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"La Voix du Peuple," suppressed before the promulgation of the law of the 31st of May, had been replaced by a weekly sheet, "Le Peuple" of 1850.Established by the aid of the principal members of the Mountain, this journal soon met with the fate of its predecessors.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 permission to establish a journal, or review.This permission was steadily refused him.The imperial government always suspected him after the publication of the "Social Revolution Demonstrated by the Coup d'Etat."Towards the end of 1853, Proudhon issued in Belgium a pamphlet entitled "The Philosophy of Progress." Entirely inoffensive as it was, this pamphlet, which he endeavored to send into France, was seized on the frontier.Proudhon's complaints were of no avail.
The empire gave grants after grants to large companies.Afinancial society, having asked for the grant of a railroad in the east of France, employed Proudhon to write several memoirs in support of this demand.The grant was given to another company.
The author was offered an indemnity as compensation, to be paid (as was customary in such cases) by the company which received the grant.It is needless to say that Proudhon would accept nothing.Then, wishing to explain to the public, as well as to the government, the end which he had in view, he published the work entitled "Reforms to be Effected in the Management of Railroads."Towards the end of 1854, Proudhon had already begun his book on "Justice," when he had a violent attack of cholera, from which he recovered with great difficulty.Ever afterwards his health was delicate.
