CORRESPONDENCE & CONVERSATIONS OF

ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE

WITH

NASSAU WILLIAM SENIOR

FROM 1834 TO 1859

EDITED BY

M. C. M. SIMPSON

IN TWO VOLUMES - VOLUME 11.

LONDON
HENRY S. KING. & Co., 65 CORNHILL

1872

210. k. 122.

LONDON: PRINTED BY

SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE

AND PARLIAMENT STREET

Ali rights reserved

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

3

·

Journal 1851–2.
The army master of France. .

· ·
Comparison with the 18th Brumaire
Aggressive acts of the President .
Coup d'État planned for March 1852
Socialism leads to despotism . .
War necessary to maintain Louis Napoleon .
State prisoners on December 2 . . .
Louis Napoleon's devotion to the Pope .
Latent Bonapartism of the French .
President's reception at Notre Dame
Frank hypocrites . .
Mischievous public men .
Extradition of Kossuth . ..
January 29, 1849. ..
Sumner's account of it contradicted
The Second Napoleon a copy of the First
Relies on Russian support . .
Compulsory voting . . .
Life of a cavalry officer . .
Victims of the Coup d'État.

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Communication from Schwartzenberg . .
New Reform Bill . . ..
Democracy or aristocracy .
Reform Bill not wanted . ..
Twenty-five thousand men at Cherbourg. . .
Easier to understand Lord Derby than Lord John.
Preparations at Cherbourg a delusion . . .
Conversation with King Leopold . . .
No symptoms of aristocratic re-action in England.
England's democratic tendencies.
Idleness of young aristocrats . . .
Death of Protection . . . .
Revolutions leading to masquerades
Tory reforms . .
Imperial marriage.
New Reform Bill a blunder.

.....

. . .

Journal in 1853
Prosperity in Paris . . . . .
Dangers incurred by overbuilding . .
Discharged workmen effect Revolutions.
Probable monetary panic . .
Empire can be firmly established only by a successful war
Agents undermining the Empire . .
Violence and corruption of the Government.
Growing unpopularity of Louis Napoleon . .
Consequences of his death . . . .
He probably will try the resource of war .
Conquest would establish his power .
War must produce humiliation or slavery to France
Corruption is destroying the army and navy . .
Emperor cannot tolerate opposition . . .
Will try a plébiscite . . . . . . . .

Letters in 1853.
Blackstone a mere lawyer . . . .
Feudal institutions in France and England .
Gentleman and Gentilhomme . . .
Life of seclusion . . .
Interference of police with letters. .

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Contents of the Second Volume.

Mrs. Grote's conversations at St. Cyr . . . .
Great writers of the eighteenth century.
Political torpor unfavourable to intellectual product
English not fond of generalities . .
Curious archives at Tours . . .
Frightful picture they present ..
Sufficient to account for the Revolution of 1789
La Marck's memoir of Mirabeau.
Court would not trust Mirabeau .
The elder Mirabeau influenced by Revolution .
Revolution could not have been averted .
Works of David Hume . . . .
Effect of intolerance of the press .
Honesty and shortsightedness of La Fayette.
Laws must be originated by philosophers
Carried into effect by practical men .
Napoleon carried out laws . .
Too fond of centralisation . .
Country life destroyed by it. .
Royer Collard . . . . . . .
Danton . .
Madame Tallien.
Tocqueville independent of society. .
Studious and regular life . .
Influence of writers as compared with active politicians .

Journal in 1854.
Criticism of the Journals . .
The speakers generally recognised .
Aware that they were being reported
The Legitimists . · · ·
Necessity of Crimean War. .
Probable management of it. .
English view of the Fusion
Bourbons desire Constitutional Government.
Socialists would prefer the Empire. . .
They rejoiced in the Orleans confiscation .
Empire might be secured by liberal institutions
Policy of G. . . .
English new Reform Bill . . . .
Dangers of universal suffrage . . . .