The great State trial of twenty-two persons charged with attempting
to overthrow the Republic in order to seat the Duke of Orleans on the throne of France began on Monday before the Senate with a speech from the Public Prosecutor. He alleged facts and produced documents which, until disproved, suggest that the Royalist leaders, with the consent of the Duke, had leagued themselves with the chiefs of the Anti-Semite party, including Guerin, of the dif- ferent Royalist Leagues. and of the Labour party to organise an insurrection, which was to have come off in October, 1898, or February, 1899, the 23rd of the latter month being "the cul- minating day " when M. Deroulede endeavoured to seduce the troops. The plan was in all cases the same,-;-to put twenty thousand roughs upon the streets, to invite the troops to join, to march on the Elysee and the Chambers, and when authority had been overthrown, to proclaim the Duke of Orleans as King. Sixteen thousand pounds at least were spent, from funds which it is alleged that the Duke of Orleans controls, in securing the leaders and the roughs, and the plan only failed because a sufficient mob was not purchased, because the troops remained tranquil, and because the Dnke could not be persuaded to approach the frontier. As the plot extended all over France, the trial will be a memorable one, but it is evident that the Government shrink from revealing the whole of their information. It is simply incon- ceivable that men like the Duke of Orleans, M. Deroulede, and M. Buffet would have risked so much unless they had grouuds for hoping for military assistance, yet no soldiers are included in the trial.
