Make France Great Again-Chapter 129: Crushing the Treasonous Faction

Jerome Roland, who excelled at labeling others, never imagined that one day he would be labeled as "subverting the government of the French Republic."

"No! I disagree! This is slander, this is the tyranny of the majority!" Jerome Roland from the Mountain Party stood up hysterically pointing at Thiers on the stage, accusing him angrily.

Then, as if talking to himself, Jerome Roland raised his head and murmured, "I... I understand! You must have forced a confession, Leon Fushi is your lapdog!"

Looking at Jerome Roland’s obsessed appearance, Thiers on the stage looked down even more on this fellow.

If the Mountain Party (Jacobin faction) under Robespierre’s leadership was the embodiment of fear, then the Mountain Party under Jerome Roland was like a humble clown holding Robespierre’s banner.

With disdain in his eyes, Thiers said calmly, "Representative Jerome Roland! Since you think the National Assembly is the tyranny of the majority!"

Immediately, placing a hand on the podium, he spoke aggressively, "Then in your eyes, what is not tyranny? Or is it only you and your faction in the entire National Assembly who are right? Wake up! The era of tyrants is over! The fear of the Public Security Committee has vanished!"

"I..." Thiers’ rapid-fire words left Jerome Roland unable to retort, and he regretted his impulsive words just now.

Denying the legitimacy of the National Assembly also meant denying themselves.

Many Republican faction (Lamartine) and Order faction (Victor Hugo) representatives who originally had some goodwill toward the Mountain Party were very dissatisfied with Jerome Roland’s recent remarks.

Even members of the Mountain Party felt embarrassed and displeased with their "leader’s" wild words just now.

"I... I did not deny the National Assembly! I was just... just saying..." Jerome Roland, not good at eloquence, seemed at a loss for words.

Seeing Jerome Roland stammering and unable to answer, Thiers seized the opportunity again, saying, "Mr. Roland! Since you do not deny the legitimacy of the National Assembly, then please execute the National Assembly’s recent proposal!"

Thiers turned to Speaker Malaste on the podium and said, "Speaker Citizen, I request the suspension of Jerome Roland’s and the Mountain Party’s representative identities, and immediate investigation of them!"

Under the French Republic constitution, representatives enjoyed the power of immunity from investigation.

If judicial trial of a representative was desired, suspending the representative’s identity was an essential step.

Of course, deploying the army was also an option.

"This..." Speaker Malaste hesitated, not wanting to see the entire National Assembly turn into a life-and-death battleground, he said, "Can we wait until the evidence is conclusive before deciding!"

"Speaker Citizen, the evidence is conclusive! Jerome Roland is a subversive element lurking in France intending to overthrow the Republic! I request his immediate arrest!" Thiers did not give Speaker Malaste any face, and firmly ordered.

Speaker Malaste did not want to agree to Thiers’ proposal on the spot, nor did he want to offend the Order Party, so he could only laugh it off by saying, "I think we should wait until all the members are present before deciding! Aren’t there still 40 representatives missing?"

Thiers knew that Malaste was stalling for time, and he did not think he could compel Jerome Roland to surrender from the parliamentary stage. All he was doing was pushing Jerome Roland to a desperate exit from the National Assembly, giving him a chance to bring the Mountain Party to ruin.

Thiers did not speak; he slightly bowed to Speaker Malaste and then cast a contemptuous glance at Jerome Roland before stepping down.

"Hmph! Let’s go!" Just as Thiers predicted, Jerome Roland, disregarding the "dignity" of the National Assembly, called on the Mountain Party to leave, as he no longer wanted to remain in this assembly, which made him feel suffocating.

In Jerome Roland’s view, the National Assembly was no longer "protected" by the constitution; those members had thoroughly become Royalist elements, and he wanted to fight them outside the assembly, in the barricades.

Jerome Roland’s unauthorized departure before the National Assembly had adjourned made Speaker Malaste even more disgusted with him, after having painstakingly helped smooth things over for Jerome Roland, only to receive such treatment.

Just as Jerome Roland led a few Mountain Party representatives through the left passageway to leave, a voice rang from behind him: "Representative Roland, the National Assembly is not a marketplace where you can come and go at will!"

Everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice.

Jerome Roland turned to the owner of the voice and said, "Mr. President, the constitution does not stipulate that representatives cannot leave at will!"

"The constitution stipulates that the National Assembly is the supreme authority in France. As a representative, what do you mean by despising the National Assembly! Do you still have the Republic in your eyes, or the 30 million French compatriots!" Jerome Bonaparte, with a stance of respecting the National Assembly, severely criticized Jerome Roland: "Or, Representative Roland, have you willingly given up your representative identity!"

"If it’s membership in this self-serving assembly, I’d rather not have it!" Enraged and losing his senses, Jerome Roland did not realize the trap Jerome Bonaparte had prepared for him, "The assembly in my heart is in the streets of Paris, not here!"

"Since Representative Roland, you are no longer willing to be part of the National Assembly, then please proceed!" Jerome Bonaparte gestured a stance of "as you wish."

"Mr. President, you and your cabinet will surely be overthrown by the angry Parisians!" Jerome Roland sneered as he left the National Assembly.

After Jerome Roland left, Jerome Bonaparte looked at everyone in the National Assembly with a smile, saying with a hint of mockery in his tone, "The National Assembly has truly put on a spectacular show!"

"Ahem... ahem..." Speaker Marast cleared his throat on the podium, striking the gavel, "Citizen President, what brings you to the Bourbon Palace?"

Jerome Bonaparte still wore a mocking expression, "As a member of France! Can’t I attend the parliament to observe? Mr. Speaker, you just heard it as well, Deputy Lederer Roland has voluntarily renounced his status as a deputy, so we can start the scrutiny from him!"

"Yes!"

"Indeed!"

Many in the Order Party camp voiced their agreement, and the parliament seemed on the verge of descending into chaos once again.

"Silence!" Marast struck the gavel again, and once the parliament quieted down, he said, "Citizen President, this is not something for you to consider! Whether Lederer Roland truly renounces his deputy status is for the National Assembly to decide!"

Jerome Bonaparte once again left the Bourbon Palace with an attitude of laissez-faire.

Following the disruptions by Lederer Roland and Jerome Bonaparte, the sanctity of the National Assembly was utterly lost.

Fortunately, not many journalists had entered the National Assembly, so what transpired inside would not be reported.

Under Marast’s gavel, the farcical National Assembly adjourned.

On the morning of June 13th, an article titled "Declaration to the People" was published by "Reform Daily," "Peace and Democracy Daily," and Proudhon’s "People’s Daily."

The article unreservedly recorded the events that happened in the National Assembly that day, and the sanctity of the National Assembly vanished at that moment.

Immediately following was a massive demonstration moving along Shady Lane. Nearly 30,000 unarmed National Guard members and workers’ groups, incited by Lederer Roland and part of the Mountain Party, demanded parliamentary reform under the banner of "Long live the Constitution."

As soon as the procession began, the news reached the Elysee Palace.

Jerome Bonaparte, Thiers, Audion Barrot, Changarnier, and Liu Lier gathered in the study of the Elysee Palace.

"Excellent! They’ve all jumped out!" Audion Barrot said excitedly.

Thiers and Jerome Bonaparte both smiled; the strategy of luring snakes out of their holes seemed to have worked.

The next step was Jerome Bonaparte’s performance.

Jerome Bonaparte issued orders to Minister Liu Eli: "Minister Liu Eli, in my capacity as President, I order you to immediately sign the mobilization order for the Paris troops. We shall show no mercy to those attempting to overthrow the Republic!"

"Yes, President!" Liu Eli responded immediately.

"General Changarnier, you and your troops may deploy!" Jerome Bonaparte ordered Changarnier again.

"Yes!" Changarnier stood, saluted Jerome Bonaparte, then rode off.

Half an hour later, General Changarnier, having reached the suburban barracks, swiftly issued orders to enter Paris.

10,000 French regular troops quickly entered Paris.

The demonstrators marching on Peace Road and Shady Lane were dumbfounded at the sight of Changarnier’s Dragoons and Riflemen—they hadn’t scripted any regular army response in their plans.

"Disperse them!" Changarnier pointed at the procession from horseback with a bridle.

The regular army troops cut through the procession like tigers among sheep.

"Quick, use weapons to fight back!" Lederer Roland urged the procession to retaliate with weapons, but they had none.

After that, Lederer Roland, under the protection of a small part of the Paris Artillery Team, reached the Paris Eighth Corps and Ninth Corps of the National Guard, hoping for their help.

Unwilling to conflict with the regular army, the Eighth and Ninth Corps refused him.

At the same time, an order for the arrest of Lederer Roland and his cohorts, who attempted to overthrow the Republic, was issued from the Elysee Palace.

This made Lederer Roland and the Mountain Party completely vulnerable.

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