Liberal Party (Bourbon Restoration)

The new Kingdom was deemed a "constitutional, but not parliamentary, monarchy", leaving the King and his ministers with considerable power.

During the May election, the party was led by the famed Gilbert du Motier, Marquis of La Fayette and stood on a centre-left constitutional platform, designed to support Napoleon while holding him accountable.

[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] After Napoleon's Second Abdication, the three parties in the Chamber of Representatives (Liberals, Bonapartists, and Jacobin Republicans) were forcefully disbanded and their members shunned from political life.

[9][10] The 1816 legislative election, held just one year later however had a different outcome, when (on the recommendation of Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu) 'non-governmental parties' were allowed to run.

The new Liberals now supported the constitutional monarchy, but wanted to see elections become more fair and expand through limited suffrage.

[9][12] In February 1820, before that year's legislative election, Charles Ferdinand d'Artois, Duke of Berry, the nephew of the king, was assassinated by a fanatic who says he was a member of the "Liberals".

The Prime Minister, Elie Louis, Duke of Decazes and Glücksbierg was held indirectly for the crime by the ultra-royalists and forced to resign from the government.

[9][12] In the 1827 legislative election, the Marquis de La Fayette re-joined the Doctrinaires and subsequently many liberals joined the party following their old leader.

Because of the massive influx of liberals, the Doctrinaires' political stance shifted from maintaining the Charter of 1814 to becoming more critical of King Charles X, and in part would help spark the 1830 French revolution.

The "Extreme-Left", usually referred to simply as "The Left", or the "Republicans", carried the Liberals' views further, and in its ranks were some avowed enemies of the dynasty.

These secret societies, about which little is known, included some Freemasons, and a large number of old imperial French Army officers on half-pay.

The prosperity which prevailed at the time, the general bourgeoisie fear of revolution, and the indifference of the peasants, kept the movement from gaining any great national following.

Every member swore to absolute secrecy and obedience to orders, and all agreed to keep ready a gun and fifty cartridges.

Portrait of the Marquis de La Fayette . The Marquis led the Liberals during the May 1815 elections, but after Napoleon's abdication retired from political life until the 1831 elections. The Marquis was seen as one of the great leaders of the party, and even during the Revolution favoured a limited monarchy with strong popular representation.
Portrait of the Marquis d'Argenson . The Marquis was the successor to the Marquis de La Fayette , and was seen as more liberal, though more shy than the former leader. He led the party during the 1817 and 1819 by-elections, but was replaced by the more liberal and outspoken Benjamin Constant during the 1820 elections.
Portrait of Benjamin Constant c. 1820, just before the 1820 legislative elections where he led the party during their tenure as a major opposition group in the Chamber. Constant was described as an outspoken member of the Chamber, and the Ultras constantly tried to silence him.