National guard (1831)

The resurrection of the national guard in 1830

Under the Monarchy of July, the national guard is placed, the August 16th 1830, under the direction of Fayette, named general commander of the national guards of the kingdom . As of the August 29th 1830, Louis-Philippe reviews the national guard of Paris, strong of 60 000 men. In front of the acclamations of the taxpayers out of weapons, he exclaims, by embracing Fayette: “That is better for me that the sacring of Rheims! ” One could not better say the importance attached to the middle-class militia of the mode, guarantor of the law and order and the alliance of the monarchy of July and the owners.

The guard shows its importance in December 1830, at the time of the Procès of the ministers of Charles X, where she manages to maintain the calm one in Paris. Louis-Philippe, who returns visit, the December 23rd, with the twelve districts of the Parisian guard to express his thanks to them, is relieved, but it carries out as the danger as there is, to monarchy, to depend on only one force to ensure the law and order: it thus will ask the Minister for the War, the marshal Soult, to reorganize without delaying the army of line. It also decides to get rid of Fayette, too not very reliable in its eyes.

The December 22nd, the king written with Fayette to thank it for having given, “in these days of tests, the example of courage, patriotism and the respect for the laws”, but, in writing pad, it operates with the House of Commons which engages, as of the December 24th, the debate on the organization of the national guard required by article 69 of the Charte of 1830, according to which laws must provide “as soon as possible possible” in particular for “the organization with the national guard, with intervention of the national guards in the choice of their officers”. However, during the debate, of the faithful deputies of the Palais Royal show that the function of commander-in-chief of all the units of the kingdom is contrary with the Charter and make vote its suppression in the condition of giving with Fayette “some mark of regret and some compensation”. As of the following day, Fayette resigns. The President of the Council, Jacques Laffitte, and the Minister of Interior Department, Camille de Montalivet, itself colonel of the national guard, seek to find a compromise, but Fayette lays down extravagant conditions: he wants the formation of a new ministry where would enter only his/her friends, the dissolution of the House of Commons and the abolition of the heredity of peerage. The 26, it maintains its resignation. Louis-Philippe takes note in short at once and dries letter of regret of it. The general Sheep, count de Lobau, replaces it as commander of the national guard of Paris.

The organization of the national guard (law of March 22nd, 1831)

Article 69 of the revised Charte had returned to a law “5° the organization of the national guard, with intervention of the national guards in the choice of their officers”. Come under discussion the December 24th 1830, the project is voted the March 5th by the deputies, the 10 by the pars, and is promulgated the 22. The national guard is charged to defend the Constitutional monarchy, the Charter and the rights which it devotes, to maintain obedience with the laws, to preserve or restore public peace and the order. On the other hand, any deliberation taken by the national guard on the businesses of the State, the department or the commune is a public breach of liberty and an offense against the public thing and the Constitution (article 1st).

The guard is theoretically made up of all the old French from 20 to 60 years (articles 2 and 9) but the law distinguishes the ordinary service and the service from reserve (article 19), the distribution between the two being made by the council of recruitment of the commune, which calls with the ordinary service only those which have the means of supporting the expenses of clothing and armament and have the time necessary for the service. Also one in the ordinary service does not find, only which is effective, that easy men: this gives to the guard its character of middle-class militia, rampart of the owners against the disorder.

Civil force, it is organized in each commune (article 4) and is placed under the authority of the mayors, the prefects and the Minister of Interior Department (article 6).

The refusal of the service is punished of a few days of detention.

Evolution of the national guard at the XIXe century (1831-1872)

Under the Monarchy of July, the National guard, middle-class militia of the mode, play a crucial role. In Paris, throughout all reign of Louis-Philippe, the National guard had close to 2 000 killed.

The national guards are recruited essentially in the middle-class, since they must justify that they pay the personal tax and buy themselves their equipment. For as much, the great majority of them are not enough fortunate to reach the Cens of 200 francs direct taxation required to take part in the election of the deputies by the electoral law of the April 19th 1831. However, they consider that if the mode waits them until they pour their blood to defend it, it must concede the participation in the political matters to them: the widening of the taxable quota thus constitutes a permanent claim within the National guard.

In January 1840, while the House of Commons deliberates on the address with the king, several hundreds of Parisian national guards express thus to claim the right to vote. Committees launch a very important movement pétiionnaire in favor of the political rights of the national guards, because all do not vote. This movement will extend from 1838 to 1842 and will not succeed in inflecting the electoral law. They are received by Jacques Laffitte which declares to them: “By asking for the electoral reform, you are faithful to the spirit of the revolution of July, whose destinies appeared one moment compromised by those which had the role of consolidating them. Remainder, the reforms, when they became necessary, are the best condom of the revolutions. ” In a proclamation of the January 14th 1840, the marshal Gerard, commander higher of the National guards of the the Seine and close to the king, condemns these demonstrations in the name of the law of the March 22nd 1831 which prohibits with the Guard any deliberation on the businesses of the State, the department or the commune.

Instrumentalisée during the Days of February in 1848 in favor of the republicans, Napoleon III confines it during the Second Empire in tasks subordinates in order to reduce his liberal and republican influence. During the war free-Prussian, it takes again a key role, grace in particular to the Gouvernement of the National defense which gives again all its importance to him. However, the participation of the National guard in the Commune of Paris involves its final suppression the March 14th 1872.

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