REVOLUTION IN FRANCE.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 218, 1 July 1848, Page 3

REVOLUTION IN FRANCE.

The event which « c li.^e for some lime piPdicted has been realised. The dynasty ol Fiance has undergone anothei pciiodical cliai I^^, ai>»! the Government is again in the hands vi (he people. Louis Philippe abdicated on llie UUh Fcbiuui), and with In ■. Saimly es'vjped 10 Kn«land—W. Guizot (olloued alies hue A piuvisional Government hasheen lonned, ol wlm:ljiVl, Bupont (de I'Koie,) is. appointed Piesidcni, and W. Lama Mine Minisifi ol I\>t'>i,in all m.< T! s

cucumstances accompanying and succeeding the abdication of the Kuia. we have gatheied fiom various French and English journals, and now present them in order before our leaders. It appears that on Tuesday, the 22nd February, a Reform Banquet was to have taken place at Paris, which the Ministry ordered to be suppressed. This excited the populace, and the Revolution broke out. It was said to have been the intention ot the Government to have allowed the Banquet to pro- * ceed, and only to have piotesled against it m order to let the question of light be tried before the tribunals, but that a manifesto issued by the Banquet, dangeious to the peace of the capital, Lad changed the intention of the Government, and obliged them to publish a Proclamation through the Prefect of Police, prohibiting any unlawful processions or assemblages of the people. A Pioclamation was also issued to the National Guard, interdicting their attendance at the Banquet, under the penalties of the. law. Galujnani of the 23id February says— We gave, yesteiday, in our afternoon edition, an account of the excitement which prevailed in Paris, in consequence of the Reform Banquet. At that time we entertained hopes that the effervescence would pass over without any very seiious results, but this, we regret to say was not the case- We now give, flora our own obseivation, and fiom information drawn from various sources, the details of the most prominent events of the afternoon and the night. In order to be consecutive, we must commence our article with the early part of the day. At about ten o'clock, a rather large crowd assembled iii the Place dv Pantheon, and went towards the Place ie la Madeline by the rues St. Jaques, dcs Gres, St. Honore, &c. As they wen: alon" they shouted— "Vive la Reforme!" and san<Ahe " Marseillaise," the '• Chant dv Depart" andtbe Chorus of the " Girondins." On amving at the Place de laMadeline, the band, which had considerably increased, dispersed in different directions. „ At about eleven o'clock, columns consisting ot •workmen of the faubourgs, and students, marched on to the Place de ia Concorde. These columns •were headed by two National Guards, and one of them crossed the bridge de la Concorde, and proceeded towards the Chamber of Deputies, where it was joined by another column, which came from the Gros Caillon. The mob compelled a Deputy who was proceeding to the Chambers, to alight from his carnge and take off his hat The mob cried— "Off with your hat, down with the aristocracy !" Another Deputy was obliged to leave his carriage. Both had to state their names, and to answer a number of questions, after which they were allowed to pioceed, but on foot. Between eleven and twelve, a compact mass of from 5000 to 6000 arrived in front of the facade of the Chamber of Deputies, shouting— "Viva la Reforme— down with Guizot !" The gates were closed but some of them succeeded in rushing up to ihe'colonnade, where they attempted to break open the doors, but not being able to do that, contented themselves with smashing the windows Several of them actually contrived to reach the Chamber, and to occupy by force the tribunes of the public, and of the National Guard, The crowd continued its march, and arrived, with the same cries, on the Place dv Palais Bourbon. The employes of the Chamber, who form part of the National Guard, were immediately convoked by the Chef de battdllion, who was present, and having put on their uniform, ranged themselves before the principal doors. Some men in blouses who had penetrated into the interior, were expulsed, and the doors were closed. At this moment, General Tiburce Sebastiani, Commandant of the first military division, arrived, and was followed by a detachment of the 69th regiment, and by a detachment of the 6th dragoons. The soldiei s soon removed the i loters from the vicinity of the Chamber, and drove them on to the Place de la Concorde. The mob then attempted some resistance, and pelted the soldiers. A Commissary of police summoned the people to disperse, as ordered by the law, and on their declining they were charged with drawn swords. By two o'clock the Boulevards, from the Rue Montr martre to the Madeleine, were occupied by an immense crowd, but not so great as to prevent the circulation. The Rue Royale and other streets were also crowded On the Place de la Concorde, an immense ci owd was assembled. The Municipal Guard attempted to drive the Rue basse dv Rempart, but they ascended by the steps which led to the Boulevards, and when the <iiard had passed, redescended again. This game was kept up for some tune. The crowds in the Hue de la Chausse d'Antin, and Louis-le-Grand, were very great, and there were strong detachments of dragoons in them. In the Champ Elysees the greater part of the lamps near the Rond Point were broken, and the iron pillars of those of the streets leading to the Fanbourg St. Honore, were forced from tha earth, and young trees were cut down. Most of tho benches between the Place de la Concorde and the Rond Point, vf ere forced from their stone sockets to add to the barricades. When the cavalry appeared they lighted 8 tremendous fire m the principal avenue, of all the chairs that lined both sides of the road, sacks of pommes de pin, and finally of an omnibus, which had been thrown into the flames, and of which, towards morning, nothing remained but the iron work. After forming the barricade, the mob attacked a post of six men, near the Panorama of the battaille d'Eylau. The soldiers had but time to ahut the iron gates, whan a workman scaled the iron railing, and mounting the roof, entered by one of the windows ; he was soon followed by others, and in a moment the ioldiers, perkaps from a desire to prevent bloodshed, fled with precipitation. The post was occupied by the xnob, who immediately began to Bet fire to it. The principal barriers in the quarter of the Champs Elyflees, were invested by bands of lawless ruffians, without leaders, whose principal object was destruction . The offices of Doctroi, at the Barriere dv Roule, were filled with, trusies of straw and burned to the ground — j the guardhouse was also entirely ransacked and the bureaux doctri, omnibus offices and hackney coach stands, as well as several trees, shared the same fate. The electric telegraph near this barrier was destroyed. But little pillage took place except at this barrier, where the receipts of the day, amounting to upwards of 3,000 francs were carried off by the mob. The Barriere de Courcelles and the Barriere de l'Etoile, ss well as the small detached buildings shared the same fate. In the streets in the neighborhood, many of the gas lights were destroyed, and in many parts the cast iron pillars were em vf rencflocl from the ground. On beiog dispersed

in the Place de Concorde, the mob went to the Champs Elysec, the Rue Royale. the Rue S. Honore, and Rue de Rnoli. Meanwhile other masses arrived on the Boulevards, and as they were not able to teich the Place de la Concorde, and the Champs Elysees, went into the streets near the Church of the Madeleine, and that of the Assumption. A cab wos seized in the Rue Dnphot, when the mob attempted to foim a barricade, but the street was soon cleared by the Municipal Guard. From 12 to 4, the cmeute was concentrated m the Faubourg St. Honore, the Rue St. Honore, up to the Palais Royal, and in tli3 adjacent streets. The confusion was 60 great that it was impossible even to attempt a descuption. An attempt was made to form three barricades in the part of the Rue de St- Honore, comprised hetwcen the Rue de la Paix, and the Church of St. Roch. Une was in the face of the house No. 343 ; a cart laden with stones was overthrown, and the mob used the stones to break the windows of the neighboring hou«ep, especially those of a shop No. 343. The second barricade was near the Rue d'Al^er, and the third near the Rue de la Sourdiere. Attempts were also made to torm bamcades in the Rue St. Hyacinthe. and in the Rue de Pyramids, but no looner were the attempts commenced, than the troops possessed them selves of the positions, and drove the people away. Whilst this was passing, Col. Bilfeldt, Commandant of the palace of the Tuillenes, marched out at the head of two companies. He was struck by a stone in the breast. In the course of the morning a band of about one hundred persons attacked a baker's shop in the Rue dcs Colonnes, and, after taking away some bread, carried off a large quantity of firewood, but subsequently scattered a large quantity of it about the streets. The mob succeeded in tearing down a large portion of the railing round ths Church of the Assumption. At five o'clock the crowds in the principal itrrets were very great, and in the Rue Vivienne and other places they loared the " Marsellais." The rappel for summoning the National Guard was beaten in arrondissements. On the Boulevard, near the Porte St. Dennis and the Porte St. Martin, the crowds were very dense. A deputation from the young men of the schools went to the office of the National, and to the residence of M. Ouillon Barrot, Place de la Madeleine, to demand what course they ought to pursue. According to the Patrie of last evening they were advised to preserve order. About the same time (nine o'clock) the shop of M. Blanchard, gunsmith, of 56, Rue de Clery, was forced open, and 35 muskets, with eight or nine pairs of pistols, were taken away. When the people began to attack the shop, M. lilanchaid cried that he was armed, and if they attempted to enter, he would at least kill one. " Nothing is further from our thoughts," said they, " than to insult you or your family, but we must have arms." It is M. Blanchard himself nho relates this. Ten minutes after, about twenty National Guards arrived, and, on hearing what had occurred, proceeded to load their muskeis. We are informed by eye witnesses, that between half-past eight and ten o'clock last night, a barricade had begun to be constructed at the extremity of the Rue Clery ; the Boulevard St. Dennis was occupied by troops, and people were not allowed to pass. In the Rue clv Temple there were a number of young men armed with pickaxes and muskets, and thft Rue St . Honor, from the Hue de la Feronnerie to the Rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, was occupied and intercepted by the troops. By eleven the part of the Marais composed between the Rue dv Temple and the Rue St. Martin was occupied by armed groups, and barricades were set up. At this hour the barricades in the Rue Clery, as also some which had been formed in the little streec adjacent, were completely abandoned. Patrols of the National Guards traversed the streets, which were plunged in the most profound darkness. In the couise of the afternoon, however, very large crowds assembled, and the guard-house nearly opposite Franconi's circus was bebicged, and afterwards set fire to. i The National says— We are informed that a j a general who was near the barricade in the Rue d'Alger, assisted in charging the people. He was immediately disarmed, and his epaulettes wrested from him. Another journal sajs— "On the 241b, Pans presented a terrible aspect ; firing was heard every where— the troops, the municipal guard, and part of the national guard, could not resist the force of a justly irritated people, and fled on all sides. Tiie revolution of July was a simple revolt in comparison with the fighting of the 24th, At one, p.m., the Tuilleries was taken by the msui gents, and sacked throughout. Many of the barrack* of the gendarmerie were destroyed. At two, p.m., Louis Philippe abdicated in favour of his grandson, the Count of Paris, under the regency of the Duchess of Orleans, and then set off for England. The Duchess, with her two sons, the Count of Paris and the Duke of Gbartres, accompanied by two orderly officers, a few national guards, and several deputies of the opposition, went on loot to the Chamber of Deputies, where there weie three hundred membeis. On arriving in the Chamber she sat down, and M. Dupin, from behind his chair, read the proclamation of the king. This finished, loud acclamations of <* Long live the Regent," were uttered by the three hundred deputies ; some deputies opposed it, saying it was too late, jou have no longer the right— a question arose, and the discussion took a serious character, when the chamber was invaded by a band of armed people. M. Ledru Rollin then mounted the tnbune. and demanded the establishment of a temporary government. M. Lamartine raaae a similar motion, and the president of the chamber, M. Sauzet, leit bis seat, which was taken by M- Dupon. A provisional government was then elected of the following penons :— Dupon de l'Eure, President. Arago, Minister of Marine. Lamartine, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Cremieux, Minister of J ustice General Subervie, Minister of the Interior. Marie, Minister of Commerce. Gamier Pages, Mayor of Paris. The new Government immediately issued the following Proclamation, through its official organ the National— •' Proclamation of the Provisional Government. " To the French People,— " A retrograde and oligarchial government has been overthrown by the heroism of the people of Paiis. This government has fled, leaving behind it a track of blood which forbids it ever retracing its steps. Ihe blood of the people has been shed, as it was in July. But this time that generons blood shall not he shed in vain. It has won a national and popular government in accordance with the rights, the progress, and the will of this great and noble people, and the deputies

from the departments in the sittings of February 2i : is momentarily invested with the charge of organising and

securing the national victory. "It is composed of Messrs. Dupon (de 1 kure), Lamaitine, Cieraieux, Arago (of the institute), Ledru, liollin, Gamier- Pages, Marie. " The Governmeni has for its secretaries Messrs. Almaud-Marrasl, Ferdinand-Flocon, Louis Blanc, and Albert. "These citizens have not hesitated an instant to accept the patriotic mission, which was imposed by the urgency of the case. " When blood has flowed, when the capital of France is in flames, the mission of the provisional government is the public safety. All France will listen to it, and lend it a patriotic concuirence. Under the popular government, which the provisional government proclaims, every citizen is a magistrate. " Fienchmen ! give co the world the example which Palis has given to France. Piepare yourselves, by order and by confidence in one another, for those strong institutions which you arc called upon to form. "The provisioinl government desires a republic; but subject to the ratification of the French people, who shall be immediately consulted. " Unity of the nation, loimed henceforth of the classes of which the nation is composed; the government of the nation by itselt. Libeity. equality, and fiaternity for piinciples. The people for motto, and the pasbword of older. Such is the democratic government which Fiance owes to herself, and which shall have all our efforts for its establishment. "The members of the provisional government." (Heie follow the signatures.)

" In the name of the French People. " The Provisional Government decrees : "The Chamber of Deputies is dissolved. The Chamber of Peers is prohibited from meeting. " A national assembly will be convoked as soon as the provisional government shall have regulated the measures of order and police necessary for the vote of all the citizens. " The provisional government decrees:— " The meeting of the ex^Chamber of Peers is interdicted." (Signed by the members of the provisional government )

The Constitutionnel of the 25th February, referring to the events of the previous day, says :— At about half-past eleven on the 24th February, Louis Philippe, despairing of seeing calm re-esta-blished, decided on signing an abdication in favour of his grandson, the Count de Paris, with the Regency of the Duchess of Orleans. None of these combinations could succeed — At this moment the combat had ceased almost everewhere — the troops had laid down their arms— had remitted them to the people— and hardly had the King Louis Phillipe time to leave Paris when the victouous crowd rushed into the apartments of the Chateau. Some of the'furniture was precipitated Jby the windows— the cellars and stores of all descriptions weie emptied— a great number of cairiages were delivered to the flames in the Courts of the Chateau, as was also the furniture, The same scenes passed at the Palais Royal. The piincipal apaitments weie emptied of all they contained, but the private apartments were respected. In a few moments the news of the abdication spread round the Place dv Cdirousel ; but at tins moment the municipal guaids posted on the Place dv Palais Royal, it is not known by whose orders, fired on the groups of citizens, and on the national guard presenting themselves on the Place dv Carrousel, the King, mounted on horse back, passed along the ranks of some troops and of the national guards who occupied the court yard of the Chateau, and left Paris at half-past twelve, after stopping for a few minutes on the Place de la Concorde. Engagements took place on different points. From the moment of the catastrophe of the boulevard de Capucines, the snuggle never ceased for an instant in the quarters of St. Denis and St. Mai tin. At nine o'clock it was reported that negotiations were going on, and soon afterwards the ( certainty of this fact was acquired, and it was known that concessions had been offered.— Marshal Bugeaud, who during the night had been appointed commander-in-chief of the National Guard, had been dismissed almost as soon as appointed, and replaced by General de Lamoriciere. ATluersand Odilon Bat rot ministry was spoken of. The accounts were soon officially confirmed, and an order arrived on the Boulevards for the suspension of hostilities. — About the same time a procession made iis appearance on the Boulevard. In it were distinguished M. Odilon Barot, one of the new mimsteis, who had. with him M.Horace Vernet, in his uniform of an officer of the National Guard, M.M. Oscar Lafayette, Qninette, and some other membeis of the Chamber of Deputies. Confused cries were raised, the crowd followed the procession, which took the direction of the Rue St. Denis, on its way to the Hotel de Ville. It stopped at the foot of the great barricade aboTe spoken of. The persons who accompanied M. Odilon Barrot attempted to open a passage for him. The crowd lesisted. M. Odilon Barrot wished to speak, but he could only Jitter the few following words: "My good fiieuds our common efforts have carried the day. We have re-con-quered liberty, and what is better still — " His voice was drowned by cries of "That is not enough tor us, We have been deceived too often." A man advanced with a very energetic attitude, and extlaimed that concessions had come too late. M. Odilon Banot letraced his steps, and the character of the movement became clearly defined from the cues which he heard resounding on his road. It was in vain that M. de Girardin, the bearer of the abdication, ran in all haste to meet the armed population who were advancing on the Tuilleries. It was impossible to stop the determined firing" which was going on between the post at the Chateau d'Eau and the armed men who occupied the court of the Pal,.is Royal. It was there that General de Lamoiieiere, who also in vain endeavoured to make himself heard, was slightly wounded. In an hour after, all the Royal Family quitted the Tuilleries.j Fiom this moment the whole of Paris was in the hands of its inhabitants; the few troops which still remained, withdrew for the most part unarmed to their respective barracks; at the Palais Royal and at the Tuilleries the furniture was thrown from the windows and burnt, but no pillage appears to have taken place*

Order was strictly observed on every point ; the barricades erected at the corner of every street were guarded by armed citizens, who displayed the greatest modeiation ; and everything induces the hope that persons and property will in no way sutler from a revolution which had become inevitable. The National mentions the following as amongst the evenemcivs of the revolution :—: — The flight of Louis Philippe was marked by an incident which does too much honour to the spirit of our population for us not to be desirous to mention it. At the moment at which the exKing escaped from the Tuilleries, by the gate of the Point Tournant, to reach the little carriage which was waiting for him, he was surrounded by the people, who had precipitated themselves on his pas age. The second regiment of Ouirasoieis, stationed in the Place de la Concorde, hastened to protect his evasion ; but in the situation of things it was powerless to remove him fiom the vengeance of the people. However, this brave regiment, which did not and would not make use of its arms, endeavoured to facilitate the passage to him. An officer, seeing the peiil, cried, "Gentlemen, spare the King!" to which a stentorian voice in the crowd answered, " We are not assassins — let him go!" " Yes, yes, let him go !" became the general cry. The people had been too brave during the combat, not to be generous after the victory. liuting the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies the agitation went on increasing to such a degree, that at last several of the Deputies thought it piudent to recommend the Duchess oC Orleans to remove her sons. The Princess, who exhibited great sang froid and dignity throughout, complied, and was enabled by the protection of several Deputies, and a great number of, National Guards, to withdraw. M. Guizot escaped on the evening of the 23d February, from his hotel, by a back door, and set out in a cabinet-courier caleche for Calais. He afterwards repaired to Bologne, and crossed to Folkstone in an open boat, where he anived on the 26th. The same evening M. Delesseit left the Prefecture of Police in disguise. About ten o'clock the same night M. Herbert quitted the Chancelleiie by the door of the Rue Neuve dv Luxemburgh. He sent several times to Etat Major and to the door Chateau to demand a reinforcement of troops. He complained, both in his own name and in that of M. M. Duchatel and Guizot, of having been so gravely led into error by the Minister of War and General Sebastiani as to the feeling of the army. The Ministers loudly attributed to Louis Philippe the responsibility of all the measures of rigour which had been adopted. The Bourse was closed, and would not, it was expected, be opened for some days. In the front, immediately under the clock, had been marked up the words—" Libertie, Egahte, Fraternitte." A funeral service was performed on the morning of the 2Sth February, at Notre Dame, and in all the other churches of Paris, foi the repose of the souls of the persons who died in the conflicts of the 22d, 23d, and 24th. The Aichbishop of Paris, with all the clergy attached to the cathedral, took pait in the solemnity, which was very impressive. The despatch of the Marquis of Normanby, the British Ambassador at Paris, to Lord Palmerston, announcing the change of government in Paris, arrived in London at half-past eleven on Friday night, the 25th of February, and reached the minister in the House of Commons. The Marquis of Normanby had a private, and it is stated, satisfactory interview with M. Lamartine previous to his receipt of despatches from his own Government. Subsequently in consequence of instructions received from Lord Pdlmerslon, he had another interview with the Fiench Minister, in which he stated that there was no desire on the part of England to throw obstacles in the way of the Provisional Government, and the recent change in France would not afiect the relations of amity which had hitherte existed between the two countries*. Mr. Hush, Ambassador of the United States being introduced into the room in which the members of the Provisional Gnvernment were sitting, recognised the government and presented his warm congratulations, He was accompanied by Mr. Martin, first secretary of embassy and Major Poussin, who long resided in North America. The following is a semi-official account of the interview between the American Ambassador (Mr. Rush,) and the Provisional Government of France. The American Ambassador spoke as follows— To the Members oi the Provisional Government of the French Republic. Gentlemen,— As representative of the United States, and charged with the interests and rights of my country, and of my fellow citizens residing in France, an J too far off to wait for instructions, I seize on the first opportunity to offer you my felicitations, persuaded ttidt my government will sanction the course which I thus adopt. Nor can I either fail to state to you that the remembrance of the alliance and ancient friendship which have joined together Fiance and the United States is still living and in lull force amonest us. lam perfectly convinced that a loud and universal cry will arise in glory, under the empire of the institutions which she is now inaugurating, subject to the ratification of the national will. All Americans will indulge in ardent hopes that, thanks to the wisdom of France, these institutions will have for the human race those happy results of which the magnanimous conduct of the nation in the late events is so satisfactory a pledge. It is under the empire of such institutions that the United states have, for seveuty years, enjoyed ;» constant prosperity. M. Aiago replied that the members of the government received without surprise,|but with lively pleasure, the sentiments expressed by the Ambassador of the United States- France expected no less from an ally to whom she now drew so close, by the proclamation of the republic. The Provisional Government thanks you for the wishes which you express for the greatness and prosperity of France. It is wellj pleased to repeat like you, the words of Washington, and it has full confidence that these words will not merely be a desire, but a reality. M- Dupont (del Eure) then approaching the Ambassador, said, Permit me, Sir, in thus taking your hand, to assure you that the Fiench people grasp that of the American nation. The Amtuissador then withdrew, conducted by three of the Provisional Government. The guard presented arms, and cries ot Vive la Republique dcs Etats Unis saluted the party.