Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera

Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera (French idiom, meaning "God helps those who help themselves"; literally, "Help yourself, heaven shall help you"), simply called Aide-toi, was a French society that aimed to stir up the electorate against the government during the Bourbon Restoration (1814–1830).

History

The term "Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera" began to be used by some political writers around 1824, and became the motto and title of the Aide-toi society. The purpose was to create opposition to the government by strictly legitimate means, mainly letters and political journals. The founders and active members were mostly from the Doctrinaires party, including François Guizot, who was president for some time, Tanneguy Duchâtel, Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne, Paul-François Dubois, Charles de Rémusat, Adolphe Thiers and Éléonore-Louis Godefroi Cavaignac.

The association's organ was first Le Globe and then Le National. Charles Renouard was among the liberals who opposed the Bourbon Restoration. He was a member of the "Aide-toi" society and participated in the creation of the Globe. He was the lawyer for this journal, and contributed to it regularly from 1825 to 1827.

Although intimate with Lafayette and others, the lawyer Odilon Barrot (1797–1877) took no share in their schemes for the overthrow of the government, but in 1827 joined the Aide-toi association. Aide-toi supported liberal candidates in the 1827 elections. The society was very influential in causing the July Revolution in 1830. It gave a banquet presided over by Barrot for the 221 deputies who had signed the address of March 1830 to Charles X, and threatened to reply to force by force. The society was allowed at first by the new government, but was dissolved in 1832.

Steering committees

First committee	Jean Philibert Damiron Desclozeaux, Desloges Paul-François Dubois Tanneguy Duchâtel Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne Joubert Lerminier Marchais Paravey Charles de Rémusat, Charles Renouard Auguste Sautelet Ludovic Vitet
Second committee	Jules Bastide Éloy-Ernest Forestier de Boinvilliers Dejean Paul-François Dubois Tanneguy Duchâtel Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne François Guizot Joubert Lerminier Marchais Paravey Charles de Rémusat Ludovic Vitet
Third committee (from the advent of the Martignac ministry)	Odilon Barrot, Jules Bastide Boinvilliers Éléonore-Louis Godefroi Cavaignac Chevallon Decruzy Gyunard Lamy Paul-Eugène Lanjuinais Marchais Taschereau Thomas.
Fourth committee (in July 1830)	Odilon Barrot Jules Bastide J. Bernard Berville, Boinvilliers Godefroi Cavaignac Chevallon Corcelles Decruzy Gassicourt Guizot Lamy Lanjuinais Marchais Eusèbe de Salverte Taschereau Thomas
Fifth committee (from August 1830)	Odilon Barrot Jules Bastide Boinvilliers Godefroi Cavaignac Chevallon Decruzy Guinard Lamy Lanjuinais Emmanuel, comte de Las Cases E. Lebreton Marchais E. Salverte Taschereau Ch. Teste Thomas Tonnet

Sources

•   which in turn cites:
  • Odilon Barrot, Mémoires (edited by Duvergier de Hauranne), 4 vols., 1875–1876. His personal relations with Louis Philippe and Napoleon, with his views on the events in which he was concerned, are described here.
  • Thureau-Dangin, Hist. de la monarchie de juillet
•