Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X THE THIED REPUBLIC 1. National Defence. When the news of Sedan came to Paris, the Empress made an effort, through Merimee, to gain the services of Thiers. That most astute and common-sense of politicians would neither ally himself to a ruined cause, nor commit himself to a dubious adventure. He refused the Empress; and he would not join the government of national defence, though he gave it a benevolent support. It consisted of eleven members. Some of them had made their reputations; Arago, Cremieux, Jules Favre: others had theirs to make, and were in due time to be famous; Jules Ferry, Gambetta: one, Jules Simon, was to stultify his principles; another, Henri Rochefort, had become notorious in the empire, and was to be more conspicuous for many years under the republic. It seemed as though the church could not live at ease with men of this kind. On the other hand, Eome was more intractable than ever. The hurried separation of the council, the retirement of the French garrison, and the fall of the empire, warned the Curia of its doom. The misfortunes of the papacy rallied its adherents. Never were the ultramontanes so zealous or so bitter, especially in France. There was no enthusiastic alliance between the clergy and the new government, as there had been when the second republic was inaugurated. There were no common interests, as in the understanding between the church and the second empire. But patriotism, and defeat, and the odious presence of the invader, drew all Frenchmen together. They sank party differences, and worked in common. The liberal government of defence accepted the conservative and clerical Trochu as their head, and on his own terms, namely that religion, property, and the rights of the family, should be...
