Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/360

 318 ORIGIN OF THE WAR OF 1853 CRAP, that any one who throw a doubt on the loyalty XIV> of the acts of the Government should be arrested* These are samples of the means which generals and prefects and sub-prefects adopted for insuring the result ; but it is hardly to be believed that all this base zeal was really needed, because from the very first, the brethren of the Elys^e had taken a step which, even if it had stood alone, would have been move than enough to coerce the vote. They fixed for the 20th and 21st of December the elec- tion to which civilians were invited; but long before this, the army had been ordered to vote (and to vote openly without ballot), within forty- eight hours from the receipt of a despatch of the 3d of December.-)- So all the land-forces of contrivance France had voted, as it were, by beat of drum, for cocrcintc the election and the result of their voting had been made of the army, known to the whole country, long before the time fixed for the civilians to proceed to election. France, therefore, if she were to dare to vote against the President, would be placing herself in instant and open conflict with the declared will of her own army, and this at a time when, to the extent already stated, she was under martial law. Surprised, perplexed, affrighted, and all un- t ' Annuaire,' Appendix, p. 67. M. St Arnaud's circular to the generals of Division ordered that the vote of the soldiers be taken within forty-eight hours, and also said, ' The President ' reckons on the support of the nation and of the army; and, so ' far as concerns your Division, on the energy of your attitude, • the prompt and severe repression of the slightest attempt at • disturbance.' Ibid. — Note to 4th Edition, 18G3.
 * Anetg du Sous-pr6fet de Valenciennes.