'
'Tocqueville,' I said, 'told me that Cormenin was your Solon, that he
brought a bit of constitution to you every morning, and that it was
usually adopted.'[1]
'Tocqueville's memory,' answered Beaumont, 'deceived him. Cormenin was
our president. It is true that he brought a bit of constitution every
morning. But it scarcely ever was adopted or capable of being adopted.
It was in general bad in itself, or certain to be rejected by the
Assembly. He wished to make the President a puppet. But he exercised over
us a mischievous influence. He tried to revenge himself for our refusal
of all his proposals by rendering our deliberations fruitless. And as
the power of a president over a deliberative body is great, he often
succeeded.
'Many of our members were unaccustomed to public business and lost their
tempers or their courage when opposed. The Abbe Lamennais proposed a
double election of the president. But of thirty members, only four, among
whom were Tocqueville and I, supported him. He left the committee and
never returned to it. Tocqueville and I were anxious to introduce double
election everywhere. It is the best palliative of universal suffrage.
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