From Jacobin to Liberal (ebook)

Argumento de From Jacobin to Liberal (ebook)

For this book R. R. Palmer has translated selections from the abundant writings of the versatile French political figure and writer Marc-Antoine Jullien, weaving them together with his own extensive commentary into an absorbing narrative of Jullien's life and times. Jullien's hopes and fears for the "progress of humanity" were typical of many of the French bourgeoisie in this turbulent period. His life coincided with the whole era of revolution in Europe and the Americas from 1775 to 1848: he was born in the year when armed rebellion against Britain began in America, he witnessed the fall of the Bastille as a schoolboy in Paris, joined the Jacobin club, took part in the Reign of Terror, advocated democracy, put his hopes in Napoleon Bonaparte, turned against him, and then welcomed his return from Elba. Under the restored Bourbons, he became an outspoken liberal, rejoiced in the revolution of 1830, had doubts about the July monarchy, welcomed the revolution of 1848, and died a few weeks before the election of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte as president of the Second Republic.

Drawn from books, pamphlets, reports, letters, book reviews, magazine articles, poems, and private notes and memoranda, Jullien's comments are supplemented here by letters that his mother wrote during the early years of the French Revolution and by articles by Jullien's collaborators in the Revue Encyclopédique. In Palmer's skilled hands, these selected materials from a now forgotten life vividly portray France's transition from revolutionary republicanism and the Terror through the Napoleonic years to the more placid liberalism of the nineteenth century.0Preface 1 A Boy and His Parents in the French Revolution 3 Schoolboy in Paris Letters from His Mother Radicalization A Jacobin Family Sojourn in England A Regicide Father 2 Young Agent of the Terror 31 Serving the Committee of Public Safety Mission to the West Letters to Robespierre and Others Horrors in the Vendee Terror at Bordeaux 3 Democrat among the "Anarchists" 63 Acceptance of Thermidor Imprisoned with Babeuf Rejection of "Communism" Editing the Orateur Plebeien Revolution beyond France 4 Bonaparte - Italy - Egypt - Naples 76 Serving General Bonararte Editing the Courrier de l'Armee d'Italie Fructidor Revolution in Italy The Cisalpine and Neapolitan Republics 5 For and Against Napoleon 93 Self-Appointed Adviser to Bonaparte Hopes for Consolidation of the Revolution Serving the Empire Growing Doubts Disillusionment Writings to Overthrow Napoleon 6 The Hundred Days 119 Acceptance of Napoleon's Return from Elba For a Liberal Empire Waterloo Defiance of Allied Invaders 7 Constitutional Monarchist 133 Acceptance of the Monarchy Liberal Pamphleteering Self-Justification Attempts at Election to Chamber of Deputies Revolution of 1830 Advice against the Republic 8 Theorist of Education 151 Education and Politics Schooling and Political Economy And for Social Classes And for Prevention of Revolution Pestalozzi Fellenberg Comparative Education 9 Apostle of Civilization 175 Classification of the Sciences Editing the Revue Encydopedique International Scope America Steamships and Railroads Frankenstein German Idealism Robert Owen's New Lanark 10 The Later Years 200 Persistence of the Past Memories of His Mother More Disappointments Learned Societies The American Philosophical Society Electoral Reform Fortification of Paris The Amazon 1848: Vive La Republique! References 227 Index 241