Counter-proclamation of the Eighty
(Le Siècle, February 29 l864)
With proclamation of a certain number of workmen published by Le Siècle, we received the responses of other workmen that impartiality makes it our duty to reproduce:
With M. THE POLITICAL DIRECTOR OF THE “Siècle”
We read proclamation published in the newspapers on the working candidacies.
We come to affirm you that it expresses the opinion only one small number among us.
The workmen while pushing back almost has the unanimity with the last elections, the working candidacies, have proclamation which were in this respect their truths feelings. With the nearest elections, they are ready to start again!…
We all are convinced that in the fight which again will begin, the castes must be erased in front of the principles, and this system of the working candidacies that the authors of proclamation proclaim like the most energetic solvent of the distinctions and the classes, would only come to anything to divide the citizens.
Who of us knows only since the Revolution of 1789 and that of 1848, legally, politically, it has neither middle-class man no more there nor workmen. There are equal and free citizens; the ones know and the others are unaware of, the ones are honest and the others are not it.
When it is a question of electing a deputy it is necessary to choose that which knows and whose honesty is proven and to exclude that which is unaware of and whose probity is suspect, without concern of the row of fortune, of the profession.
The social position, transient besides, should be neither a reason preferably, nor a reason for exclusion. We did not destroy the privileges in top to restore them in bottom.
The working candidacies, for the point of view theoric, as the practical point of view, would have as a result, only to raise badly by the way a social question, whereas it is not absolutely necessary of one political question.
Would we have lost the memory of our tests of 1848? Educated by the experiment, thus let us retain whereas when one wants to solve all at the same time, one solves nothing; one disturbs his country, one worries it, one throws it in the arms of the dictatorship.
The question which dominates all the others according to the majorite of the workmen, it is the question of freedom “freedom like means of approaching peacefully, without violence nor Utopia, the difficult problem which dominates all the others, knowledge the moral and material improvement of the fate of the greatest number”.
Acquired freedom, we will work usefully with the social problems.
As long as we will not have freedom, only let us think of conquering it.
For that let us remain plain, push back all vigorously that could divide us into ensuring the success of the official candidates.
We include/understand very well that the adversaries of the candidacies which triumphed at May 31, are not not represented, but us which supported them vigorously, we are at the same time grateful and proud courageous efforts which the opposition makes, by claiming our rights.
That the Opposition continues us his devotion, our confidence will not be lacking to him.
