Flowers, Swords and France

"Citizens of the Republic:

Due to the long-term chaos of the situation and the ulterior motives of certain criminals, the Republic is in an unprecedented critical situation. If order is not restored as soon as possible, the country will soon fall into an irreversible situation. .

After careful consideration and discussion by the Executive Committee, the government decided to take decisive measures to maintain the stability and prosperity of the Republic and restore order by all means.

The Executive Committee hereby decides:

Disband the national factories to alleviate the financial crisis that now threatens the Republic.

At the same time, the committee has made appropriate arrangements for the aftermath of the dissolution of the national factory:

After the national factories are disbanded, all unmarried unemployed male workers aged 18 to 25 will be incorporated into the army to facilitate management; the government plans to arrange for the remaining unemployed workers to be sent to other provinces to participate in local construction projects. To cut off livelihood.

From the date of issuance of the notice, this decision of the Executive Committee will become a decree and will be implemented from that date.

Anyone affected by this law should actively cooperate with the government to restore order in the Republic as soon as possible.

Anyone who disobeys or resists the law will be severely punished in accordance with the laws of the Republic!

June 21, 1848"

………………

After General Cavaignac deployed his subordinates one by one, he had already sharpened his temporary political axe, and finally issued such a decree.

Regardless of the high-sounding words, the essence of the decree is very clear: the Provisional Government intends to disband the national factories established in the early post-revolutionary period, and prepares to transfer out all the unemployed workers - who were the main members of the insurrectionary army during the February Revolution. In Paris, young men were recruited into the army, and other unemployed workers were sent to work in other provinces.

Moreover, at the end of the notice, the final threat was clearly stated: if these unemployed workers dare to refuse to obey the orders of the government, the government will use all means - including force - to deal with them.

Tuqiongdagger met.

There is no doubt that this is a declaration of war. After the bourgeoisie completely usurped the fruits of victory of the February Revolution, they couldn't wait to draw their swords against their original allies.

By imposing such harsh conditions and not allowing appeals at all, they will push more than 100,000 workers who were previously incorporated into state factories into dire straits.

No one is willing to go to a desperate situation, especially a group of people who dare to resist and are willing to resist.

Just after this announcement was circulated throughout the capital, the whole city was already boiling.

Thousands of workers took to the streets, and crowds of people marched on the streets. Protesters were everywhere. They kept chanting their own slogans, and everything seemed to have returned to four months ago.

These proletarians painfully discovered that four months after the revolution had "succeeded", they were once again left with nothing. But this time, they were no longer facing the weak and shaky July Dynasty, but the entire proletarian class that had united to wipe out the mob.

If they had seen through this earlier, how different things would be!

"Down with the National Assembly!"

"We will never go to other places to do hard labor!"

"Hang Marley!"

"Long live the revolution!"

An overwhelming roar sounded from where the marchers gathered. \u003ces, 1795-1870), a French politician who was elected to the House of Representatives during the July Monarchy and became a radical political opponent. After the founding of the Second Republic, he first became Minister of Public Works and presided over the national factories (already introduced before).

On May 10, the Constituent Assembly elected five people as the Executive Committee to take charge of state power. Marley became one of them, and became the head of state of France at that time (Arago, introduced before, was the political leader).

After the establishment of the Second Republic, Malley, who was originally radical, changed his mind and actively called for the suppression of the revolting workers in Paris. 】

They threw away the tricolor and held the red flag in their hands.

Now, no one talks about freedom, equality and fraternity anymore, only slogans and the endless singing of "Marseillaise" are left.

Amidst the shouts and shouts, the streets were in chaos and filled with people holding weapons. They used various debris and bricks to make barricades sprout up on streets everywhere. Especially in the workers' settlements, almost the entire area has been turned into a fortress.

And even at this time, they still want to use a peaceful way to restore everything they are destined to lose.

………………

In the Paris City Hall, Breuer, one of the workers' leaders and a director of the left-wing society "Republican Central", met with anger and nervousness, the author of this decree and the former head of the national factory Pierre-Marie profit.

"Sir! I will protest against you and your colleagues in the strongest terms!" He shouted loudly as soon as he saw this man. "The decree just issued by the Executive Committee is the most unprecedented that I have ever seen." This is the most unintended, shameless and vicious decree. Even the previous Orleans dynasty would never dare to be so arrogant and shameless towards the people! On behalf of the entire working class in Paris, I ask you to withdraw this decree immediately. ”

All he got was a contemptuous glance from the other party.

"Take it back? No, it's impossible, sir. It's irreversible and there's no room for negotiation." He smiled arrogantly, as if with a kind of pride that he was confident. "This is the government's final and indisputable decision. You must agree to it."

"What if we don't agree?" Bourjoir roared angrily.

"It's clearly stated in the notice," the other party sneered, "If there are disobedient or resisting decrees, they will be severely punished according to the laws of the Republic! If your workers are unwilling to leave voluntarily, we will use force to drive them out of Paris. I don't think you will be happy to see this happen? So I suggest that you go back and persuade your people to pack up early."

"Bah! Don't even think about it! You bad guys, don't even think about asking us to lay down our arms." Bourjoir cursed angrily, "You have committed such a shameless crime, we will fight you to the end and defend this country!"

"No, we are defending this country, you are a mob." The cold answer made the whole room fall into silence.

After saying this, Bourjoir stopped protesting or arguing. He understood that everything was irreversible, and the other party would not make any concessions at all, nor would there be any room for negotiation.

After a moment, he slowly stood up, his lips trembling with anger, but he still spoke clearly, preserving his last dignity.

"Since you want to fight, then fight!"

The original text is available at 6 # 9 @Book/Bar!

Then, without saying another word, he turned around and left the office and the building.

He was also one of the participants in the workers' uprising plan, and he would soon lead his soldiers to attack the Paris City Hall he had just left.

The future was bleak, but he was no longer afraid.

……………………

At ten o'clock in the evening, Bourjoir, who had made up his mind, came to the Place de Gref according to the plan beforehand.

Usually, this place was a place where people flowed in an endless stream, and today it was even more crowded. Under the illumination of the torches, the whole place was bright, and the difference between day and night was blurred.

Burjol stood quietly in the center of the square, and was speechless for a moment.

Face after face passed by him, old and young, but all of them were full of traces of labor. They had the same anger and impulse as before, but also confusion and bewilderment about the future that was deeply trapped in darkness.

His heart suddenly twitched. How many of these people would die in the artillery fire within a few days?

The swaying fireworks in front of him seemed to suddenly turn into terrifying artillery fire, engulfing the entire square in the rumbling of gunfire.

He couldn't help but close his eyes slightly.

But his eyes soon opened, and they were full of determination again. He knew that at this moment, he must not waver again.

Finally, he slowly spoke.

"My brothers, I am very sorry that I can only bring you bad news today - the government has rejected our protests and is forcibly trying to continue to implement the decree... Yes, they are shouting freedom and equality, but they will never allow you to live your own life in this city as you wish. They are advocating fraternity, but they want to drive you out of Paris! They are the upper class, they arrogantly rejected our request, thinking that we would accept it humbly!"

The roars rang out from all over the square and soon gathered into thunderous roars. They finally understood that now was the last moment of the struggle.

"Down with the National Assembly!"

"We will never go to other places to do hard labor!"

Bruol waved his hand slightly, and then continued.

"Decades ago, our ancestors defeated the nobles and engraved the word equality into the bones of the entire nation. However, decades later, those upper classes are still above the country. They enjoy the fruits of our labor, but they command and enslave us with a clear conscience. Now, they want to turn us into slaves like in the old times, let us let them do whatever they want, and let us work to death without complaint! What can we do? Can we accept it?"

"No!" "Absolutely not!"

"Yes, we can only fight to the end, even if the price is to pay with our lives!" Bourjoir waved his hands vigorously, "I am not qualified to make decisions for you, but I ask you to pick up guns, build barricades, save yourself, and save the country! If we can't live by labor, we would rather fight and die!"

His last slogan won great resonance.

"If we can't live by labor, we would rather fight and die!"

"Action! France!" (To be continued.)