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important part in respect of its psychological manifestations。
Extremely monarchical； the Legislative Assembly had no more idea
than its predecessor of destroying the monarchy。 The king
appeared to it to be slightly suspect； but it still hoped to be
able to retain him on the throne。
Unhappily for him； Louis was incessantly begging for intervention
from abroad。 Shut up in the Tuileries； defended only by his
Swiss Guards； the timid sovereign was drifting among contrary
influences。 He subsidised journals intended to modify public
opinion； but the obscure ‘‘penny…a…liners'' who edited them knew
nothing of acting on the mind of the crowd。 Their only means of
persuasion was to menace with the gallows all the partisans of
the Revolution； and to predict the invasion of France by an army
which would rescue the king。
Royalty no longer counted on anything but the foreign
Courts。 The nobles were emigrating。 Prussia； Austria； and
Russia were threatening France with a war of invasion。 The Court
favoured their lead。 To the coalition of the three kings against
France the Jacobin Club proposed to oppose a league of peoples。
The Girondists were then； with the Jacobins； at the head of the
revolutionary movement。 They incited the masses to arm
themselves600；000 volunteers were equipped。 The Court accepted
a Girondist minister。 Dominated by him； Louis XVI。 was obliged
to propose to the Assembly a war against Austria。 It was
immediately agreed to。
In declaring war the king was not sincere。 The queen revealed
the French plans of campaign and the secret deliberations of the
Council to the Austrians。
The beginnings of the struggle were disastrous。 Several columns
of troops； attacked by panic； disbanded。 Stimulated by the
clubs； and persuadedjustly； for that matterthat the king was
conspiring with the enemies of France； the population of the
faubourgs rose in insurrection。 Its leaders； the Jacobins； and
above all Danton； sent to the Tuileries on the 20th of June a
petition threatening the king with revocation。 It then invaded
the Tuileries； heaping invectives on the sovereign。
Fatality impelled Louis toward his tragic destiny。 While the
threats of the Jacobins against royalty had roused many of the
departments to indignation； it was learned that a Prussian army
had arrived on the frontiers of Lorraine。
The hope of the king and queen respecting the help to be obtained
from abroad was highly chimerical。 Marie…Antoinette
suffered from an absolute illusion as to the psychology of the
Austrian and the French peoples。 Seeing France terrorised by a
few energumens； she supposed that it would be equally easy to
terrify the Parisians； and by means of threats to lead them back
under the king's authority。 Inspired by her； Fersen undertook to
publish the manifesto of the Duke of Brunswick； threatening Paris
with ‘‘total subversion if the royal family were molested。''
The effect produced was diametrically opposite to that intended。
The manifesto aroused indignation against the monarch； who was
regarded as an accomplice； and increased his unpopularity。 From
that day he was marked for the scaffold。
Carried away by Danton； the delegates of the sections installed
themselves at the Hotel de Ville as an insurrectionary
Commune； which arrested the commandant of the National Guard； who
was devoted to the king； sounded the tocsin； equipped the
National Guard； and on the 10th of August hurled them； with the
populace； against the Tuileries。 The regiments called in by
Louis disbanded themselves。 Soon none were left to defend him
but his Swiss and a few gentlemen。 Nearly all were killed。 Left
alone； the king took refuge with the Assembly。 The crowds
demanded his denouncement。 The Legislative Assembly decreed his
suspension and left a future Assembly； the Convention； to decide
upon his fate。
2。 Mental Characteristics of the Legislative Assembly。
The Legislative Assembly； formed of new men； presented quite a
special interest from the psychological point of view。
Few assemblies have offered in such a degree the characteristics
of the political collectivity。
It comprised seven hundred and fifty deputies； divided into pure
royalists； constitutional royalists； republicans； Girondists； and
Montagnards。 Advocates and men of letters formed the majority。
It also contained； but in smaller numbers； superior officers；
priests； and a very few scientists。
The philosophical conceptions of the members of this Assembly
seem rudimentary enough。 Many were imbued with Rousseau's idea
of a return to a state of nature。 But all； like their
predecessors； were dominated more especially by recollections of
Greek and Latin antiquity。 Cato； Brutus； Gracchus； Plutarch；
Marcus Aurelius； and Plato； continually evoked； furnished the
images of their speech。 When the orator wished to insult Louis
XVI。 he called him Caligula。
In hoping to destroy tradition they were revolutionaries； but in
claiming to return to a remote past they showed themselves
extremely reactionary。
For the rest； all these theories had very little influence on
their conduct。 Reason was continually figuring in their
speeches； but never in their actions。 These were always
dominated by those affective and mystic elements whose potency we
have so often demonstrated。
The psychological characteristics of the Legislative Assembly
were those of the Constituent Assembly； but were greatly
accentuated。 They may be summed up in four words：
impressionability； mobility； timidity； and weakness。
This mobility and impressionability are revealed in the constant
variability of their conduct。 One day they exchange noisy
invective and blows。 On the following day we see them ‘‘throwing
themselves into one another's arms with torrents of tears。''
They eagerly applaud an address demanding the punishment of those
who have petitioned for the king's dethronement； and the same day
accord the honours of the session to a delegation which has come
to demand his downfall。
The pusillanimity and weakness of the Assembly in the face of
threats was extreme。 Although royalist it voted the suspension
of the king； and on the demand of the Commune delivered him； with
his family； to be imprisoned in the Temple；
Thanks to its weakness； it was as incapable as the Constituent
Assembly of exercising any power； and allowed itself to be
dominated by the Commune and the clubs； which were directed by
such influential leaders as Hebert； Tallien； Rossignol； Marat；
Robespierre； &c。
Until Thermidor； 1794； the insurrectionary Commune constituted
the chief power in the State； and behaved precisely as if it had
been charged with the government of Paris。
It was the Commune that demanded the imprisonment of Louis XVI。
in the tower of the Temple； when the Assembly wished to imprison
him in the palace of the Luxembourg。 It was the Commune again
that filled the prisons with suspects； and then ordered them to
be killed。
We know with what refinements of cruelty a handful of some 150
bandits； paid at the rate of 24 livres a day； and directed by a
few members of the Commune； exterminated some 1；200 persons in
four days。 This crime was known as the massacre of September。
The mayor of Paris； Petion； received the band of assassins with
respect； and gave them drink。 A few Girondists protested
somewhat； but the Jacobins were silent。
The terrorised Assembly affected at first to ignore the
massacres； which were encouraged by several of its more
influential deputies； notably Couthon and Billaud…Varenne。 When
at last it decided to condemn them it was without attempting to
prevent their continuation。
Conscious of its impotence； the Legislative Assembly dissolved
itself a fortnight later in order to give way to the Convention。
Its work was obviously disastrous； not in intention but in fact。
Royalist； it abandoned the monarchy； humanitarian； it allowed the
massacres of September； pacific； it pushed France into a
formidable war； thus showing that a weak Government always ends
by bringing ruin upon its country。
The history of the two previous revolutionary Assemblies proves
once more to what point events carry within them their inevitable
consequences。 They constitute a train of necessities of which we
can sometimes choose the first； but which then evolve without
consulting us。 We are free to make a decision； but powerless to
avert its consequences。
The first measures of the Constituent Assembly were rational and
voluntary； but the results which followed were beyond all will or
reason or foresight。
Which of the men of 1789 would have ventured to desire or predict
the death of Louis XVI。； the wars of La Vendee； the Terror； the
permanent guillotine and the final anarchy； or the ensuing return
to tradition and order； g