, THE HISTORY OF A CRIME THE
TESTIMONY OF AN EYE-WITNESS BY
VICTOR HUGO THE FIRST DAY—
THE AMBUSH. CHAPTER I. "SECURITY" On December 1,
1851, Charras shrugged his shoulder and unloaded his
pistols. In truth, the belief in the possibility of a coup
d'état had become humiliating. The supposition of such
illegal violence on the part of M. Louis Bonaparte
,vanished upon serious consideration. The great question
of the day was manifestly the Devincq election; it was
clear that the Government was only thinking of that
matter. As to a conspiracy against the Republic and
against the People, how could any one premeditate such
a plot? Where was the man capable of entertaining such a
dream? For a tragedy there must be an actor, and here
assuredly the actor was wanting. To outrage Right, to
suppress the Assembly, to abolish the Constitution, to
strangle the Republic, to overthrow the Nation, to sully
the Flag, to dishonor the Army, to suborn the Clergy and
the Magistracy, to succeed, to triumph, to govern, to
administer, to exile, to banish, to transport, to ruin, to
assassinate, to reign, with such complicities that the law
at last resembles a foul bed of corruption. What! All these
enormities were to be committed! And by whom? By a
Colossus? No, by a dwarf. People laughed at the notion.
They no longer said "What a crime!" but "What a farce!"
For after all they reflected; heinous crimes require
stature. Certain crimes are too lofty for certain hands. A
, man who would achieve an 18th Brumaire must have
Arcola in his past and Austerlitz in his future. The art of
becoming a great scoundrel is not accorded to the first
comer. People said to themselves, Who is this son of
Hortense? He has Strasbourg behind him instead of
Arcola, and Boulogne in place of Austerlitz. He is a
Frenchman, born a Dutchman, and naturalized a Swiss; he
is a Bonaparte crossed with a Verhuell; he is only
celebrated for the ludicrousness of his imperial attitude,
and he who would pluck a feather from his eagle would
risk finding a goose's quill in his hand. This Bonaparte
does not pass currency in the array, he is a counterfeit
image less of gold than of lead, and assuredly French
soldiers will not give us the change for this false Napoleon
in rebellion, in atrocities, in massacres, in outrages, in
treason. If he should attempt roguery it would miscarry.
Not a regiment would stir. Besides, why should he make
such an attempt? Doubtless he has his suspicious side, but
why suppose him an absolute villain? Such extreme
outrages are beyond him; he is incapable of them
TESTIMONY OF AN EYE-WITNESS BY
VICTOR HUGO THE FIRST DAY—
THE AMBUSH. CHAPTER I. "SECURITY" On December 1,
1851, Charras shrugged his shoulder and unloaded his
pistols. In truth, the belief in the possibility of a coup
d'état had become humiliating. The supposition of such
illegal violence on the part of M. Louis Bonaparte
,vanished upon serious consideration. The great question
of the day was manifestly the Devincq election; it was
clear that the Government was only thinking of that
matter. As to a conspiracy against the Republic and
against the People, how could any one premeditate such
a plot? Where was the man capable of entertaining such a
dream? For a tragedy there must be an actor, and here
assuredly the actor was wanting. To outrage Right, to
suppress the Assembly, to abolish the Constitution, to
strangle the Republic, to overthrow the Nation, to sully
the Flag, to dishonor the Army, to suborn the Clergy and
the Magistracy, to succeed, to triumph, to govern, to
administer, to exile, to banish, to transport, to ruin, to
assassinate, to reign, with such complicities that the law
at last resembles a foul bed of corruption. What! All these
enormities were to be committed! And by whom? By a
Colossus? No, by a dwarf. People laughed at the notion.
They no longer said "What a crime!" but "What a farce!"
For after all they reflected; heinous crimes require
stature. Certain crimes are too lofty for certain hands. A
, man who would achieve an 18th Brumaire must have
Arcola in his past and Austerlitz in his future. The art of
becoming a great scoundrel is not accorded to the first
comer. People said to themselves, Who is this son of
Hortense? He has Strasbourg behind him instead of
Arcola, and Boulogne in place of Austerlitz. He is a
Frenchman, born a Dutchman, and naturalized a Swiss; he
is a Bonaparte crossed with a Verhuell; he is only
celebrated for the ludicrousness of his imperial attitude,
and he who would pluck a feather from his eagle would
risk finding a goose's quill in his hand. This Bonaparte
does not pass currency in the array, he is a counterfeit
image less of gold than of lead, and assuredly French
soldiers will not give us the change for this false Napoleon
in rebellion, in atrocities, in massacres, in outrages, in
treason. If he should attempt roguery it would miscarry.
Not a regiment would stir. Besides, why should he make
such an attempt? Doubtless he has his suspicious side, but
why suppose him an absolute villain? Such extreme
outrages are beyond him; he is incapable of them
