The riot of June 13 limited itself, as we have seen, to a peaceful
street procession. There were, consequently, no laurels to be won from
it. Nevertheless, in these days, poor in heroes and events, the party of
Order converted this bloodless battle into a second Austerlitz. Tribune
and press lauded the army as the power of order against the popular
multitude, and the impotence of anarchy; and Changarnier as the "bulwark
of society"--a mystification that he finally believed in himself.
Underhand, however, the corps that seemed doubtful were removed from
Paris; the regiments whose suffrage had turned out most democratic were
banished from France to Algiers the restless heads among the troops were
consigned to penal quarters; finally, the shutting out of the press
from the barracks, and of the barracks from contact with the citizens
was systematically carried out.
We stand here at the critical turning point in the history of the French
National Guard. In 1830, it had decided the downfall of the restoration.
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