THE FRENCH PREFECTURE OF POLICE IN 1848.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 304, 10 December 1862, Page 6

THE FRENCH PREFECTURE OF POLICE IN 1848.

(PEOJir ATTTOBXOGttA PKt &P ' r:*l>fitß<sTIVB FROM 1818 TO 1858. !BY M. icASiOBK.) • I do not pretend here to narrate the history of the revolutjott of 1848, for. that grand social shock has been justified or criticised by quite enough public writers; ■ A§ a passionless observer, f shall congas myself to saying that, in the course ol'my career, circurastances enabled me to receive so many confidences, and to learn such secrets about men and things, that in political matters I have grown to be much of the opinion of the'; Orientals. I believe in destiny—in'predestination! Hence X will not write a political treatise: the mission I have undertaken is far more modest: I have no other object than to relate what I nave seen, done, and ordered to be done. The Reform Banquet was fixed for February 23, 1848, and at twelve o'clock on the previous evening I received orders to remain in my district with all my Serjeants from seven in the morning, and send hourly reports to the municipal police about = the popular movements and the state of public opinion. I established my headquarters at the publicroom of the Gaite Theatre, and I waited there while each of my Serjeants came to tell me all he had seen and heard during his round. The Boulevards have been justly compared to an immense artery, in which the population of the capital, the blood of the great city, circulates, and on them the progress of agitation may be followed step by step. I was so situated as to witness the prelude of the grand coming drama, which was fated to beglii like all revolutions, with shouts, and end-swith the overthrow of the monarchical power and the accession of the Republican Government. The Faubourgs St. Antoine and St. Marceau, which pi iyed so great a part in the Revolution of'B9, seemed to be aroused. A considerable number of workmen from them passed along1 the Boulevards between ten and eleven in the morning, ■proceeding..towards the Champ 3 Elysees, which was the gathering place ofthe adherents of the banquet. At about two p.m., a dozen individuals,, on their return, triei to break into a gunsmith's shop on the Boulevard St. Martin* but they v/ere compelled to retii'e without succeeding- in their design. Between three and, four o'clock, a general officer of <the National Guard came up at full gallop, to inform the-people'collected on the Boulevard that the King, had changed his Ministry, and formed a' 1 new Cabinet more in accordance with popular opinion. * On hearing this, a general cry of v Long/live! the Kin* [ " burst from the crowd, which seehied hitherto to have no other.intentiorx than (o rna^e a striking demonstration, it' is.. tnie,".but one based on the.. reformist manifestations.of. Engiaud, attacking Ministers.- and not. the King—the instruments of powers and mot the principal, in a word, the crowd,; satisfied^with1 this concession, at'once laid aside their angel', and like children'whose caprices are satisfied," and pass from crying to laughter, shoutsf of, joy followed the previous imprecations. At half-past nine in the evenmg I left the Boule-, yard ou Temple to go to the prefecture^vhere it was my turn to go ba night' duty, and I went along the Rue St. Martin and the Place dv Chateiet. Nearly everywhere Ipassed, windows were illuminated^.joy;was spread; over all faces, tranquility seemed to have perfectly returned, and cries of "Long live the King!" burst from the crowd 'of curious persons walking along : this busy street. "By Jove!" I said; to myself^ "we shall escape this time'again', with a fright and a few broken windowpanes." On reaching the prefecture, I-received orders from the head of the municipal police not to send out any rounds, but to; keep the police by me till eight in the morning. The authorities were persuaded that the troops would easily disperse any disturbers of the peace on the next day. At one in the morning the heads of the police were comfortably asleep; I alone, with the men on duty, kept awake through the night, which was destined to be the last of the reign of Louis Philippe. I walked about the courtyard, and noticed with some anxiety that an unusual calm brooded over the town. I could not hear either the slight hum which shows that a portion of the population has not yet retired to rest, the sound of carriages which announces that the fortunate ones of this world are returning to their sumptuous residences after a night of pleasure, or the creaking of the wag? gons which bring, during the night, the pro- i visions of every description which Paris will J consume on the morrow. It vvas the silence | of death, or to speak morexorrectly, that dead .! calm which, in the torid zones, ever precedes the most furious tempests. A quarter of an hour had scarce elapsed ere this awful silence was broken by the bells of the different churches mournfully pealing the tocsin. Wishing to know exactly what was going on, I sent two of my agents in civilian dress to explore the Montmartre district; but before sending them off, I carefully asked them for their cards as police inspectors, in order, that they might not be maltreated if they fell into the hands ofthe promoters of trouble. Two other agents went into the St Martin quarter. One hour later the first pair came back to inform me that barricades were being" built at every street corner,mnd-that inthe: Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau they met several individuals dragging a truck, while others rapped at doors, broke them in, and carried oft: the arms of the National Guards, which they de-i posited in the truck. A short time after, the' two agents ordered to traverse the St. Martin quarter, arrived with a young man who was carrying a bayonet,-and I immediately questioned him. lt lam a wine merchant's clerk," he answered me, v at the Barniere Montparnasse, and yesterday morning my master sent me to present.a bill at the Carre St. Mavceau. As I was returning home I met several;" friends, with whom I amused myself', till midnight. Then I proceeded homewards, but on reaching the Rue Transnonain, I found nryself close to a powerful barricade,-when I was arrested by twenty men armed with • muskets. Taking me for a police agent, they surrounded and severely questioned'me,'while! searchiho-' me from head to foot. ' At last they Were convinced that they were mistaken on my score, and set me at liberty. ■ Prom that moment up to my arrest, by your agents, I. saw everywhere as 1 passed /barricades 'and armed men. Lastly,- too,; the bayonet found in my possession. belongs to -. la; musket thrown down in the street, and I secured the weapon to defend-myself in the case of an attack." The night passed without-any other incident, and at eight o'clock I asked for fresh orders, " Allgoes well," was the reply •, '* all measures are taken; you can send ;your people away; buttelt them tomind to, remain at home, so that they may be found imine-. diately, should we require their services." I confess that I found; such a resolution and such

a certainty of success very curious &t so critical a moment. I -left • the prefecture with Sallier, my agent; to go and join my sergeants* ■whom I had appointed to meetat the Gaite; Tlieatre. I arrived without obstacle at the Kue de la Verrerie, but finding several barricades in the next street, I turned bacW to the Bastille, where I found a detachment oftroops of the line drawn up before the \ guard-house.'. At the same moment, M. Moreau, major >. f the eighth arrondisement, came up, escorted by some National Guards and citizens armed with mnskets. He went up to the the troops and informed them that M. Odillon Barrott had just been appointed Minister; but the officers and men seemed very indifferent about the news. The citizens who followed the major shouted several times, " Long live the Kingl" and M. Morcau, meeting with no echo, proceeded in the direction of the Faubourg St. Antoine. At this moment, either y accident or voluntarily, a shot was fired rom the barricade that closed the Rue de la Eoquette. On hearing this shot, the detach* 1 t ' ■

mcn|i on the square brHevediri/an attack on ike | pnrfc of the insurgents^ and %sponded with a discharge .which/ killed; oriwxmnded ■:■. several Jper^onsbelonging;to ; l^emajor'sescbrt. ;rCVhe ; guards i answered.; this unexpected attack by several shots, and this time again: were dead arid wounded ;, but this mistake phlylasted ;a;;ftw minutes..'^ien the first round was fired; I and Sallier, were :clo*ei to the column ; my agent lay down on his stomach, to escape the bullets^ but iTari off at full speed in the direction o^f ti^e Contrcscarpe Boulevard. T ha(d scarc^ g^ne a/hutidred yards v ere I received so sharp a blow on my left thigh that I fancied a bullet had struck me, but I continued to increase my distance/ Very luckily I found.-a house door open; into' it I hurried, and. my first care was to place my hand on the wound, but I noticed no biopdv The sharp pain I felt had been produced by a bullet, which had ricochetted from a wall and struck the muscles' of my thigh. In"consequence of what had happened, I found; it !iuipoasible to reach the Boulevard.-dv Temple. I therefore resolved to return to my lodgings ; but, in order to do so,'l mqst go along the entire Faubourg St. Antome, which bristled with barricades. Now, it ii'ould have been the height of imprudence on my' part to enter the faubourg, for during the- eight-and-twenty years I had been employed at the prefecture.of police, I had become well known to the robbers, and I need only meet one of ; these scoundfels to get into trouble at such moments of effervescence—a pistol is so soon fired, a man falls, he is dead, and that is all! To avoid any unpleasant encounters, I" went a long way round to go to a friend of mine, M. Bonnet, who lived* in the., Rue de Constantine, at Belleville; but, unfortunately,; he- 'Was out. Annoyed by this -misadventure I returned towards f'aris, reflecting and wondering; which Way I had better turn,, when. I met a M. Boulenois, whom I knew; and who; armed wit ha; musket and sabre, co uld f not restrain an exclamation of surprise at seeing me, '*"Vyhat," he said to me, ."youhere-at such.a time! You have everything to fear ; all the rogues and ruffians of the Boulevard dv Temple have gone to Belleville; all the honest people are -terrified atitv and, as you see, \v.e ar6 on our gjiardi" I had come to seeksheiter with a'friend of mine, who resides in this street; but. I; had. not the good: luck to find him, so I am returning to Paris."- "Well, come with me. You will put on a blouse and cap, and thep we Mil fetch my wife and child; and, as,;i am;known,: v/e will pass the ; barrier together." Ere long I was dressed in blouse. and cap, with a national guard's sabre dangling;against my ■ thigh, and Boulenois' little girl in my arms, and we proceeded towards Paris. The barrier of theTrois ; Gouimunes, : through ..which'we wanted to:pass, was guard* ed by some thirty fellows armed with muskets and sabres, and among them; I recognised, at the first glance, half a dozen,:robbers,' Whom I had" arrested under' different;, circu*mstanees«: Either through the preoccixpatioia'of"t'He moment, or ,my; unusual dress, -'they did not seem to recognize' me at once, and one of. them said to me, " Are you going into;Paris?^ ''' " Yes!" : '| You caiinot.take your sabre with* you ; you must leave it here.''/•. is of no -consequence, as I shall return directly.. I will take it back,as I pass.". 'I had scarce uttered these: words when I. heard a* pistol cocked.behind me, and a voice, which I recognised as that,of a thief, say, "Hilloh !''tis the police-officer from the Boulevard dv Temple ; he has bullied me enough in histime, he has, arid so I shall now blow put, his brains." But, at the same moment,; a young workman• of the name of l Ludovie, to whose family I had done some slight service, threw himself on tbe man with the pistol,: tore the weapon from him, and shouted^ "Monsieur Canier is a good man, and I will kill with this pistol anyone who dares even to give himia scratch." These; words produced all their effect; the man who wished to kill me hurriedly fell back, and Boulenois, pale and trembling during the colloquy, regaining a little: coolness, wer passed the barrier- and reached the canal safe and sound; but as the drawbridge was pulled up, I handed over the child to her mother, and spent the rest of the night with a friend, a sergeant-major in the national guards, who lived in the Rue Fontaine dv Roie:- The next morning I proceeded to the prefecture of .police, whose gates had been thrown open to the; people on the previous evening. The municipal guards had been disarmed, and most of the clerks had been obliged to fly, either through secret doors or by clambering over the walls. The inhabitants of the adjoining houses afforded a refuge to many of the police^ and procured them means of flight by giving them mufti. The prefecture was full of workmen and tradespeople,: who were curious to enter this police asylum, which had hitherto been concealed from their gaze. .As everybody knows, Causidiere was appointed prefect of police. I willingly do him the justice of siating- that under his administration not one of us was dismissed. And more than that, for a long time the police were forced to hide in order to escape certain threats of vengeance, and yet they were fully paid. Hence Ido not believe that any police'agent, whether head or subaltern, had.cause to complain of Caussidiere. It is true that it was utterly impossible for him: to carry on the police system properly with the men who surrounded him; still, we must give him credit for j his resistance of the constant pressure put upon him to expel " all the old satellites of the tyrant." A fact will prove that Caussidiere knew how to distinguish between the success of_ the old police and the new recruits. The occasion was as follows. That excessive liberty engenders excess is an axiom which j will ever be true, and the Republic soon thought it necessary to take certain precautions against one of its disobedient childrenCitizen Blanquil Blanqui lived in. two rooms, on the second floor of J^o. -1, Rue Boucher, and in these two rooms also lived a dozen nien, who acted as his body-guard. Caussi■diere was perfectly well aware that for this • arrest he could riot reckon .on his Montag■nards, for these qiiasi- soldiers were not at all suited for a. job which was contrary to their feelings. Cbiisequeritly, Caussidiere' sent , for the1 head of thelmurii;cipal police, a,nd, told, him that he wis'Ued; the police officers tofundertake t the operation. Atr-tbis -period these officers did not make their appearance at $he offices ofthe perfecture, for th<eir, presence would have been disagreeable to the Montagriards, most of whom had been arrested't>y them in former 1 times for political reasons or 'others.l ; The peace officers met daily from twelve till three in the public decency office,^ which had a: separate- entranced :On the day fixed : for Blanqui's arrest we^ remamed in this- office till- '■ at; night; 'We then proceeded to the cabinet 1 oil'the cinef of\ .the inunicipai pqlice; where M^ Bertogolio,^th> r police,commissioner:, came togoinusi.; .We" were told what we-had to doV and M.(Berto^ gelio, informed us that he had exairiinedvthe" hbus^ m which' BHriqui: resi^leil; /'the! sfeifs' were harrow,, arid iril the rponis:; which fe pc-' cupied were several men armed with muskets, abundantly- supplied with cartridges, and1 well inclined to defend themselves in case of an attack. " I must not conceal from you, gentlemen," he added, "that this affair is most perilous, and that more than one of us may remain on the field." At midnight, all the peace officers and Sergeant Fraudin started und the guidance of M. BertogHo. On reaching the house in question we noticed that the windows of both the rooms were open, and there was light inside. Hence, in order'not to spoil the chance, it was decided that Fraudin should go and make sure of Blanqni's presence, by pretending that he had a message to deliver to him from Citizen D , captain ofthe Montagnards. ThisD was once a seller of checks on the Boulevard dv Temple, who, like so many men, cleverly taking, advantage of the revolution, had installed himself ill the Tuilexies with a few more of the game

stamp, who to^k^;.isOs?St®inpi?}!-ioT^^«^pa;lac.e^ : in^th.e.-.niame;:^ gentlemen fpunch /stltsttff f^etween^ their^ new lodging arid'^nqr. old tshakei-dbwns rat ten centimes a n%ht(^that when;ifewas time to turn- them;ou.t'' a compromise^ had tov:;be- pf-': fected with theniy^nd^hey bnlylleftthefpataije: bn' condition 'that ? theirJ compaTvyi shoulcl ; lie enrolled among th>3^orrtagnards:arid D-— "remain their captain, fiut to return to bur subject: ■ Traudiri went- np" the twp^niglits 'and rapped : a light\\yas struck, and a man appeared in the * doorway. " Whom do y(h want ?" "Citizen BlanquV' Prauden answeredv ;" Who are you,:and what .do you want with him ?" "lam a friend of Captain p , and have come from him.'' . At this answer, the man who opened the door fell back a step, and' Fraudiri was enabled to enter the' first room. A few trusses of st^a^r scattered on the ground served as a bea vfor half-a-dbzen men who were asleep with their guns -by their side; there was.no furniture nor anything that would give the faintest idea of an inhutiited apartment, The intrpdricer, at once continued :— V Citizen Blanqui is not here, and we do not know when .he will return* •■ still,- Citizen, if you will leave your message rwith me-——" "It is unneces3ary, I;will come again," our ■sergeant replied, as! he ; took a,,peep into the second room, the door of which was open^ to v make sure that; Blanqui was really not1 there: ■, Fraudin rejoined us,and the expedition was jiut: , off till the next morning at six, when we m^t on ' the Pbnt Neuf; but we were again unsuccess^ , ful; Blanqui had not come, in, and the affair remained in staiu. Still there was one whom this ill success did riot sati-fy. Ledru Rollih. the Minister of the- Interior, who trembleftat Blanqui, expressed to M. Carlier, at ttie time head pf the police to the Ministry of the interior, : his regret that Caussidiere"'.hfid not effected this ■:arrest. ' "If youare anxious about it," said M.? Carlier,: |." I will have; him arrested for you,: b'utit will cost money."-, "I do not care for, that,V: the i Minister replied. Three days after* Blanqur was arrested: -In- this way :—!!'. Carlier l sent for:iinexcessively demagogic but poor, chief of a club," and; said to him without' further prej;face, " Ahl it is you sir? : Be good enough to sit down, and allow me to enter into matjz ters at once. : I have always' thought tliat the r^ aisotl wny yPu w^re so: exalted in tne opinions you prqfes?, was because you had not: a penny-piece, to call your:own." "Really, sir-——'.' ; " Pray allow me to speak without interruption, and you can answer me afterwards. We desire; to arrest^Blanqui ; here are six thonsand-franc notes7v?hich are yours, ;if you" agree to (tell us at Wvhat spot arid at vyhat hour this arrest- can be effected, as you knqw - where: hei goes and what he does. You need, only. speak one 'word to earn this.sum." A'^d the word wassppkeji. M, :Qarlier, 'on X'edrii Rbllin of tliis /? reai:.ly-desired capture, : only added, . "You -have him,but it costs; you 5,000 francs;" Let us. return to the prefecture of police,'of which Pornih; a w66den-le^edWari'an|aan irivetera'te; drunkard; -was l appointed ' The: scenes; that".tppfc place .night after.night in'this apartments were frightfui.;. Such was the life of some of the Montagnards, who for d seasbri caused the capital.' to tremble. -But let me hasten to add, that suqh examples of depravity arid debauchery could ; only be found at ; the perfecture of police., The events of May .15 completely freed the prefecture of the Montagnards. M. Trouve-Chauvil took the place of Caussidiere { as perfect of police; and tlien the sergensrde-.ville, who, since February 24, had been compelled to abstain from appearing at the prefecture, resumed their duties in civilian clothing. Caussidiere, while depriving himself of their aidj had understppd,:; however, that the streets could notte left without police agents and hadcreateel the. guardians of Paris. But as the choice of the staff was left to the good pleasure of Citizen Pornin,it is needless to say j that he did not let in any of the old sergeria* i de-ville. This new,corps was partly composed of right-mindedMoritagnards, and made up with I the first comers who presented themselves under their patronage arid a bottle of wine for Pornin. Among the number*were also individuals of peaceful manners, who, being compelled to gain a precarious livelihood, had resigned them to a police life, but it was irii^ possible^ owing to the elements of which it was formed, for this new creation to reach the promised object. A ; man • does not become a policeman as he does a soldier, by the force of events and through, the chances of the ballot; for such a part,-natural qualities are needed' which many policemen in our day do not possess, and never : will possess. It was not enough to have created guardians of Paris j • they required a rallying sign, a distinctive mark ; and as it was inconvenieht at the time to give each new policeman a Tyrolean hat and a blue tunic, they merely gave him a brass plate bearing the words "Prefecture of Police," and intended to be fastened by-a strap to the left, arrii. It was very curious to see all these representatives of .authority walking gravely about the streets in blouses and caps and ragged clothes, and consequently in a. pondition not all edifying for the persons subjected to their surveillance. Months succeeded each other. June 23rd arrived, and with the burning midsummer sun were kindled the first fires of that mournful civil war; At the first .symptoms of that insurrection, which changed Paris into one vast battle-field, some of the guardians under my orders deserted me and, joined the insurgents. -.. One of the latter having been killed in the Rue Menilmontant, drie of, these deserters laid the body on a litter, placed himself at the head in uniform .and sabre in hand, and went through all the streets of the Faubourg dv Temple, showing the1 corpse to the people,- and shodting for vengeance. At about nine in the evening, I was ordered^ to go but and ;reeonnoitre. I passed throuph the Fauborg dv Temple with no further difficulty than having to leap over the barricades erected on all sides; but when I tried to return to the mairie of the^ixth arronaissement, to report what I had seen, I found the bridges drawn up and guarded by men armed witu guns. In order not to fall into their bands, Ttook refuge in the hou«e of a friend, and remained there for three days, while the cannon were roaring Tnrough,the windows looking on the canal I had noticed among the insurgents at the barricade of the Angouleme bridge^ two convicts, more obstinate than the rest, who^fired at the troops each time that they passed the end of the street. These two villains seemed desirous to avenge on the blood of the citizens the proscription to which society had sentenced them for their crimes. On the 21st, the day when the Faubourg dv Temple wa3 taken by the troops, I met one of these bandits, and although he was surrounded by a dozen vagabonds like himself, 1 did not hesitate to collar him. At a later date he was brought before a Council of war, and sentenced to transportation. Hardly was the insurrection suppressed, than from all sides poured in denunciations that so { and-so and so-and-so had taken more or less active part in the revolt/ M Monin Jappy, mayor o'the sixth arrondisement, thought that all these denunciations could not be true, and to avoid any fatal error he ordered me to make inquiries about every person denounced. To facilitate my task, he placed a room at my service, in which I installed myself with my old I policemen, and. the guardians who had remained iaithful. I at once set to work, and I am bound to say that threfe-foQrths of the denunciatory sentences were only dictated by the lowest ami most iufajpQUs calumny, and roused by envy or private revenge. " r> International CMoKET"'lVlAiok at NejW York. —A cricket match took place at N<jw on Mon- . day, 28th July, between eleven English and sixteen American, players. The *ng'istaneu. won ia one i innings tlieir score being 13d against 116£ in'the two innings of their opponmte^-Liverpotil Albion', 13th August, <. C*JJ t r ' v