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I did not know what he was going to say, but I knew that he would only
say that which was noble.
This was his proposition.
"
We number," resumed he, "about fifty Representatives of the People,
still standing and assembled together. We are all that remains of the
National Assembly, of Universal Suffrage, of the Law, of Right.
To-morrow, where shall we be? We do not know. Scattered or dead. The hour
of to-day is ours; this hour gone and past, we have nothing left but the
shadow. The opportunity is unique. Let us profit by it."
He stopped, looked at us fixedly with his steadfast gaze, and resumed,--
"
Let us take the advantage of this chance of being alive and the good
fortune of being together. The group which is here is the whole of the
Republic. Well, then; let us offer in our persons all the Republic to the
army, and let us make the army fall back before the Republic, and Might
fall back before Right. In that supreme moment one of the two must
tremble, Might or Right, and if Right does not tremble Might will
tremble. If we do not tremble the soldiers will tremble. Let us march
upon the Crime. If the Law advances, the Crime will draw back. In either
case we shall have done our duty. Living, we shall be preservers, dead,
we shall be heroes. This is what I propose."
A profound silence ensued.
"
Let us put on our sashes, and let us all go down in a procession, two by
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