Armand BARBÈS (1809-1870). L.A.S., Donjon de Vincennes Decem - Lot 188

Armand BARBÈS (1809-1870). L.A.S., Donjon de Vincennes December 10, 1848, to a "good and dear old friend"; 3pages in-8 (engraved portrait enclosed). Beautiful political letter during the presidential election, from which Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte will emerge victorious, while Barbès is in prison. "In this deplorable struggle over the presidency, you have valiantly done your duty in seeking to call everyone back to concord". He himself believes he could have done nothing for union, and would have opted for abstention, but "it satisfies no self-esteem." He dreads the result, "next to the shame of seeing universal suffrage take Bonaparte as its coryphaeus, an even greater opprobrium for our country is that such a wretch should figure among the leaders of a party he has betrayed. It would truly be to despair of the common sense of humanity and the justice of the people!" In a postscript, he adds that he is awaiting his impeachment: "If there is to be a trial, it will doubtless be only after the appointment of the president. But won't there be a battle before then?..." Attached is another L.A.S., November 7, 1852, to citizen Charles Delescluze (2pages in-8), sending him a voucher for the sum of ten francs: "Please forward this voucher to the clerk's office without it passing under the eye of the prisoners, as everything here provides material for cancan and malice"...