telegrams sent to Jules Favre have not been answered. We decide
that either Louis Blanc or I will interpellate the Government as to the
situation in Paris, if the present anxiety continues and no light is
thrown upon the situation.
A deputation of natives of Alsace and Lorraine came to thank us.
March 6.--At noon we lunched _en famille_ at Charles’s. I took the two
ladies to the Assembly. There is talk of transferring the Assembly to
Versailles or Fontainebleau. They are afraid of Paris. I spoke at the
meeting of the Eleventh Committee. I was nearly elected commissioner. I
got 18 votes, but a M. Lucien Brun got 19.
Meeting in the Rue Lafaurie. I proposed that we all refuse to discuss
the situation in Paris, and that a manifesto be drawn up, to be signed
by all of us, declaring our intention to resign if the Assembly goes
anywhere else than to Paris. The meeting did not adopt my plan, and
urged me to speak to-morrow. I refused. Louis Blanc will speak.
March 8.--I have handed in my resignation as a Representative.
There was a discussion about Garibaldi. He had been elected in Algeria.
It was proposed that the election be annulled. I demanded to be heard.
I spoke. Uproar on the Right. They shouted: “Order! Order!” It all reads
very curiously in the “Moniteur.” In face of this explosion of wrath I
made a gesture with my hand and said:
“Three weeks ago you refused to hear Garibaldi. Now you refuse to hear
me. That is enough. I will resign.”