IV. 1789. CHAP. with the address of the commons; but it elicited nothing of importance from the King, beyond ordinary expressions of satisfaction at their sympathy. An attempt was afterwards made by the King's ministers to reconcile the parties by the sovereign's pronouncing a decision as 1 Hist. Parl, umpire, if the commissioners of the orders could not come i. 414, 421. to a decision; but this proposal came to nothing, both the nobles and commons agreeing that such a method of settling their differences was derogatory to the dignity of their order.1 Lab. iii. 34, 41, 44. Droz, ii. 189, 199. 46. Etat resolve the States general alone. June 10. At length the commons, deeming the public sufficiently The Tiers enthusiastic in their support to warrant the adoption of to constitute offensive measures, resolved upon a step calculated to bring matters to a crisis. Sièyes was the orator put forward to submit the proposal. On entering the Assembly he said to his friends-"Let us cut the cable it is time to set sail." When he ascended the tribune, he observed, "Since the opening of the States-general the commons have pursued a frank and moderate policy: they have evinced all the regard for the noblesse and clergy which their own duties and position permitted, while the two privileged orders have made them no requital but by hypocrisy and subterfuge. The Assembly cannot remain in a state of inactivity, without betraying its duties and the interests of its constituents. It has become indispensable, therefore, to put a period to our long inaction. It is impossible to form ourselves into a deliberative assembly, until it is settled, in the first instance, who are to compose it. The Assembly cannot be subjected to any other judgment but the collective opinions of its representatives. The noblesse resist all approaches towards an accommodation by that very act, they confer on the commons the right to examine their powers-for it is enough for one party to reject a conciliatory step to warrant the other to proceed without its concurrence. The Assembly, therefore, has no other course to adopt, but to summon the members of the two privileged orders to meet in the concur in the CHAP. He then sub IV. 1789. hall of the States-general, to assist and verification in common of their powers." mitted a motion, to the effect that the two other orders were invited to concur in the verification of the powers. This motion was carried by a majority of one-the numbers being two hundred and forty-seven to two hundred and forty-six fifty-one declined voting. It is remarkable! Parl. Deb. that the first resolution of importance, both in the French Mich. Hist. Revolution of 1789 and the English one of 1832, was i. 34. carried by the same slender majority.1* i. 430, 434. de la Rev. the noblesse clergy. On this resolution being reported to the clergy, they 47. replied "We have mourned the delay which has taken Answer of place in consequence of our anxious desire to conciliate and the the orders; and we wait with impatience the termination Ji2. of the conferences to put ourselves in activity. We will devote ourselves with the most serious attention to the objects which you have submitted to our consideration." The noblesse answered, "The order of the noblesse have received, gentlemen, the proposition of the orders of the Tiers Etat; it will deliberate on it in its chamber, and will have the honour of giving you its answer." Upon this, Malouet proposed in the Tiers Etat an address to the King, which was agreed to, and bore-"The noblesse have now taken their resolution: they have passed an arrêté, by which they have reserved to their order to give a simple and decisive answer; and refuse to agree to the plan proposed by your commissioners. The arrêté renders all attempts at conciliation impossible. The noblesse not only does not adopt it, inasmuch as it has embraced a resolution of an entirely opposite character; but it repels alike its letter and its spirit, since it pretends to abide by the judgment of its own order when the method proposed embraces all points in dispute, and proceeds on the principle universally recognised, that deputies who are called to a common duty should proceed in common to the * Leave to bring in the Reform Bill on March 1, 1831, was carried by a majority of one; the numbers being 301 to 300.-Ann. Reg. 1831. IV. CHAP. examination and sanctioning of their composition." The Tiers Etat waited till five in the afternoon, when a depu1789. tation of the noblesse was introduced, who stated— "Gentlemen, the order of the noblesse have begun their deliberations on the proposition of the Tiers Etat: they will continue their deliberations at their next sitting, and will communicate to you the resolution which they may adopt." Bailly, the chairman of the Tiers, answered-"Gentlemen, the commons have waited long for the arrival of the gentlemen of the noblesse; they have still the hope to see them repair to the hall of the Estates." With this answer, the deputation from the noblesse retired, and the commons, having waited till seven o'clock for the arrival of the other orders, began calling the roll of the whole States-general, including the nobles and clergy. None of Parl. Hist. the latter made their appearance to answer to their names. The calling ceased at ten o'clock, and the Tiers Etat. after choosing Bailly for their chairman, adjourned for the night.1 i. 435, 440. Moniteur, July 10 to 12, 1789. 48. turbances and alarm over all France. The die was now cast; the first step in the usurpation Serious dis- of the commons had been taken. It was not without being prepared for civil war, and having made up their minds to go all lengths in support of their pretensions, that so decided a measure was adopted. The state of the provinces was to the last degree alarming; and the multitude of famished desperate characters whom the general distress, and almost universal disturbances, had impelled into the capital, had added fearfully to the strength of the agitators. Such had been the severity of the storms in the preceding summer, which had laid waste the crops, that in several provinces the scarcity amounted to actual famine; and real suffering added to the fervour so generally excited, by the prospect of the immediate regeneration of society which it was believed was approaching. Now was seen what a fatal error Necker had committed in leaving the question of voting by order or head undecided, at the very time that his dupli IV. 1789. cation of the Tiers Etat rendered it utterly impossible for CHAP. the noblesse, with the slightest regard to the preservation of the monarchy, to agree to a union of the orders. Even an express command to the nobles and clergy to unite with the commons would have been less dangerous, for that would only have determined the mode of deliberating and voting; while the course adopted, in addition to that, exhibited an entire paralysis of the royal authority for six weeks, and spread abroad the belief that government 1 Hist. Parl. was too much alarmed to take any decided step-the i. 426, 427. most perilous impression which, in a period of agitation, 33, 35. it is possible to diffuse among an excited people.1 Lab. iii. the pro During this suspension of government, the disorders in 49. the provinces, originating for the most part in the severe Tumults in scarcity which every where prevailed, had risen to the vinces. highest pitch. The people in almost all the small towns and rural districts rose, took up arms, assembled themselves in tumultuous mobs, and violently seized, first provisions, and at length every thing of value, which they could carry off from the houses of the more opulent classes of society. In Normandy, Brie, Lorraine, Brittany, Languedoc, and Provence, the brigands appeared at the same time, and, not content with levying contributions of money and provisions, soon proceeded to acts of conflagration and murder. Universal terror attended these excesses the military, divided in opinion, and irresolute, could not be every where, and often refused to act; and if a body of soldiers appeared in any quarter, the bands, perfectly acquainted with the country, disappeared, and resumed their excesses in other districts. At Marseilles, the citizens, driven to desperation, formed a corps of volunteers for the protection of life and property; at Toulon, the troops refused to fire upon the insurgents, and it became necessary to form a burgher guard for the preservation of the public peace. So universal was the alarm in Brittany, that forty thousand men enrolled themselves in that province, professedly for the protection IV. 1789. CHAP. of property, and to support the States-general, but the greater part really with ulterior revolutionary views. Terror and disquietude generally prevailed; and, for the purposes either of attack or defence, bodies of armed men, self-constituted and self-directed, were already on foot, in almost every part of the country, before the taking of the Bastile gave the signal for universal insurrection. Soon the pioneers of revolution, half-famished, ferocious bands, began to appear in formidable groups in the capital, as sea-birds hover round a ship when the clouds gather and the waves rise their number ere long became so large as to excite equal terror in the holders of property, and hopes in the leaders of the democracy; i. 426, 429. and the King, justly alarmed for the safety even of his palace, began to draw troops into the vicinity of Paris.1 1 Hist. Parl. 50. June 13. Meanwhile, the able leaders of the popular party in the Three Curés Assembly, carefully watching the signs of the times, and join the Tiers Etat. keeping in advance of the movement, so as to preserve their popularity, and in a certain degree obtain its direction, advanced steadily in their career of usurpation. On the 13th June, when the roll of the nobles and clergy was called as usual, three curés from Poitou, MM. Lécève, Ballard, and Tallet, appeared, and requested admission. "We come," said the last, "at the call of our country, which urges us to establish that concord and harmony between the orders, on which the success of the Statesgeneral and the safety of the kingdom depend: may this step be received by all the orders with the same feelings which prompt it; may it be generally imitated; may it secure for us the esteem of all good Frenchmen!" Indescribable were the transports with which these words were received; the applause shook the hall, and was prolonged several minutes without intermission; and at length the members spontaneously rose from their seats, crowded round the adventurous curés, congratulated them on their courage, and promised them their powerful protection. "It is our duty," said they, "to take these intrepid citizens |