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The first years of the Third Republic were a golden age of parliamentary eloquence. Using the power of the word, every talented deputy was capable of convincing his audience, of recruiting them individually to his cause. In this parliament of lawyers, journalists, professors, discussion in sessions was the essence of the parliamentary democracy. It was a time when eloquence reigned, where debates gave rhythm to political life, where laws were modified or turned down by the strength alone of a speech, where governments fell under the shock of a formula. The article considers why this period was so exceptional. The explanations can be found in the share and cultural capital of the members of parliament, in the central role of the parliamentary debate, and in the confrontation of several models of eloquence which reflect the political richness of this founding period.
