Chapter 257： The campaign to amend the constitution

"France is neither willing to revert to the old system, whatever it may appear to be, nor to attempt harmful unrealizable fantasies. It is because I am an opponent of both that France has placed its hopes in me.

...

If my government fails to deliver all the planned improvements, it will be the factionalism to blame.

One can see that for two years, when it comes to fighting chaos with repression, I have always had parliamentary support. But it refused to help me when I wanted to implement benefits and improve the situation of residents.

The beginning of a new phase of our political era, every French people should take the initiative to make their voices heard. If France realizes that people have no right to go beyond the Constitution to deal with the Constitution, France has only to make one point; my strength and courage will not betray it.

I am determined to carry out its will, no matter what responsibilities the state asks of me.

.....

In my hands, France will not suffer. "

Once the article was published, it caused a storm in industrial/semi-industrial cities such as Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Nancy, Loire, Dijon, etc. Anyone with a little political common sense understood that the President's open letter was aimed at the people. Parliament, he is calling on all the French to oppose the National Assembly, which they voted for.

"Is this guy Jerome Bonaparte so impatient to overthrow the National Assembly?" At this moment, Thiers, who was staying at the mansion in Rue Poirtier, was even more gloomy. He sat on the sofa and looked at him angrily. Berryer, who was next to him, seemed to be questioning Berryer.

"Obviously! He can't wait!" Berryer shrugged, showing a helpless expression: "Our strength is no longer enough to confront him. When the National Assembly has lost its ability to check and balance the president, the president will naturally not. will be in the eyes of the National Assembly."

The self-destruction of the Count of Chambord caused both the orthodox and Orleanist camps to explode. The Legitimists, led by Broy and Montalembert, separated from the Party of Order and joined Bonaparte. Count Lay chose to go into seclusion due to excessive disappointment, and Odilon Barrow also left the Party of Order and moved closer to Bonaparte.

The once largest party was completely split and became the last party, and Thiers and Bérier alone could no longer support the skeleton of the party of order.

"Fortunately, those "social democrats" have no intention of welcoming an emperor at all!" Thiers calmly analyzed the current situation, he turned his attention to Berryer and said: "Mr. Berryer, we must Act! Our strength alone is no match for Bonaparte!"

"What do you mean?" Berryer responded to Thiers.

"We must find a helper!" Thiers grinned slyly at the corner of his mouth.

"Help... Who else..." Berryer subconsciously wanted to veto Thiers' idea, "Wait, you mean..."

"That's right!" Thiers nodded knowingly, confirming Berryer's idea.

"But we are a royalist party!" Berryer's thought, which is not very flexible in the moral bottom line, is undergoing a fierce struggle.

"Monsieur Bérier, we are all republicans of tomorrow!" Thiers repeated what he had said during the February Revolution.

"Since you've figured out a countermeasure, then I'll just follow you!" Berryer seemed to have agreed with Thiers' actions, and he pretended to be reserved and handed the decision to Thiers.

"Then we will have a good "negotiation" with the republicans!" Thiers emphasized.

At the same time that Thiers was conspiring with Berryer, the Duke of Broy, Montalembert and Odilon Barrow who had joined or half joined the Bonapartists came to Jerome Bona. Ba's residence, the Tuileries Palace.

Since the last time Jérôme Bonaparte stayed at the Tuileries, he has been rooted in the Tuileries.

The Elysée Palace, which once served as the office and rest residence of the President, has completely become the residence of Prince Monfort.

The Duke of Broy and his party entered a living room of the Tuileries Palace under the leadership of Wallevsky.

The living room revealed a strong atmosphere of the First Empire. A half-open portrait of Napoleon was wrapped in a gold-rimmed frame and hung on the fireplace. Jerome Bonaparte sat on the sofa beside the fireplace.

"Welcome to the Duke of Broy, Mr. Odilon Barrow, and the Count of Montalembert!" Jerome Bonaparte got up and shook hands with the three of them, and invited them to sit together.

Jerome Bonaparte sat on the sofa with his legs slightly spread, his hands drooping on the sofa, leaning back in a relaxed posture and asking: "Three, I don't know why you came to the Elysee Palace. Expensive?"

"That's it! Mr. President!" Odilon Barrow recounted the news about Jérôme Bonaparte they had read in the newspaper of the Havas News Agency.

"So that's what happened!" Jerome Bonaparte put his legs together and leaned on the sofa upright, and asked with a serious expression, "Gentlemen, I think you should understand my purpose. What exactly is it!"

"Your Excellency, you still have more than a year, so you don't need to be so anxious!" Montalembert advised Jerome Bonaparte: "You will cause some people who are interested in you to turn to the other side! "

"You mean M. Thiers!" Jerome Bonaparte said bluntly to Montalembert.

"That's right!" Montalembert nodded in response to Jerome Bonaparte.

"The Count of Montalembert, Mr. Odilon Barrow, and the Duke of Broy!" Jerome Bonaparte called by name in turn: "The time you have worked with Mr. Thiers is not short, don't you realize that M. Thiers is a complete egoist! All he does is for himself, the party of Order is formed to be able to check and balance me, and the disapproval of Changarnier as the speaker is to prevent Changarnier from taking him Niche…”

Jerome Bonaparte ruthlessly criticized Thiers.

In a way, Thiers and Jerome Bonaparte are a type of guy.

"A man like this will never condescend under others! He is like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark all day, ready to bite you at any time when you are not prepared." Jerome Bonaparte lashed out at Thiers slander.

When the three of Montalembert heard Jerome Bonaparte's evaluation of Thiers, they were all silent.

"Okay! Gentlemen, since you all understand what I want to do, I would like to ask you to wave your flag to cheer after the parliamentary session is resumed!" Jerome Bonaparte spoke gently to the three people present. said.

"Mr. President, please be blunt! Your move this time is likely to fail!" Duke Broy, who had been silent for a long time, said, "According to the Constitution, if more than two-thirds of the people agree , the constitution can take effect. We are far less than three-quarters.”

I just want less than three quarters.

Jerome Bonaparte said silently in his heart, he knew that some people in his camp, including his father, Prince Monfort, were still hesitant to want both.

Wanting to overthrow the Legislative Assembly without having blood splattered on them.

Attempts to complete the coup in a legal way without killing the enemy.

It is part of the Bonapartist psychology to want to do something, but not willing to bear the cost.

Jerome Bonaparte can only tell them in the harshest reality of this kind of dude, that if they do not choose to completely trample the National Assembly under their feet, then the power they depend on will be destroyed in May 1852. Complete collapse in two weeks.

Nothing is more sobering than a veto by the Legislative Assembly.

"I just want to see how many people in the parliament are willing to support us!" Jerome Bonaparte explained to the Duke of Brouil: "In the next year, we only need to win this The support of some people is enough! If it is not a last resort, I still hope that all this can be solved by referendum instead of force! Four years in office is not enough to support me to do a great job! Duke of Broy, are you willing to help me? "

The words of Jerome Bonaparte once again confused the Duke of Broy and others. In their opinion, the President still respects the Constitution.

In order for the president to change the constitution without force, they have to compromise on the president's behavior.

"Of course!" The Duke of Broy immediately agreed to Jerome Bonaparte's request.

In the next ten days, the Duke of Brouy ran around for Jerome Bonaparte, and Montalembert also became the spokesman for Jerome Bonaparte's Elysee Palace. Thiers carefully The designed parliamentary standing committee has completely turned into the Elysée faction with the help of the inner ghost.

Even the Speaker of Durban, who was once hostile to Jérôme Bonaparte and his faction, also gradually moved closer to the Elysee Palace At the same time, a petition from the Gironde entered Paris.

"Your Excellency the President of France is an indispensable presence, and his term of office should be extended!" George Eugene Haussmann, who was a senior official of the Gironde Department at the time, also called on the French provinces to unite in public to send the petition to Paris, so that Paris see their attitude.

Eugene Ottoman's public remarks undoubtedly pointed out the direction for senior officials in other provinces. In the case of the president suppressing the parliament, it is necessary to curry favor with the president.

For a time, except for a few high-ranking officials in the stubborn royalist area, other high-ranking officials in the other provinces expressed to Paris that they wanted Jerome Bonaparte to stay in office.

The soldiers were not idle either. Under the arrangement of the Paris Military Agency and the War Department, the commanders of the Strasbourg Front, the Alps Front, and the Italian Front also expressed their attitude to Paris.

Petitions poured into Paris from all directions, and Jerome Bonaparte's momentum reached its peak surrounded by high-ranking officials and generals from the provinces.