The lyrical quest is also at stake in the question of universal suffrage. In 1830 as well as in 1848, « universal suffrage » refers to a group of souls united by a common inspiration, more than a constitutional regulation of the vote. The election of a candidate is naturally understood as the expression of enthusiasm or the result of a public acclamation. It is not a mere ballot put in a box, but a spontaneous impulse, of sensitive more than rational nature. Lamartine, poet, member of the Assembly in 1834 and prime minister of the provisional government in February 1848, was the exemple of one who would, by the exercise of his eloquence in the Parliement, advocate a choice grounded on conviction, sensitive impulse, vital breath. He saw his position at the Parliement as a way of publicly advocating the conception of a country based on the common inspiration of the democratic souls.