Page:A Scene from Contemporary History.djvu/10

Rh explaining yourself, if you change them, the Assembly shall judge of it

M Victor Hugo—As the shorthand reporter of the "Moniteur" has gathered them from my mouth (Several interruptions)

Several Members—You have changed them! You have spoken to the short hand reporter (Confused noises)

M De Panat and other members—You have nothing to fear The words shall appear in the "Moniteur" as they came forth from the mouth of the orator

M Victor Hugo—Gentlemen,to-morrow when you shall read the "Monteur" (Cries from the right) when you shall read therein this phrase that you have interrupted and that you have not heard, this phrase, in which I said that Napoleon would be astonished, would be indignant to see his empire, his glorious empire has this day for theorists and for reconstructers, whom? Men, who, each time that we pronounce the words, democracy, libeity, humanity, progress, lie down flat with terror, and attach their ears to the ground to discover if they cannot hear at last the approach of the Russian canon

Voice from the right—To whom do you apply thus?

Voice from the left—To Romieu! To the red spectre! To the red flag!

M Victor Hugo—I have been called to order for this!

M the President to M Victor Hugo—You cannot isolate a phrase from your entire discourse And all this came at the suit of an insulting comparison, between the emperor who is no more, and the President of the Republic who exists (Prolongod agitation —A great number of members descend into the Half-circle, and it is not without trouble that, on the order of M the President, the ushers make them retake their places and bring about a little silence and order)

M Victor Hugo—You shall recognise to-morrow the truth of my words

Voice from the right—You said—You

M Victor Hugo—Never,and I say from the top of this