Joseph Benoit born in 1812 of a country family of Saint-Martin-with-Bavel in the Ain (France), is a Canut, member of the secret societies which will propagate the republican faith, founder of the first club revolutionary of Lyon, and appointed working in 1848. Converted with the mutualism by Pierre Joseph Proudhon, it will be stopped and banished after the coup d'etat of the December 2nd 1848. It will write at the time of its exile the " Confessions of a prolétaire" , manuscript of 426 pages, kept with the library of Lyon, which recalls the class struggles, of social justice, etc…

Historical situation

The July 30th 1830 with Lyon, the guns are directed on crowd, the baillonettes pursue the weavers, the companions and the workmen out of silk who try to flee of Guillotière towards the Cross-Russet-red . Among these demonstrators, a 18 year old young man, the serious glance, shouts " lives freedom! live the republic ".

Biography

Revolutionary Joseph Benoit from his father who wants to give him an education, entrusts it to a friend Geneva, which teaches the manufacture of the watches to him and encourages it to read Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In 1825, marked by the Swiss life in and the mystical daydreams, it leaves the modern life to continue its studies with Lyon with the college of Belley. He refuses to make his first communion and breaks with Catholicism, but the destiny will call upon him, when its ruined family asks him to work… Knowing Lyon already, it will be done committed by one manufacturing of Tulle bobin, and thus enters the big family of the Canut S, craftsmen of silk, who make the glory of the town of Lyon. The economic revival of the Empire and the Restoration benefits only with that from the merchants and manufacturing, but never with the workmen carders, reelers, warpers and dyers, who however make silk trade of luxury and prestige. Joseph Benoît hears of some Pierre Charnier foreman which created a philanthropic association, the mutual Duty , with for slogan " let us join together, inform, learn that our interests and our honor order us the union".

A kind of trade union, from new spirit is born, and four years later in 1831 the Canut S require a minimum tariff of the prices in way, the strike is started and the demonstrators stress " not shuttle without two grounds!! "

Revolts of the two pennies

This revolt is mâtée hard, and in 1831 the companions ravel in the streets by claiming the smig, and will obtain the evening even a tariff worked out between trade unions of manufacturing and those of the canusery. The government calls into question the collective agreements, work ceases again, the silk workers go down again in the streets, and it is the confrontation, the army ordered by the Soult marshal with the head of 20.000 men evacuates Lyon. Joseph Benoît becomes aware of the force of the number, and created in 1834 a working newspaper the Echo of the factory . Following a reduction in the tariff a new strike is born, the leaders are stopped for violation of the law, Lyon rises, and six days after the opposition is crushed.

The company of the flowers

Joseph Benoît settles on his account with two of his fellow-members to weave velvet, they feel free and independent. Joseph founds the community of the goods as well as the republic and, obsessed by propaganda, it created in 1835, the company of the flowers whose, each member bears the name of a flower or a plant. On the model of the secret societies, they meet in wood or at the edge of the Saone, little time after several members is continued, stopped and imprisoned. Then Joseph Benoît gathers the survivors, and in 1837 unite with the company of the families of Armand Barbès, Louis Auguste Blanqui and Martin Bernard, organization which will be the instrument of the ideas Socialiste S.

Joseph Benoit Marie in 1840, with an unmarried mother, who will adopt her ideas. Impassioned philosophy, of history and journalism, he will write with the newspaper Fraternity starting from 1845, a series of articles on the economy and the social one.

The Republic

Monarchy collapses in 1848 pennies the pressure of the middle-class opposition, and the Republic is proclaimed in Lyon on February 28th. Joseph Benoît is named member of the committee revolutionary, indicated to settle the disagreements between owners and workmen, and charged with nourishing more than 30.000 working-class families installed in the barracks.

Joseph Benoît elected under the label babouviste-Communist is accommodated by an ovation of the people gathered place of the Composts, and on May 4th, it attends the first National Assembly, where it will militate for the suppression of the tax on salt, right to work, the general amnesty and against the prohibition of the clubs,… etc. In February 1850, during the discussion on the law Falloux, it deposits an amendment and goes up to the platform : … starting from January 1st 1851, the primary education will be free and obligatory. The children prevented by the distance, to follow the schools of the chief town of the commune, and that the parents will not be able to maintain with their costs, will be placed and nourished with the expenses of the state or the departments…

Louis Bonaparte

The December 2nd 1851, outgoing of the assembly, it is stopped with Eugene Sue, led to the secrecy ten seven days, it is transferred with thirty four from his/her colleagues to Sainte Pelagie. A decree of the January 9th 1852, signed by Louis Bonaparte and Morny, declares them banished, and for this reason Joseph Benoît assigned at the village of Saint-Hubert in the the Ardennes, flees in Belgium for Deynze, Brussels then Antwerp. He in vain seeks to work in a weaver, but in front of so much on hotility, he decides to go to Geneva where he will survive by publishing his memories: Memories of the Invisible Republic of 1848 and the. His/her son legitimates Emile dies at the twenty four years age in August 1866, it will say of him : … a full-faced type with frankness, size and nobility…

Amnesties

Its disappointment is large, when it enters in France after thirteen years of exile, it feels foreign with Lyon, the September 4th 1870, it is the capitulation of Mac-Mahon to Sedan, the republic is proclaimed.

The September 16th, it is elected at the municipal council of the 1st district, but its promptness and its enthusiasm its so firm, it seems moderate, a conciliator, it condemns the intransigence of the communards and the of Versailles one. Become radical, it will be revoked and will complete its life at the side of Marie her adopted girl who holds a paper mill with Lyon Lafayette course. He dies the March 3rd 1880, the year when Jules Guesde takes again his old Lyons claim of the minimum tariff, for which he had fought.

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