Jules Simon.
very heat of the revolution of '89. I had seen much turbulence in our own House of Representatives before the War of the Rebellion. I had been present when the Grow and Keitt fight took place, at a night session, where the members had a hand-to-hand scuffle in the area in front of the Speaker's chair–"All of which I saw and a part of which I was;" but never had I seen anything that would parallel the scene which took place in the Corps Législatif.
On the day for the opening of that body, fully appreciating that the session would be a remarkable one, I went early to the Palais Bourbon in order to get a good seat in the diplomatic tribune, so that I could see and hear all that took place. The President took his seat at half-past one o'clock p.m., and then the members came rapidly into the hall. The ministers took their places on the ministerial benches, and all were present except the Minister of War, who was in the field. The Corps Législatif at this time might be said to be composed of men of more than ordinary ability, and many of them of much political experience and somewhat distinguished in one way or another. As a body, it was made up of older men than the members of our House of Representatives at Washington, but the number of deputies was about the same. The real ability, the dash, the boldness, and the eloquence appertained to the Left. Many of those men had the qualities attributed to the Girondists in the National Convention. It was interesting to watch the deputies coming into the hall; the members of the Right and Centre quietly took their seats, but there was much agitation among the members of the Left. In fact, it was easy to see that there was a storm brewing.
The President, having declared the session opened, had only read the formal part of the proclamation, reciting, "By the grace of God and the national will, Emperor of the French, etc.," when many members of the Left broke out in furious exclamations, saying that they did not want any more of that; and it was some time before the President could finish reading the document. After he had concluded he awarded the floor to M. Ollivier, Minister of Justice, who mounted the tribune and commenced developing the reasons why the Chamber was called together. He had only said a few words when he was met with the most boisterous and insulting interruptions. A member of the Left having cried out that the country had been compromised, Jules Favre exclaimed, "Yes, by the imbecility of its chief! Come down from the tribune! It is a shame!" Arago cried out that the public safety required that the ministers should get out of the way. Pelletan said, "You have lost the country, but it will save itself in spite of you!" At length Ollivier was able to complete his speech, which he read from a written manuscript. The floor was then given to General de Jean, the Minister of War ad interim, who proposed a law and stated the reason therefor. Jules Favre then obtained the floor, and proposed resolutions in relation to the defence of the country, looking to the reorganization of the National Guard. He mounted the tribune to speak to his resolutions. A tall, heavy man, with rough, strong features, plainly dressed, and with an immense head of hair, he was a great orator; and at this time he rose to the highest pitch of eloquence, and denounced in unmeasured terms the weakness, mismanagement, and folly of the ministers, and the wretched manner in which the army had been commanded. He said that it was necessary that the Emperor should abandon his headquarters and return to
