THE NAPOLEON DUTRAVAIL.-LOUIS BLANC.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 458, 22 December 1849, Page 4

THE NAPOLEON DUTRAVAIL.-LOUIS BLANC.

[The following sketch of Louis Blanc 11 one of the Men of the People," in a recent work entitled " Jerome Paturot in search of the best Republic," will be read with considerable interest as shewing how they manage these things in France.] Oar NapoUon dv Travail, says Jerome, had written a book — all bis speeches Were pages of his book — his answers to all object tions, references to his book — bis book was everything, and out of his book there was nothing. Now, the object of the^book was to teach us the rights and duties of men in society, and its principle was that the duties of the rich are ia the direct proportion of their means, and the rights of the poor ia the direct proportion of their wants. This doctrine — of which the only possible result would be to bring the wants and the means of all mankind to the same level of misery — turned the heads of the workmen, and in practice it became a problem how to obtain the least possible quantity of work from the greatest possible number of hands. To this pretended organization of labour — a real organization of sloth, idleness, and incapacity — the Provisional Government gave, by a most absurd decree, its sanction, reluctantly indeed, but according to M. Lamartine's humiliating confession, not daring in the presence of an angry mob, to resist the influences which had created it. The best that M. Lamartine can now say for himself is that the Government meant to cheat the workmen, and hoped to evade and stifle the active principle by a profusion of fine words and flattering forms, and so to tide over the difficulty which they had adopted and increased, — ••The Organization of Labour, therefore, I its professor, and its followers were translated to the magnificent seclusion of the Luxembourg, in whose gardens and bowers the professor moulded the pages of his book into the speeches which he delivered to a select audience of workmen seated on the velvet fautcuils of the ci-devant peerage. In taking possession of this ancient palace of the Medici, peopled with historical recollections, the undaunted professor had but one scruple — as be had but one idea — his book ! — and his book, not foreseeing that be should ever find himself in the Luxembourg, had said nothing about it. " But, no matter," said he, "it will make a supplemental chapter." — The Duke Decazes, so long the official guatdian of the edifice, had had nothing so much at heart as to keep it and its decorations in full harmony with its historical character. The salons were fit for the reception of the Queen- Mother ; the chambers and boudoirs would have satisfied the mistresses of Barras. All the accessories j were in perfect keeping. Indian tissues and brocades beaming a rich and sober splendour ; the finest tapestries of the Gobelins ; carpets that seemed pictures to the eye, and moss to. the tread. Any one not born of a princess might be forgiven for feeling in the midst of this antique magnificence a certain nneasiness mingling itself with his pride. There might also arise a kind of scruple — were not these gorgeous trappings of a monarchy somewhat too fine for republican simplicity T A less venturesome spirit might have hesitated to negative that home question ; but our professor was above such derogatory considerations. " He looked at the affair as one of principle — he was not vain of these distinctions on his own personal account — by no means ; but he prized them as a homage paid to the Rights of Labour, of which he was the humble personification. Labour had hitherto been suffocated'in dark and unwholesome hovels; the day of justice had come, and Labour was, as a natural retaliation, transplanted into delicious gardens, and lodged in a sumptuous palace." It was under this impression that he heroically resigned himself to his dignity, and that, turning to the train of servants in state liveries, he said — . ' " ' Call up my carriage. 1 ! " For the honour and dignity of labour he ' submitted to still greater sacrifices. He consented to make use of all the personal accommodation of the last inhabitants of the Palace of the Peers — the larder, the pantry, and the cellar. So the story ran. Labour had been hitherto starved ; it was now to be feasted ; would the Republic grudge the special representative of the laborious classes a few bottles of champagne — a little game somewhat later, and a few other delicacies somewhat earlier than the course of the season ? Was she to be sparing to those who never spared themselves in her service ? The fatigues they had to undergo were immense, and required fiequent and invigorating refreshment. The table therefore of the Commission of Labour was served, and the cellar famished by the grateful nation in the best ityle — no personal

excess, indeed — no irregnlaritie* that could cause public animadversion, but an establishment aad mode of living decent, liberal, even sumptuous — worthy of a great people and its favourite minister !" — i. 192. When the Government had thus affichf that the organization of work was their first duty, they might naturally expect to be made the depositories of all the dolcances of every particular craft, and accordingly they were for the first month beseigetf, not by deputations merely, but by whole trades en mouse, marching with drums and colours, and shouting the Marseillaise and the somewhat inappropriate chorus of Mourons pour laPatrie — which we see M. Thiers ha* just recovered courage enough to laugh at. At first the members of the Government received and replied to these popular addresses with all the eloquence and unction they could muster ; but their stock j was soon exhausted, and they at last were ! forced to hand over the task to sob-secreta-ries and adjoints, who got through the task by having their own " labour organized", into certain easy forms. To a deputation of market gardeners — , " Citizens ! — there is no business more respectable or more deserving the paternal care of the Government than that of the market gardeners." To the bricklayers' laboucers — " Citizens ! — there is no business more respectable or more deserving the paternal care of the Government than that of the bricklayers' labourers." To the journeymen carpenters — " Citizens ' — there is no business more respectable or more deserving the paternal care of the Government than that of the journeymen carpenters." These smooth words enchanted each of the trades — they fancied they had shaken hands with the Government in .person, and retired with cries of " Vive la Republique i :> These favourable receptions awakened even the smallest corporations to a sense of the necessity of ' looking after their own interests, and the walls of Paris were papered with invitations such as the following — copied, as Jerome assures us, from the veritable originals :—: — " The Citizens Waiters at Taverns and Coffee Houses are requested to meet to morrow at the Riding House to deliberate on their special interests. " The Citizens employed in the chorusses of the several Theatres are apprised that they are to meet on Monday next to come to an understanding on the means of advancing the interests of Chbrus singers. " The Porters and Housekeepers employed in Lodging Houses feel the necessity of coming to some new arrangements with their exmasters and ex-landlords. They therefore propose to meet, &c." — p. 298. These special re-unions were seldom satisfied with advancing their own claims ; they generally ended in an attack upon some other collateral branch of industry. A deputation of Pastry-cooks represented to the Provisional Government the injury they sustained from the Bakers, who, obviously entitled to bake bread only, had irregularly taken to baking pies. A serious complaint was made by dealers in cream — " citizens having," as they alleged, " established shops — paying rent and taxes, taking out a license, and moreover doing duty in the National Guard"— that they were undersold by certain itinerant milkwomen, who had neither shop nor license, and never mounted guard for the defence of the country. " I tell you, Sir," said the leader of the deputation to Jerome, who stood by, ' wondering at these processions, " I am one of those who made the Revolution, but I shall change my hand and make short work with this Government, and throw myself into the arms of one of the Pretenders, if these milkwomen are to be tolerated." " But these pretensions were not all of so absurd a character — some assumed a more serious and more odious aspect. The sober, industrious, and trustworthy Savoyards — the fenglish mechanics and mechanicians employed on our railways — even German tailorsall were proscribed and violently extruded from a country that used to boast of its hospitality, and had 10 lately proclaimed itself at the land of Fraternity. O what lies are our devices ! Of fraternity we had nothing bat the empty name — every day afforded a new proof of this impudent delusion. In the name of Fraternity we persecuted our brothers ; Fn the name of Fraternity we armed classes against each other ; in the name of Fraternity — but it really seems the inconsistency of a frightful dream."