longer recognise her." Liberal ideas confronted him on every hand. The generals themselves called for a Constitution. Magistrates, professors, and the inferior Government officials remained stolidly hostile to him; they were subdued by fear, but no sincere adherence could be expected from them. Many of the Prefects and sub-Prefects owed their nomination to the Emperor, Louis XVIII. on his accession having kept on about half the functionaries of the Empire; but even they were hostile. Everywhere the mayors showed their lukewarmness and their ill-will. The greater number of them, except in the departments of the East, were "anciens seigneurs" nominated between 1809 and 1816 by Napoleon, who was tormented with a secret desire to rally round him the old noblesse. This time, believing that he could safely trust to the result of the elections, he decided that the Communes with a population of less than 5,000 should themselves nominate their mayors. Two-thirds of those elected were hostile to him. "During the month of April," we read in an official document, "a million tricolours were pulled down in the north, west, and south." So much for the legendary enthusiasm
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FRANCE SINCE 1814
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