X.] THE CHANGES SINCE THE REVOLUTION. 213 fled to England. M. Jules Favre proposed in the chamber the deposition of Louis Napoleon Buonaparte and his dynasty, and M. Thiers proposed the formation of a GovernmeHt of National Defetice. A crowd broke into the chamber, and neither resolution could be regularly carried ; but Buonaparte was dethroned by general acclamation, a republic was declared, and a provisional government formed, including M. Jules Favre, M. Gam- betta, and others. The same day (September 5th) that the republic was declared, the King of Prussia entered Rheims. Laon surrendered a few days later. A German king was again in the old seat of Frankish power. The Germans offered to the provisional government to retreat, provide i Elsass and German Lorraine were yielded to them ; but M. Favre answered that not an inch of ground nor a stone of a fortress should be yielded. The Ger- mans advanced, leaving divisions of their army to besiege Metz, Strassburg, and Phalsburg, and in the middle of September they laid siege to Paris, the King of Prussia and his eldest son fixing their headquarters at Versailles. The general in command at Paris was named TrocJm, a brave and honest man, but not enterprising, perhaps from knowing his troops better than they knew themselves. There was immense talk and enthusia-m ; much energy was spent in destroying the eagles and initials of the late ruler, and in offering garlands to the statue of Strassburg in the Place de la Concorde, where almost every available man was enrolled in the National Guard or tl^e Garde Mobile. The Germans however put a stop to all irregular peasant warfare by burning every village where they were fired at, and shooting every man, not a soldier, who carried arms, while they spared all who did not fight, and respected property as much as they could. Hopes were entertained that an army would come home from Algiers, and General Faidherbe the north-west actually collected a considerable force ; but Strassburg was forced t ) sur- render on the 28th of September, Metz and Phalsburg in the next month, and the besiegers, marching against Faidherbe, kept him in check, and twi?e defeated him a-t Amiens, also at Bapmtvie and St. Qnen/in. General Bourbaki., who was in command of another army, was driven over the Swiss frontier, and Paris was left without hope of relief. Meanwhile the Germans entered Amiens, Orleans, Tours, Rouen and Le Mans. The king ]<epthis headquarters at Versailles and it was there that in the
