April 27, 1850.
After a six-day "truce," the Order Party and the "Social Democratic Faction" engaged in a new round of struggle over the decree to "restrict universal suffrage."
Having tested the waters in the first round, Thiers had already roughly gauged the attitude of Parisians toward the "restrictions on universal suffrage." Due to the impact of the two June Revolutions, Parisians had developed an aversion to those workers who went on strike at the drop of a hat. They were not willing to clash with the authorities over these restrictions.
As for those workers who were deprived of their ballots, how could they possibly understand the importance of a vote?
As mbers of the silent majority, they only hoped their days could be a little better.
After all, the two June uprisings had thoroughly plunged all of Paris’s revolutionary fervor into a nadir.
For Parisians and workers alike, as long as life remained stable, they wouldn’t care even if the Legislative Assembly turned the world upside down.
Supporting the Republican Faction was one thing, but helping them "revolt" was another.
This also ant that Thiers could finally let loose and carry out a thorough reckoning against the Republican Faction.
Around 4 p.m. on the 27th, the Legislative Assembly officially began.
Of the 750 mbers, only 600 were present.
Sitting in the Speaker’s seat, Speaker Malaste crossed his hands on the podium, leaning slightly forward in a relaxed manner. In a casual tone, he addressed all the mbers present: "Gentlen, we continue to discuss the proposal on universal suffrage submitted by the Order Party. I hope this ti you can uphold the order that should be maintained in the Legislative Assembly. This is the most sacred institution in all of France, not a marketplace! Now, let’s invite Senator Thiers to the stage to speak!"
The faces of the "Social Democratic Faction" mbers changed slightly. Thiers’s appearance signified that the Order Party was about to "get serious"!
From the steps on the right of the podium, Thiers, responsible for this speech, slowly ascended to the platform under the gaze of both the Order Party and the Social Democratic Faction.
At this mont, his sharp eyes scanned all the mbers below the podium. This physical dwarf, verbal giant began a new round of "attack."
With the fervent hope of all the Order Party mbers, Thiers cleared his throat and elegantly spoke in a Parisian accent: "Is there any moral guarantee in a person’s ho?"
Thiers paused, answering his own question: "Yes! A person’s moral value can only manifest among his compatriots!" He glanced provocatively at the Social Democratic Faction’s seats: "Cherished among his fellow citizens, in the city where he resides."
"Oh, co on!" The mbers of the Social Democratic Faction’s seats showed disdain, whispering to themselves.
Unfazed by their murmurs, Thiers continued his speech on the podium. To him, this so-called address was rely a formality for restricting universal suffrage. As long as the Order Party, which controlled the Assembly, remained united, the remaining factions posed no threat.
Thiers’s tone rose: "However, those without fixed abodes, the so-called ’vagabonds,’" he raised his right hand slightly in an introducing gesture, as if the vagabonds were right before him.
Then, he spread his hands and said disdainfully: "Have no moral value whatsoever!"
"Yes! Yes!" The Order Party, whose party charter included "Order, Morality, Religion," applauded Thiers’s speech. To them, those so-called proletarians were unworthy of voting rights, only electing red radicals or jesters like Jero Bonaparte into the Assembly, neither of whom were the Order’s preferred choice.
"These holess people should not decide their fate through elections," Thiers continued.
Loud applause erupted, the cheers of the Order Party mbers.
"They would gather, forming a dangerous force!" Thiers shifted his gaze to the Order Party side, his tone even more exalted.
"How can you say that?" Social Democratic Faction mbers loudly questioned Thiers, but their voices were drowned in the thunderous applause.
"They should bear history’s most shaful na!" Thiers’s tone carried disdain. As a poor boy from the Provençal Region, he had long since betrayed his class. The only way for him to prove himself to Paris’s high society was to sever ties with his original class: "They are called pariahs!"
The Social Democratic Faction mbers below grew increasingly noisy.
"And the people, the real people!" Thiers emphasized: "Those of you with voting rights must endure the tornt brought by this city of rabble!"
Thiers’s impassioned speech prompted the Order Party mbers to rise in applause.
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After the speech, Thiers left the podium, and the Order Party mbers greeted his speech with smiles, casting admiring glances at Thiers.
Just as the Republican Faction was preparing to send soone to counter, Victor Hugo, seated with the Order Party, stood up.
Amidst the astonished glances of his Order Party colleagues, Victor Hugo walked to the right side of the podium, the very spot where Thiers had stood monts before.
Speaker Malaste imdiately stood and solemnly announced to the assembled mbers: "I now declare that Victor Hugo will join the Mountain Faction!"
"Traitor!" ca the cries from the Order Party camp, and the previously proud Thiers’s expression turned sowhat grim.
He had never imagined that Victor Hugo would one day join the Mountain Faction.
This is simply a "provocation" against the Order Party!
"Judas!"
"Are you mocking your voters?"
Amid the insults from the mbers of the Order Party, Victor Hugo resolutely walked towards the left side of the semicircular hall.
Seeing this, Remiza quickly stood up and loudly shouted: "Mr. Hugo, who was once an extre Royalist, then a Liberal, and now has turned into a Socialist!"
Remiza’s sarcastic tone made the mbers of the Order Party burst into laughter, and Victor Hugo also stopped in his tracks to look at Remiza.
Remiza continued to wear a mocking expression: "Romanticism is indeed as fickle as the wind! Only such a thing can delight their sensitive and fragile hearts!"
As the Order Faction ridiculed him, Victor Hugo also showed a smile. He opened his arms and bowed to the mbers of the Order Party camp.
Then, he raised his head and seriously responded: "Sir, listen more to the voice of the soul, if you have a soul. Listen less to the sound of your purse, this is the only way to benefit the country."
After speaking, Victor Hugo headed towards the camp of the Mountain Faction without looking back.
"Hmph!" ca another shout from the Order Party camp.
The newly appointed leader of the Mountain Faction smiled and welcod Victor Hugo.
After the farce ended, Speaker Malaste resud the discussion on the issue of restricting the power of universal suffrage.
Victor Hugo, who had joined the Mountain Faction, took out a draft speech and quietly pleaded with the leader of the Mountain Faction beside him: "Please let speak for our party and for the workers!"
"Hmm!" The leader of the Mountain Faction nodded, and Victor Hugo rose again.
The Social Democratic Faction camp broke into enthusiastic applause.
"So quickly speaking up for his new master!"
"I always said the Romantic School never had reliable folks! He’s not one of us!"
The Order Party once again slandered Victor Hugo.
Of course, the Order Party’s slander of Victor Hugo could not stop him from speaking for the masses.
Victor Hugo, spreading his speech manuscript on the podium, cleared his throat and said: "Gentlen, it seems that the February Revolution has already been conquered! In that case... since the revolution has been slandered, I must seize every opportunity to praise its achievents, extol its nobility and beauty. This revolution, with its great wisdom, not only connects the destinies of the bourgeois and the proletariat, giving them honor and the sa sovereignty, but also, in depression, despair, in abandonnt, in degradation, finds the despairing, offers them hope, finds the angry, offers them reason, finds beggars, the poor, the wanderers..."
Victor Hugo bowed and emphasized: "As we often say, ’the wretched,’ to crown them and make them ’citizens.’ Universal suffrage tells everyone — I have yet to find a more outstanding peace the than this.
It says: Rest assured, you are the masters! They say: Are you suffering? Well, from now on, you will achieve greatness on your own, to destroy the suffering of humans. This suffering belongs to people like you, to those who have entrusted their souls to you! That is, in your own hands - it says rest assured!
Look! Gentlen, profound justice and profound politics! The power of universal suffrage gives the suffering people the ballot, takes away the gun in their hands, empowers them, and also brings them peace!
At the pinnacle of every citizen’s conscience, from the humblest to the greatest, in the depths of the soul, there is a sacred and indestructible sentint! That is power, this sentint is the cornerstone of human reason, the granite of human conscience!"
Victor Hugo couldn’t help but raise his voice: "Power! Gentlen, before power, everything will collapse and beco invisible!
Injustice, hypocrisy, evil laws, and bad governance! We must return its power to the people!"
After Victor Hugo’s electrifying conclusion, the entire conference hall fell silent.
"Thank you!" Victor Hugo once again bowed to all the legislators below the stage and left?
After a long ti, Speaker Malaste, regaining his composure, quickly asked: "Ladies and gentlen, please vote on the restriction of the universal suffrage bill!"
The Order Party and the Social Democratic Faction snapped back to reality and raised their ballots.
All mbers of the Order Party raised white ballots in favor, while the Republican Faction and the Mountain Faction raised a minority in opposition.
Despite Victor Hugo’s speech, the Order Party still defeated the "Social Democratic Faction" with an overwhelming majority of votes.
"Now, I announce that the proposal to restrict universal suffrage is passed!"
A hint of desolation flashed in Speaker Malaste’s eyes; as a mber of the Republican Faction, he had to personally announce the defeat of the principles for which he had strived his entire life, which undoubtedly was his greatest punishnt.
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