the Poissonniere banquet； his Toast to the Revolution。
Proudhon； who had been asked to preside at the banquet； refused； and proposed in his stead； first； Ledru…Rollin； and then； in view of the reluctance of the organizers of the banquet； the illustrious president of the party of the Mountain； Lamennais。 It was evidently his intention to induce the representatives of the Extreme Left to proclaim at last with him the Democratic and Social Republic。 Lamennais being accepted by the organizers； the Mountain promised to be present at the banquet。 The night before； all seemed right； when General Cavaignac replaced Minister Senart by Minister Dufaure…Vivien。 The Mountain； questioning the government； proposed a vote of confidence in the old minister； and； tacitly； of want of confidence in the new。 Proudhon abstained from voting on this proposition。 The Mountain declared that it would not attend the banquet； if Proudhon was to be present。 Five Montagnards； Mathieu of Drome at their head； went to the temporary office of 〃Le Peuple〃 to notify him of this。 〃Citizen Proudhon；〃 said they to the organizers in his presence； 〃in abstaining from voting to…day on the proposition of the Mountain； has betrayed the Republican cause。〃 Proudhon； vehemently questioned； began his defence by recalling； on the one hand； the treatment which he had received from the dismissed minister； and； on the other； the impartial conduct displayed towards him in 1840 by M。 Vivien； the new minister。 He then attacked the Mountain by telling its delegates that it sought only a pretext； and that really； in spite of its professions of Socialism in private conversation； whether with him or with the organizers of the banquet； it had not the courage to publicly declare itself Socialist。
On the following day； in his Toast to the Revolution； a toast which was filled with allusions to the exciting scene of the night before； Proudhon commenced his struggle against the Mountain。 His duel with Felix Pyat was one of the episodes of this struggle； which became less bitter on Proudhon's side after the Mountain finally decided to publicly proclaim the Democratic and Social Republic。 The campaign for the election of a President of the Republic had just begun。 Proudhon made a very sharp attack on the candidacy of Louis Bonaparte in a pamphlet which is regarded as one of his literary chefs…d'oeuvre： the 〃Pamphlet on the Presidency。〃 An opponent of this institution； against which he had voted in the Constituent Assembly； he at first decided to take no part in the campaign。 But soon seeing that he was thus increasing the chances of Louis Bonaparte； and that if； as was not at all probable； the latter should not obtain an absolute majority of the votes； the Assembly would not fail to elect General Cavaignac； he espoused； for the sake of form； the candidacy of Raspail； who was supported by his friends in the Socialist Committee。 Charles Delescluze； the editor…in… chief of 〃La Revolution Democratique et Sociale；〃 who could not forgive him for having preferred Raspail to Ledru…Rollin； the candidate of the Mountain； attacked him on the day after the election with a violence which overstepped all bounds。 At first； Proudhon had the wisdom to refrain from answering him。 At length； driven to an extremity； he became aggressive himself； and Delescluze sent him his seconds。 This time； Proudhon positively refused to fight； he would not have fought with Felix Pyat； had not his courage been called in question。
On the 25th of January； 1849； Proudhon； rising from a sick bed； saw that the existence of the Constituent Assembly was endangered by the coalition of the monarchical parties with Louis Bonaparte； who was already planning his coup d'Etat。 He did not hesitate to openly attack the man who had just received five millions of votes。 He wanted to break the idol； he succeeded only in getting prosecuted and condemned himself。 The prosecution demanded against him was authorized by a majority of the Constituent Assembly； in spite of the speech which he delivered on that occasion。 Declared guilty by the jury； he was sentenced； in March； 1849； to three years' imprisonment and the payment of a fine of ten thousand francs。
Proudhon had not abandoned for a single moment his project of a Bank of Exchange； which was to operate without capital with a sufficient number of merchants and manufacturers for adherents。 This bank； which he then called the Bank of the People； and around which he wished to gather the numerous working…people's associations which had been formed since the 24th of February； 1848； had already obtained a certain number of subscribers and adherents； the latter to the number of thirty… seven thousand。 It was about to commence operations； when Proudhon's sentence forced him to choose between imprisonment and exile。 He did not hesitate to abandon his project and return the money to the subscribers。 He explained the motives which led him to this decision in an article in 〃Le Peuple。〃
Having fled to Belgium； he remained there but a few days； going thence to Paris； under an assumed name； to conceal himself in a house in the Rue de Chabrol。 From his hiding…place he sent articles almost every day； signed and unsigned； to 〃Le Peuple。〃 In the evening； dressed in a blouse； he went to some secluded spot to take the air。 Soon； emboldened by habit； he risked an evening promenade upon the Boulevards； and afterwards carried his imprudence so far as to take a stroll by daylight in the neighborhood of the Gare du Nord。 It was not long before he was recognized by the police； who arrested him on the 6th of June； 1849； in the Rue du Faubourg…Poissonniere。
Taken to the office of the prefect of police； then to Sainte… Pelagie； he was in the Conciergerie on the day of the 13th of June； 1849； which ended with the violent suppression of 〃Le Peuple。〃 He then began to write the 〃Confessions of a Revolutionist；〃 published towards the end of the year。 He had been again transferred to Sainte…Pelagie； when he married； in December； 1849； Mlle。 Euphrasie Piegard； a young working girl whose hand he had requested in 1847。 Madame Proudhon bore him four daughters； of whom but two； Catherine and Stephanie； survived their father。 Stephanie died in 1873。
In October； 1849； 〃Le Peuple〃 was replaced by a new journal； 〃La Voix du Peuple；〃 which Proudhon edited from his prison cell。 In it were published his discussions with Pierre Leroux and Bastiat。
The political articles which he sent to 〃La Voix du Peuple〃 so displeased the government finally； that it transferred him to Doullens； where he was secretly confined for some time。 Afterwards taken back to Paris； to appear before the assizes of the Seine in reference to an article in 〃La Voix du Peuple；〃 he was defended by M。 Cremieux and acquitted。 From the Conciergerie he went again to Sainte…Pelagie； where he ended his three years in prison on the 6th of June； 1852。
〃La Voix du Peuple；〃 suppressed before the promulgation of the law of the 31st of May； had been replaced by a weekly sheet； 〃Le Peuple〃 of 1850。 Established by the aid of the principal members of the Mountain； this journal soon met with the fate of its predecessors。
In 1851； several months before the coup d'Etat； Proudhon published the 〃General Idea of the Revolution of the Nineteenth Century；〃 in which； after having shown the logical series of unitary governments；from monarchy； which is the first term； to the direct government of the people； which is the last；he opposes the ideal of an…archy or self…government to the communistic or governmental ideal。
At this period； the Socialist party； discouraged by the elections of 1849； which resulted in a greater conservative triumph than those of 1848； and justly angry with the national representative body which had just passed the law of the 31st of May； 1850； demanded direct legislation and direct government。 Proudhon； who did not want； at any price； the plebiscitary system which he had good reason to regard as destructive of liberty； did not hesitate to point out； to those of his friends who expected every thing from direct legislation； one of the antinomies of universal suffrage。 In so far as it is an institution intended to achieve； for the benefit of the greatest number； the social reforms to which landed suffrage is opposed； universal suffrage is powerless； especially if it pretends to legislate or govern directly。 For； until the social reforms are accomplished； the greatest number is of necessity the least enlightened； and consequently the least capable of understanding and effecting reforms。 In regard to the antinomy； pointed out by him； of liberty and government； whether the latter be monarchic； aristocratic； or democratic in form；Proudhon； whose chief desire was to preserve liberty； naturally sought the solution in the free contract。 But though the free contract may be a practical solution of purely economical questions； it cannot be made use of in politics。 Proudhon recognized this ten years later； when his beautiful study on 〃War and Peace〃 led him to find in the FEDERATIVE PRINCIPLE the exact equilibrium of liberty and government。
〃The Social Revolution Demonstrated by the Coup d' Etat〃 appeared in 1852； a few months after his release from prison。 At that time； terror prevailed to such an extent that no one was willing to publish his book without express permission from the government。 He succeeded in obtaining this permission by writing to Louis Bonaparte a letter which he published at the same time with the work。 The latter being offered for sale； Proudhon was warned that he would not be allowed to publish any more books of the same character。 At that time he entertained the idea of writing a universal history entitled 〃Chronos。〃 This project was never fulfilled。
Already the father of two children； and about to be presented with a third； Proudhon was obliged to devise some immediate means of gaining a living； he resumed his labors； and published； at first anonymously； the 〃Manual of a Speculator in the Stock… Exchange。〃 Later； in 1857； after having completed the work； he did not hesitate to sign it； acknowledging in the preface his indebtedness to his collaborator； G。 Duchene。
Meantime； he vainly sought