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five other secret decisions relating to the coup d'état.
Does this page of the Register of the Court of Cassation exist at the
present time? Is it true, as has been stated, that the prefect Maupas
sent for the Register and tore out the leaf containing the decree? We
have not been able to clear up this point. The Register now is shown to
no one, and those employed at the Recorder's Office are dumb.
Such are the facts, let us summarize them. If this Court so called
"High," had been of a character to conceive such an idea as that of doing
its duty--when it had once met together the mere organization of itself
was a matter of a few minutes--it would have proceeded resolutely and
rapidly, it would have appointed as Procureur-General some energetic man
belonging to the Court of Cassation, either from the body of magistrates,
such as Freslon, or from the bar, like Martin (of Strasbourg). By virtue
of Article 68, and without waiting the initiative of the Assembly, it
would have drawn up a judgment stigmatizing the crime, it would have
launched an order of arrest against the President and his accomplices and
have ordered the removal of the person of Louis Bonaparte to jail. As for
the Procureur-General he would have issued a warrant of arrest. All this
could have been done by half-past eleven, and at that time no attempt had
been made to dissolve the High Court. These preliminary proceedings
concluded, the High Court, by going out through a nailed-up door leading
into the Salle des Pas Perdus, could have descended into the street, and
there have proclaimed its judgment to the people. At this time it would
have met with no hindrance. Finally, and this in any case, it should have
sat robed on the Judges' Bench, with all magisterial state, and when the
police agent and his soldiers appeared should have ordered the soldiers,
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