He served as an aide-de-camp in the army in Algeria and the Crimea, then entered politics and was a member of the Corps législatif during the Second French Empire.

[3] In 1853 he married Jeanne Cécile Elisa Merle, of Langon, Gironde, ex-wife of Mr. Despiet, a Bordeaux notary.

He sat with the dynastic majority, and spoke in favour of free trade on the eve of the Treaty of Commerce with England.

HeHe was active in debates, with uncompromising conservative view Whenen he was reappointed Vice-President in June 1869, this was seen as a promise to the reactionary party, and President Eugène Schneider submitted his resignation.

He spoke against the Hohenzolern candidacy for the Spanish throne, and was one of the strongest supporters of the declaration of war against Prussia in 1870.

David announced the defeat at the Battle of Sedan to the Senate, and declared "Paris will not capitulate, and, if necessary, we will be buried under its ruins."

[1] After a short exile in Great Britain in which he was one of the main correspondents of Louis-Napoleon, David attempted to return to politics.

[1] Strongly affected by the disappearance of his two children in 1872, and then by the death of Louis Napoleon, he seemed tempted to abandon politics.

He was reelected to Parliament for Bazas on 5 March 1876, after a campaign based on defending the achievements of the Empire and denouncing the Republic.