Bonaparte, occupied with his own fixed
Napoleonic idea, was audacious enough openly to exploit this degradation
of the parliamentary power: When the National Assembly, on May 8, 1849,
passed a vote of censure upon the Ministry on account of the occupation
of Civita-Vecchia by Oudinot, and ordered that the Roman expedition
be brought back to its alleged purpose, Bonaparte published that same
evening in the "Moniteur" a letter to Oudinot, in which he congratulated
him on his heroic feats, and already, in contrast with the quill-pushing
parliamentarians, posed as the generous protector of the Army. The
royalists smiled at this. They took him simply for their dupe. Finally,
as Marrast, the President of the constitutional assembly, believed on a
certain occasion the safety of the body to be in danger, and, resting on
the Constitution, made a requisition upon a Colonel, together with
his regiment, the Colonel refused obedience, took refuge behind the
"discipline," and referred Marrast to Changarnier, who scornfully sent
him off with the remark that he did not like "bayonettes intelligentes.
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