Paris Correspondence [pp. 267-272]

270 From oar Paris Correspondent. [MAY,
yet complete. A regiment of artillery, with a
battery of four pieces, matches lighted, came up
from the banlieue and occupied the barri6re and
the head of the principal streets. Twenty-five
thousand men were under arms upon this occasion at the rond point, and in the immediate
neighborhood.
Parallel to the boulevards by which we had
reached the barri6re de Fontainebleau, and separated from it only by the city walls, is a broad road
called the outer boulevard. It was by this outer
boulevard that the prisoners were expected to
arrive from the fort of Vauves. All eyes are anxiously turned in that direction. It is a quarter
past six! An ordinary one horse coach approaches. Way is made for it: it stops at the barri6re.
A man in ordinary citizen's dress steps out and
proceeds directly to the guillotine. It is the chief
executioner of the Seine. He mounts the scaffold and examines carefully the machine; and
then descends. In five minutes after, a low murmur running through the crowd, and the clatter
of horses' feet, announce that the end is approaching. They come up at a round trot! A company of lancers-a squadron of cuirassiers-two
close, box-like, covered vehicles, containing the
prisoners and their confessors-an ordinary carriage containing the assistant executioners-lancers-cuirassiers, composed the procession! The
military stopped at the gate. The carriages
passed slowly in, and moved on through the opening batallions to the steps at the foot of the scaffold. Another minute and the executioner is
seen to mount the scaffold-Daix quickly follows
attended by his priest. He stands close to the
wide plank! His head is uncovered-hisshoulders are bared-he is bound to the plank! There
is a moment's pause. Daix is protesting with a
firm and loud voice, that he dies innocent of the
death of Gen. Brea, whom he wished to protect-that he dies for the people! The plank
moves upon its pivot-his head is beneath the
axe-one cross-piece descends-the other rises
to meet it, and his neck is inclosed in the fatal
circle. The executioner in citizen's dress raises
his hand. Every eye is fixed upon the axe. It
moves-it falls! The head drops into the little
square basket-the trunk tumbles heavily into
the long basket; and the bloody axe is seen slowly moving up the grooves to be ready for another
fall! Lahr has already been placed upon the
scaffold. His sinking form is bound to the plank.
He declares in a weak voice to those around him
that he dies a Christian; and with the names of
Marie! and Jesus! upon his lips, bows his head
to the stroke! The axe falls again-the baskets
receive their double charge: they are tossed into
the cart; and within five minutes from the arrival of the prisoners upon the place of execution
by the outer boulevard, their headless bodies were
being carted along the inner boulevard to the
cemetery of Mount Parnasse!
The troops remained in position for half an
hour, keeping back the crowd'anxious to rush up
and obtain a nearer view of the fatal machine.
Assistants with sponges and buckets of water
washed from the axe, and other parts, all traces
of blood; and then numerous workmen commenced the labour of removal. Within an hour
after performing so effectually its fatal functions,
the machine itself, taken to pieces, and laden
upon carts, was on the way to its usual place of
deposit in the faubourg du Temple.
It was perhaps only a wise precaution on the
part of government, to surround this execution
with so imposing a military display. We don't
know what attempts at emeute and insurrection
may have been prevented. There is a large party
in France, and it has its representatives in the assembly itself, which is in the daily habit of expressing its sympathy with the insurgents of June,
and speaking of them as political victims worthy
of a better fate. These men would renew those
frightful scenes of civil war, if the inattention of
government should altfford them the slightest hope
of success. Upon the present occasion, however, not the slightest symptom of disorder was
to be seen. Silence and decorum as perfect as
would characterize any equally numerous assemblage in the United States prevailed throughout.
The crowds seemed composed of about the same
class of persons as flock to public executions
with us. The proportion of females was perhaps greater here. A rather savage curiosity
seemed here, as upon similar occasions, all over
the world, to be the leading impulse of the spectators: and nothing, save the vast military apparatus which accompanied the execution, would
have induced the stranger to ascribe to it any
political significancy.
W. W. M.
PARIS, March 24, 1849.
When I last touched upon politics, France was
on the eve of its first presidential election. My
anticipations as to the anti-republican result were
more than realized: and the march of events
since has only tended to confirm me in the opinion, that republican forms will be abandoned after
an essay of much shorter duration than that of
fifty years ago. France is profoundly democratic,
but not republican. An empire founded upon
the popular will, and very slightly limited by a
written constitution, is the form of government
that best suits France of the nineteenth century.
It is the only form of government that can be
stable. It is the only one that is honestly prat
270
From oar Paris Correspondent.
[MAY,