Make France Great Again
Chapter 221: Complete Break

Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Complete Break

"Mr. President! Your Majesty! Save your rhetoric! Everything you’ve done is merely to extend the time of your power! In two years, you’ll be stepping down!"

Victor Hugo didn’t leave Jerome Bonaparte any room for dignity, speaking in a calm tone.

Jerome Bonaparte showed no sign of anger either; to him, this was the most genuine Victor Hugo.

After undergoing three transformations—from extreme Royalist, to Orléans, to Conservative Republican—before becoming a socialist, Victor Hugo’s political tactics might still be somewhat immature, but his ideological awareness had long surpassed certain individuals who claimed to be Republicans but connived with the Royalist Party (specifically Thiers).

If someone like this could suddenly change his mind, Jerome Bonaparte wouldn’t be Jerome Bonaparte; he might as well be called Yuri.

On the other hand, it was precisely Hugo’s change in thought that made him stand out in this era.

Even though Jerome Bonaparte no longer had much hope in recruiting Victor Hugo, he still wanted to give it a try.

Under Victor Hugo’s gaze, Jerome Bonaparte stood up, draping his arms over the chair back, and placed his hands on it, leaning slightly forward as he said: "Mr. Hugo, do you think I would willingly step down in two years? Handing over a country that’s not completely transformed to those people?"

"Transformed?" Victor Hugo scoffed at Jerome Bonaparte’s mention of transformation, spreading his hands: "Mr. President, I don’t see the transformation you speak of! All I see is the increasingly tight grip on free speech in Paris, many are even scared to voice their opinions? You and your party have silenced the entire Paris!"

"No, no, no!" Jerome Bonaparte waved his right index finger: "Mr. Hugo, my friend, it wasn’t I who tightened Parisian speech, it was the Order Party! Every ruling party does this during its tenure! Did the Republican Faction not do this when they were in power? If the Order Party merely silences people from speaking, the Republican Faction eradicates enemies in physical form. Which is truly evil? Or your Mountain Faction, for God’s sake! I hope you haven’t forgotten the Public Security Committee? Do you wish for a world dominated by such a committee?"

Wake up! Mr. Hugo, you are not a man who loves violence; the Mountain Faction would drive you to madness."

Jerome Bonaparte’s comparison of the Republican Faction and Mountain Faction left Victor Hugo speechless.

If not for the Republican Faction’s June Days uprising, Victor Hugo might not have joined the Order Party, and there wouldn’t have been anything to do with Jerome Bonaparte afterward.

"Mr. President, so you admit it!" Victor Hugo spoke after a moment of silence.

Jerome Bonaparte nodded without hesitation: "Yes! That’s right, I do acknowledge the actions of the Order Party!"

Then, Jerome Bonaparte argued craftily: "A society of freedom and democracy isn’t only about the government being democratic for the people; it’s also about people having the power to speak and judge! The government has the power to arrest rumor-mongers; freedom isn’t unlimited! If we unilaterally relax personal freedoms and in turn strip the government of its regulatory power, it’ll only lead to one result!"

"What result?" Victor Hugo immediately asked.

"The spread of anarchism, and the government will lose its remaining functions!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to Victor Hugo.

"Wouldn’t that be good?" Victor Hugo responded instinctively.

"No! It wouldn’t be good!" Jerome Bonaparte shook his head: "Our government is one of infinite responsibility. Should any part of the nation face issues, they’ll manifest as public opinion reflected in votes! Imagine if government power were infinitely compressed, how would they manage the entire country? Socialists only want to seize power but refuse to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities and obligations! Is that good?"

Jerome Bonaparte’s sophistry led Victor Hugo into a mental trap; inherently carrying a noble arrogance, he sympathized with the lower workers. However, this sympathy bore a tinge of condescension, like the mentality of a wealthy person donating to the poor.

Throughout Victor Hugo’s life, he criticized the Bourbons, Orléans, and the Second Empire, as well as the Paris Commune.

Victor Hugo’s life seemed as though it was meant for criticism for the sake of criticism; at this moment, he was not yet the great literary figure ready to bow down and listen to others on equal footing.

"Some people want both the freedom to act and the government’s support in critical times! Where is there such a perfect thing? Do they really think we live in a communist era?" Jerome Bonaparte ridiculed.

In the early development of capitalism, exploitation and oppression are inevitable; struggle and resistance will persist as well.

"Mr. President, perhaps you’re right! But I am a Republican, and I believe we can build a state governed by law!" Finding no reason to retort, Victor Hugo deflected Jerome Bonaparte’s argument.

"Law?" Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but burst into laughter; once the laughter subsided, his expression turned serious again: "Where is the law you speak of? Mr. Hugo, it’s the people, the legislators who practice a state governed by law! Do you mean to rely on Thiers? Falu? Those Monarchists desperately wanting to restore their rule? Or a Mountain Faction that can’t differentiate between socialism and anarchism? You can’t be serious!"

Jerome Bonaparte glanced at the red curtain behind him, then pointed at Victor Hugo: "Is it you then?"

In the face of Jerome Bonaparte’s almost mocking response, Victor Hugo asked: "Then what do you intend to do?"

"Mr. Hugo, I’ve said it before! I hope to continue dedicating my life to France!" Jerome Bonaparte declared resolutely: "My reforms are not yet complete, I cannot step down so soon!"

"You still have two years!" Victor Hugo reminded.

"Two years! Indeed, two years!" Jerome Bonaparte first affirmed Victor Hugo’s words, then shifted his tone, saying: "Mr. Hugo, two years will pass in the blink of an eye! I must prepare earlier, so I wish to invite you to join us!"

Jerome Bonaparte extended his hand to Victor Hugo with a smile, his intention clear without words.

Victor Hugo said nothing, he too raised his head disdainfully at Jerome Bonaparte, the ambitious man.

"I request to amend the constitution to grant me the right to extend my term! A president should not have a fixed term, as long as he has the support and endorsement of all the French people, he should continue to serve the people!"

Jerome Bonaparte shamelessly continued to say to Victor Hugo.

As long as the constitutional restriction that the president can serve only one term is removed, even if he loses a third of his votes, he can still win!

As long as he can obtain an extended term, whether president or emperor is merely a name to Jerome Bonaparte.

"If I fail in the election, then I am willing to accept my loss!" Jerome Bonaparte "honestly" told Victor Hugo, "At that time, you can oppose me freely!"

"The law states that rulers cannot be re-elected! Because the foundation of democracy is to entrust power to the parliament, not to individuals!" Victor Hugo said slowly.

"Mr. Hugo, I hope you can think carefully about this meeting!" Seeing Victor Hugo refuse, Jerome Bonaparte turned to threats, saying: "We bear a heavy burden, and this concerns all of France!"

"Mr. President, democracy will not bow down!" Victor Hugo said nothing; as he stood up to leave, he seemed to remember something and said, "Also, thank you for your ample publicity of me!"

With that, Victor Hugo left the parlor alone.

Only Jerome Bonaparte was left in the parlor, sitting alone in thought.

Although Victor Hugo’s refusal was anticipated by him, Jerome Bonaparte still felt a bit of regret and disappointment.

After a while, Valerovsky appeared in the parlor where Jerome Bonaparte was: "Mr. President, Senator Victor Hugo, he..."

Jerome Bonaparte shrugged indifferently, pretending to be unconcerned: "Senator Hugo refused my invitation! However, don’t worry, even without him, we can still achieve victory!"

"Yes! I believe that under your leadership, we will surely achieve victory!" Alexander Valerovsky said to Jerome Bonaparte.

Alexander Valerovsky’s praise made Jerome Bonaparte smile again.

Immediately after, Valerovsky informed Jerome Bonaparte of Major Mine’s visit from the logistics post in the Ministry of War.

"Oh?" Jerome Bonaparte was a bit surprised about Mine’s visit.

Could it be that he has completed it?

Thinking of this, Jerome Bonaparte quickly asked Valerovsky to bring in Major Mine.

"Mr. President!" Major Mine, visiting the Elysee Palace for the second time, saluted Jerome Bonaparte.

"Major, have your rifles been completed?" Jerome Bonaparte eagerly inquired.

"Yes! Mr. President!" Major Mine responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Where are they? Let me see?" Jerome Bonaparte was impatient to use them.

"Well... because the Elysee Palace does not allow carrying them, we left the rifles at the factory."

Mine hurriedly explained.