All were imbued with that manly anger whence issue great resolutions.

They talked.  They set forth the situation.  Each brought forward the news which he had learnt.

Theodore Bac came from Leon Faucher, who lived in the Rue Blanche.  It was he who had awakened Leon Faucher, and had announced the news to him.  The first words of Leon Faucher were, “It is an infamous deed.”

From the first moment Charamaule displayed a courage which, during the four days of the struggle, never flagged for a single instant.  Charamaule is a very tall man, possessed of vigorous features and convincing eloquence; he voted with the Left, but sat with the Right.  In the Assembly he was the neighbor of Montalembert and of Riancey.  He sometimes had warm disputes with them, which we watched from afar off, and which amused us.

Charamaule had come to the meeting at No. 70 dressed in a sort of blue cloth military cloak, and armed, as we found out later on.

The situation was grave; sixteen Representatives arrested, all the generals of the Assembly, and he who was more than a general, Charras.  All the journals suppressed, all the printing offices occupied by soldiers.  On the side of Bonaparte an army of 80,000 men which could be doubled in a few hours; on our side nothing.  The people deceived, and moreover disarmed.  The telegraph at their command.  All the walls covered with their placards, and at our disposal not a single printing case, not one sheet of paper.  No means of raising the protest, no means of beginning the combat.  The coup d’etat was clad with mail, the Republic was naked; the coup d’etat had a speaking trumpet, the Republic wore a gag.

What was to be done?

The raid against the Republic, against the Assembly, against Right, against Law, against Progress, against Civilization, was commanded by African generals.  These heroes had just proved that they were cowards.  They had taken their precautions well.  Fear alone can engender so much skill.  They had arrested all the men of war of the Assembly, and all the men of action of the Left, Baune, Charles Lagrange, Miot, Valentin, Nadaud, Cholat.  Add to this that all the possible chiefs of the barricades were in prison.  The organizers of the ambuscade had carefully left at liberty Jules Favre, Michel de Bourges, and myself, judging us to be less men of action than of the Tribune; wishing to leave the Left men capable of resistance, but incapable of victory, hoping to dishonor us if we did not fight, and to shoot us if we did fight.

Nevertheless, no one hesitated.  The deliberation began.  Other representatives arrived every minute, Edgar Quinet, Doutre, Pelletier, Cassal, Bruckner, Baudin, Chauffour.  The room was full, some were seated, most were standing, in confusion, but without tumult.

I was the first to speak.

I said that the struggle ought to be begun at once.  Blow for blow.