nais。　　What！　if　we　suffer　for　truth　and　justice；　must　we；　in　retaliation；　thrust　our　persecutors　outside　the　pale　of　human　society；　and；　when　sentenced　to　an　unjust　punishment；　must　we　decline　exemption　if　it　is　offered　to　us；　because　it　pleases　a　few　base　satellites　to　call　it　a　pardon？　　Such　is　not　the　wisdom　of　Christianity。　　But　I　forgot　that　in　the　presence　of　M。　Lamennais　this　name　is　no　longer　pronounced。　　May　the　prophet　of　〃L'Avenir〃　be　soon　restored　to　liberty　and　his　friends；　but；　above　all；　may　he　henceforth　derive　his　inspiration　only　from　his　genius　and　his　heart！
  O　proletaires；　proletaires！　how　long　are　you　to　be　victimized　by　this　spirit　of　revenge　and　implacable　hatred　which　your　false　friends　kindle；　and　which；　perhaps；　has　done　more　harm　to　the　development　of　reformatory　ideas　than　the　corruption；　ignorance；　and　malice　of　the　government？　　Believe　me；　at　the　present　time　everybody　is　to　blame。　　In　fact；　in　intention；　or　in　example；　all　are　found　wanting；　and　you　have　no　right　to　accuse　any　one。　　The　king　himself　（God　forgive　me！　　I　do　not　like　to　justify　a　king）；the　king　himself　is；　like　his　predecessors；　only　the　personification　of　an　idea；　and　an　idea；　proletaires；　which　possesses　you　yet。　　His　greatest　wrong　consists　in　wishing　for　its　complete　realization；　while　you　wish　it　realized　only　partially；consequently；　in　being　logical　in　his　government；　while　you；　in　your　complaints；　are　not　at　all　so。　　You　clamor　for　a　second　regicide。　　He　that　is　without　sin　among　you；let　him　cast　at　the　prince　of　property　the　first　stone！
  How　successful　you　would　have　been　if；　in　order　to　influence　men；　you　had　appealed　to　the　self…love　of　men；if；　in　order　to　alter　the　constitution　and　the　law；　you　had　placed　yourselves　within　the　constitution　and　the　law！　　Fifty　thousand　laws；　they　say；　make　up　our　political　and　civil　codes。　　Of　these　fifty　thousand　laws；　twenty…five　thousand　are　for　you；　twenty…five　thousand　against　you。　　Is　it　not　clear　that　your　duty　is　to　oppose　the　former　to　the　latter；　and　thus；　by　the　argument　of　contradiction；　drive　privilege　into　its　last　ditch？　　This　method　of　action　is　henceforth　the　only　useful　one；　being　the　only　moral　and　rational　one。
  For　my　part；　if　I　had　the　ear　of　this　nation；　to　which　I　am　attached　by　birth　and　predilection；　with　no　intention　of　playing　the　leading　part　in　the　future　republic；　I　would　instruct　the　laboring　masses　to　conquer　property　through　institutions　and　judicial　pleadings；　to　seek　auxiliaries　and　accomplices　in　the　highest　ranks　of　society；　and　to　ruin　all　privileged　classes　by　taking　advantage　of　their　common　desire　for　power　and　popularity。
  The　petition　for　the　electoral　reform　has　already　received　two　hundred　thousand　signatures；　and　the　illustrious　Arago　threatens　us　with　a　million。　　Surely；　that　will　be　well　done；　but　from　this　million　of　citizens；　who　are　as　willing　to　vote　for　an　emperor　as　for　equality；　could　we　not　select　ten　thousand　signaturesI　mean　bona　fide　signatureswhose　authors　can　read；　write；　cipher；　and　even　think　a　little；　and　whom　we　could　invite；　after　due　perusal　and　verbal　explanation；　to　sign　such　a　petition　as　the　following：
  〃TO　HIS　EXCELLENCY　THE　MINISTER　OF　THE　INTERIOR：
  〃MONSIEUR　LE　MINISTRE；On　the　day　when　a　royal　ordinance；　decreeing　the　establishment　of　model　national　workshops；　shall　appear　in　the　‘Moniteur；'　the　undersigned；　to　the　number　of　TEN　THOUSAND；　will　repair　to　the　Palace　of　the　Tuileries；　and　there；　with　all　the　power　of　their　lungs；　will　shout；　‘Long　live　Louis　Philippe！'
  〃On　the　day　when　the　‘Moniteur'　shall　inform　the　public　that　this　petition　is　refused；　the　undersigned；　to　the　number　of　TEN　THOUSAND；　will　say　secretly　in　their　hearts；　‘Down　with　Louis　Philippe！'〃
  If　I　am　not　mistaken；　such　a　petition　would　have　some　effect。＇1＇　　The　pleasure　of　a　popular　ovation　would　be　well　worth　the　sacrifice　of　a　few　millions。　　They　sow　so　much　to　reap　unpopularity！　　Then；　if　the　nation；　its　hopes　of　1830　restored；　should　feel　it　its　duty　to　keep　its　promise；and　it　would　keep　it；　for　the　word　of　the　nation　is；　like　that　of　God；　sacred；if；　I　say；　the　nation；　reconciled　by　this　act　with　the　public…spirited　monarchy；　should　bear　to　the　foot　of　the　throne　its　cheers　and　its　vows；　and　should　at　that　solemn　moment　choose　me　to　speak　in　its　name；　the　following　would　be　the　substance　of　my　speech：
  ＇1＇　　The　electoral　reform；　it　is　continually　asserted；　is　not　an　END；　but　a　MEANS。　　Undoubtedly；　but　what；　then；　is　the　end？　　Why　not　furnish　an　unequivocal　explanation　of　its　object？　　How　can　the　people　choose　their　representatives；　unless　they　know　in　advance　the　purpose　for　which　they　choose　them；　and　the　object　of　the　commission　which　they　entrust　to　them？
  But；　it　is　said；　the　very　business　of　those　chosen　by　the　people　is　to　find　out　the　object　of　the　reform。
  That　is　a　quibble。　　What　is　to　hinder　these　persons；　who　are　to　be　elected　in　future；　from　first　seeking　for　this　object；　and　then；　when　they　have　found　it；　from　communicating　it　to　the　people？　　The　reformers　have　well　said；　that；　while　the　object　of　the　electoral　reform　remains　in　the　least　indefinite；　it　will　be　only　a　means　of　transferring　power　from　the　hands　of　petty　tyrants　to　the　hands　of　other　tyrants。　　We　know　already　how　a　nation　may　be　oppressed　by　being　led　to　believe　that　it　is　obeying　only　its　own　laws。　　The　history　of　universal　suffrage；　among　all　nations；　is　the　history　of　the　restrictions　of　liberty　by　and　in　the　name　of　the　multitude。
  Still；　if　the　electoral　reform；　in　its　present　shape；　were　rational；　practical；　acceptable　to　clean　consciences　and　upright　minds；　perhaps　one　might　be　excused；　though　ignorant　of　its　object；　for　supporting　it。　　But；　no；　the　text　of　the　petition　determines　nothing；　makes　no　distinctions；　requires　no　conditions；　no　guarantee；　it　establishes　the　right　without　the　duty。　　〃Every　Frenchman　is　a　voter；　and　eligible　to　office。〃　　As　well　say：　　〃Every　bayonet　is　intelligent；　every　savage　is　civilized；　every　slave　is　free。〃　　In　its　vague　generality；　the　reformatory　petition　is　the　weakest　of　abstractions；　or　the　highest　form　of　political　treason。　　Consequently；　the　enlightened　patriots　distrust　and　despise　each　other。　　The　most　radical　writer　of　the　time；he　whose　economical　and　social　theories　are；　without　comparison；　the　most　advanced；M。　Leroux；　has　taken　a　bold　stand　against　universal　suffrage　and　democratic　government；　and　has　written　an　exceedingly　keen　criticism　of　J。　J。　Rousseau。　　That　is　undoubtedly　the　reason　why　M。　Leroux　is　no　longer　the　philosopher　of　〃Le　National。〃　　That　journal；　like　Napoleon；　does　not　like　men　of　ideas。　　Nevertheless；　〃Le　National〃　ought　to　know　that　he　who　fights　against　ideas　will　perish　by　ideas。
  〃SIRE；This　is　what　the　nation　wishes　to　say　to　your　Majesty：
  〃O　King！　you　see　what　it　costs　to　gain　the　applause　of　the　citizens。　　Would　you　like　us　henceforth　to　take　for　our　motto：　　‘Let　us　help　the　King；　the　King　will　help　us'？　　Do　you　wish　the　people　to　cry：　　‘THE　KING　AND　THE　FRENCH　NATION'？　　Then　abandon　these　grasping　bankers；　these　quarrelsome　lawyers；　these　miserable　bourgeois；　these　infamous　writers；　these　dishonored　men。　　All　these；　Sire；　hate　you；　and　continue　to　support　you　only　because　they　fear　us。　　Finish　the　work　of　our　kings；　wipe　out　aristocracy　and　privilege；　consult　with　these　faithful　proletaires；　with　the　nation；　which　alone　can　honor　a　sovereign　and　sincerely　shout；　‘Long　live　the　king！'〃
  The　rest　of　what　I　have　to　say；　sir；　is　for　you　alone；　others　would　not　understand　me。　　You　are；　I　perceive；　a　republican　as　well　as　an　economist；　and　your　patriotism　revolts　at　the　very　idea　of　addressing　to　the　authorities　a　petition　in　which　the　government　of　Louis　Philippe　should　be　tacitly　recognized。　　〃National　workshops！　it　were　well　to　have　such　institutions　established；〃　you　think；　〃but　patriotic　hearts　never　will　accept　them　from　an　aristocratic　ministry；　nor　by　the　courtesy　of　a　king。〃　　Already；　undoubtedly；　your　old　prejudices　have　returned；　and　you　now　regard　me　only　as　a　sophist；　as　ready　to　flatter　the　powers　that　be　as　to　dishonor；　by　pushing　them　to　an　extreme；　the　principles　of　equality　and　universal　fraternity。
  What　shall　I　say　to　you？　。　。　。　　That　I　should　so　lightly　compromise　the　future　of　my　theories；　either　this　clever　sophistry　which　is　attributed　to　me　must　be　at　bottom　a　very　trifling　affair；　or　else　my　convictions　must　be　so　firm　that　they　deprive　me　of　free…will。
  But；　not　to　insist　further　on　the　necessity　of　a　compromise　between　the　executive　power　and　the　people；　it　seems　to　me；　sir；　that；　in　doubting　my　patriotism；　you　reason　very　capriciously；　and　that　your　judgments　are　exceedingly　rash。　　You；　sir；　ostensibly　defending　government　and　property；　are　allowed　to　be　a　republican；　reformer；　phalansterian；　any　thing　you　wish；　I；　on　the　contrary；　demanding　distinctly　enough　a　slight　reform　in　public　economy；　am　foreordained　a　conservative；　and　likewise　a　friend　of　the　dynasty。　　I　cannot　explain　myself　more　clearly。　　So　firm　a　believer　am　I　in　the　philosophy　of　accomplished　facts　and　the　_statu　quo_　of　governmental　forms　that；　instead　of　destroying　that　which　exists　and　beginning　over　again　the　past；　I　prefer　to　render　every　thing　legitimate