Page:Coubertin - France since 1814, 1900.djvu/67

 The writings of Royer-Collard, and Guizot's pamphlet, Des Moyens de Gouvernement et d’Opposition en l’état actuel de la France (published in 1821), with its bitter spirit of contempt, show the incapacity of the doctrinaires to offer any durable support to any Government whatever.

Such was the state of the Parliament from 1816 to 1824. That it did not overturn more Cabinets was owing to the fragmentary character of the various parties, and to the personal animosities which permitted the Cabinet to find, now here, now there, a provisionary and fluctuating support, while it accomplished its perpetual work of equilibrium. If any good and useful laws were passed it was owing to the talent of the Ministers, to their frank eloquence, to their individual influence over the Chamber. As for the House of Peers, it showed, as a rule, great wisdom and moderation in its acts and its language, and much was to be hoped from it.

One question still remains : What were the people thinking all the time ? For in order to realise the character of this period, we must bear in mind that the deputies were not the representatives of the people, but of the