XXIX. 1831. gents profited by that circumstance to force from him a CHAP. written order to the only battalion of the national guard which still resisted, to retire; which they, not knowing of his captivity, immediately did. Meanwhile the fire of the national guards from the heights of Croix-Rousse on the streets below was so violent, that the regular troops were forced to retire, leaving the pavement covered with their dead. Towards night M. Dumolard and General Ordonneau were liberated by the rebels, in hopes that iii. 65, 67; they might effect an accommodation; but the thing proved 421; Ann. impossible, and both parties prepared, during the night, 280, 284. for a decisive conflict on the morrow.1 1 L. Blanc, Cap. v. 420, Hist. xiv. 13. strife in the streets of The morning of the 22d was ushered in with mournful presages for the inhabitants of Lyons. The dismal clang Desperate of the tocsin was heard from the steeple of St Paul's, the générale beat in all the streets, and the whole inhabitants Lyons. repaired to their different rallying-points, to take part on one side or another in the approaching conflict. At two in the morning the 40th regiment of the line arrived from Trévoux, but the reinforcements which the insurgents received were much more considerable. The sound of the tocsin, the discharges of the cannon, the rattle of the musketry, brought the whole population of the neighbouring towns and villages into Lyons, many of whom were national guards with their arms, who forthwith joined the insurgents. The strife soon became general. General Roguet established a battery of guns to command the bridges Morand and Lafayette, from whence multitudes were pouring out of the Quartier des Brotteaux into Lyons, and for some time it had the desired effect. But meanwhile the whole city was in insurrection, and the regular troops, stationed in force on a few points, found themselves surrounded by bodies of insurgents four times their own number, for the most part composed of national guards as skilful in the use of arms as themselves. Cries of " Vive la Republique!" were heard on all sides: from having been social, the insurrection had become political. The national guards on the side of 1831. CHAP. Government gradually slipped away; before evening there XXIX. were not thirty around their standards. The troops of the line in some instances fraternised with, and refused to act against them; in all, they opposed only a languid and reluctant resistance. They could not see how that could be wrong at Lyons which had been the object of such unbounded eulogy at Paris in the preceding year. At length, towards evening, the troops were driven back at all points to the Hôtel de Ville, which their chief rightly judged was untenable, as they had no communications or provisions. Accordingly, he resolved to evacuate the city, and take a position on some of the adjoining heights, there to await reinforcements and farther orders. The insurgents tried to bar their retreat, but a sustained fire soon dispersed the armed multitude which made the attempt. Attenuated by fatigue, and thinned in num1 L. Blanc, bers, but still maintaining their military aspect, and bearing Cap. v. 423, with them their cannons and wounded, the troops arrived at midnight at Montessuy, where they took up a position. The insurgents immediately occupied the Hôtel de Ville, and established a provisional government for the management of the city. iii. 72, 75; 424; Rap port du M. Dumolard, 14. Extreme alarm at Paris, and vigorous measures of ment. The first intelligence which the Government received of these events was by a telegraphic message, which simply announced that "an insurrection has broken out at Lyons, and the city is in the hands of the insurgents." The rethe Govern- mainder of the telegraphic message was illegible from fog. The utmost alarm immediately seized upon both the Government and the people. In the twinkling of an eye, the most alarming rumours were in circulation ;-that the insurrection had spread like lightning through all the adjoining towns and villages; that the workmen of St Etienne, Vienne, and Tarars had united with those of Lyons ; that insurrections had broken out at Grenoble and Toulon, and that Rouen and Bordeaux were prepared to follow the example. Such was the general panic that the Funds fell 5 per cent in a single day. But whatever apprehensions were felt by the Government, no vacillation or want of XXIX. 1831. resolution appeared in their measures. A cabinet council CHAP. was immediately held, at which M. Casimir Périer exhibited the utmost irritation at the revolt, and called for the most vigorous measures for its repression. Marshal Soult, who, as war-minister, was present, declared, “that he would engage to prevent the movement from proceeding farther, if clothed with sufficient powers. He should be authorised to assemble sufficient forces round Lyons: they should march instantly upon that city, so as not to give it time to know what it was about. An old soldier himself, he would not spare his person; he would speak to the regiments, he would restore their courage. The more force there was displayed, the less blood would be shed. In order to give an air of clemency to the proceeding, the Prince-Royal should accompany Marshal Soult, that measures of mercy might reflect their lustre on the Crown." This wise advice was unanimously agreed to: it was determined to give no terms to the rebels, but insist on unconditional surrender; and orders were immediately des- Cap. patched by the telegraph for all the troops within fifty Moniteur, miles of Lyons to converge with the utmost expedition 1831; Ann. towards that city, and join General Roguet in position 292, 293. before it. 1 430, 432; Nov. 26, Hist. xiv. nary state of the revolt. Meanwhile Lyons exhibited a spectacle perhaps unique 15. in the history of the world. The prefect had remained Extraordi at the Hôtel de Ville when the troops withdrew, with Lyons after the laudable design of being a check upon the insurgents, by whom he was much beloved. The real power, however, resided with them, as he had no force, civil or military, at his disposal; and to their honour be it said, no acts of outrage or disorder disgraced the victory of the people. They even went so far as to station guards and sentinels at all the important points to preserve order, and aid in transporting the wounded of both sides to the hospitals. They seemed to have no definite or ulterior object in view, but, like the Vendeans, thought the victory was gained, and nothing remained to do when the enemy was driven out of their streets. The prefect XXIX. 1831. CHAP. still issued his orders from the Hôtel de Ville, which were generally obeyed, though, as might be supposed, they were such as accorded with the wishes of the workmen; iii. 82, 83; and he engaged to exert his influence to the uttermost to Cap. v. 432, obtain the restoration of the tariff, and an advance in the wages of labour.1 1 L. Blanc, 433. 16. But this pleasing illusion was of short duration. GeneArrival of ral Roguet had already collected seven thousand men in his camp at Montessuy, when the telegraph announced to the Duke of him the vigorous resolutions of the Government. Rein Marshal Soult and Orléans, and sub mission of Lyons. forcements rapidly poured in on all sides. On the evening of the 2d December, forty thousand men, with one hundred pieces of cannon, were collected round Lyons, and at midnight of the 3d a salvo of artillery announced the arrival of the Prince-Royal and Marshal Soult at the camp. The Marshal spoke in severe terms to the regiments which had failed in their duty, and published a proclamation to the citizens, ordering instant submission and the delivery of all arms. Resistance was hopeless in presence of so great a force, and on the day following the Marshal made his entrance at the head of his troops, with drums beating, matches lighted, bayonets fixed, and sabres drawn, in the midst of all the pomp and circumstance of war. Stupified and terrified, the workmen attempted no resistance, and the most decisive measures were immediately adopted to break their power. The disarming was instantly and rigorously enforced, the national guard disbanded, a garrison of twenty thousand men stationed in the city, and the Croix-Rousse, where the insurrection had begun, surrounded by a girdle of iii. 82, 85; forts, armed with mortars. M. Dumolard was censured, 435; Moni- and his resignation accepted, and a new prefect appointed of firm character, and entirely devoted to the existing Government.2 * * L. Blanc, Cap. v. 433, teur, Dec. 8, 1831. So ignorant were the most sagacious politicians in * The terrible results of the attempt on the part of M. Dumolard to interfere, by positive enactment, in regulating the wages of labour, demonstrates XXIX. 1831. on this in entertained France at that period of the magnitude of the social CHAP. evils which then pressed upon the country, and were destined in the end to lead to such frightful results, that 17. the public mind was entirely relieved when it was dis- False views covered what the insurrection really was directed against. sur "It is nothing," said the organs of Government; "it is only a dispute between masters and workmen about in France. their wages." "Assured," said the Journal des Debats, "of external peace, surrounded by a powerful army united under the tricolor flag, the Government have no cause to apprehend anything from this insurrection but local and private suffering-very serious without doubt, but which will be lessened by the force of legal repression." The Chamber of Deputies presented an address to the King, in which they said: "We hasten to lay before your majesty the unanimous wish of the deputies of France, that you should oppose to these deplorable excesses the whole power of the laws. Personal security has been violently attacked, property menaced in its principle, the liberty of industry threatened with destruction, the voice of the magistrates disregarded. These disorders must instantly cease, such attempts must be energetically repressed. Entire France is wounded in the attack made on the rights of all in the persons of some citizens; it owes them a decisive protection." There can be no doubt of the truth of these words; but it is singular that it had never occurred to the legislature, the extreme danger of any such interposition on the part of those invested with authority. Such dangers are by no means unknown in this country. The Author has been repeatedly urged, during strikes and periods of mercantile depression, by the cotton-spinners, colliers, iron-miners, and iron-moulders of Lanarkshire, to interpose his authority as chief magistrate of the county to a certain rate of wages, or to accept a submission on the part of the workmen to fix what they should be. He always declined, however, upon the grounds1. That he had no power to fix wages; 2. That if he had the power he would not exercise it, because if he fixed the rate too low, it would do the workmen no good; if too high, it would lead to their being dismissed, and the works being closed, and thus essentially injure them. The distress on which the applications were founded, has been often as great in his experience in Glasgow as it was in Lyons in 1831, when M. Dumolard sanctioned the tariff. |