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〃Center；〃 subject to the scolding of the exasperated galleries； it is
a tolerably hard trial。 〃Part of them do not arise； or they rise with
the 'Left'。〃＇42＇ If the 〃Right〃 happens to have a majority； 〃this is
contested in bad faith and a call of the house is demanded。〃 Now； 〃the
calls of the house； through an intolerable abuse； are always
published； the Jacobins declaring that it is well for the people to
know their friends from their enemies。〃 The meaning of this is that
this list of the opposition will soon serve as a list of the outlaws；
on which the timid are not disposed to inscribe themselves。 The result
is an immediate defection in the heavy battalions of the 〃Centre〃；
〃this is a positive fact；〃 says Hua； 〃of which we were all witnesses；
we always lost a hundred votes on the call of the house。〃 Towards
the end they give up； and protest no more； except by staying away： on
the 14th of June； when the abolishment of the whole system of feudal
credit was being dealt with； only the extreme left was attending； the
rest of the 〃Assembly hall was nearly empty〃； out of 497 deputies in
attendance； 200 had left the session。＇43＇ Encouraged for a moment by
the appearance of some possible protection； they twice exonerate
General Lafayette； behind whom they see an army；＇44＇ and brave the
despots of the Assembly； the clubs； and the streets。 But； for lack of
a military chief and base； the visible majority is twice obliged to
yield； to keep silent； and fly or retreat under the dictatorship of
the victorious faction； which has strained and forced the legislative
machine until it has become disjointed and broken down。＇45＇
NOTES：
＇1＇〃Correspondence （manuscript） of Baron de Sta？l；〃 with his Court in
Sweden。 Oct。 6； 1791。
＇2＇ 〃Souvenirs〃； by PASQUIER （Etienne…Dennis； duc）； chancelier de
France。 in VI volumes； Librarie Plon； Paris 1893。 … Dumouriez；
〃Mémoires；〃 III。 ch。 V： 〃The Jacobin party； having branches all over
the country； used its provincial clubs to control the elections。 Every
crackbrain； every seditious scribbler； all the agitators were elected
。 。 。 very few enlightened or prudent men； and still fewer of the
nobles； were chosen。〃 Moniteur； XII。 199 （meeting of April 23；
1792）。 Speech M。 Lecointe…Puyravaux。 〃We need not dissimulate； indeed；
we are proud to say； that this legislature is composed of persons who
are not rich。〃
＇3＇ Mathieu Dumas； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 521。 〃The excitement in the
electoral assemblages was very great； the aristocrats and large land…
owners abstained from coming there。〃 Correspondance de Mirabeau et
du Comte de la Mark； III。 246； Oct。10； 1791。 〃Nineteen twentieths of
this legislature have no other transportation （turn…out） than galoshes
and umbrellas。 It has been estimated； that all these deputies put
together do not possess 300；000 livres solid income。 The majority of
the members of this Assembly have received no education whatever。〃
＇4＇ They rank as Maréchaux de camp； a grade corresponding to that of
brigadier…general。 They are Dupuy…Montbrun （deceased in March； 1792）；
Descrots…d'Estrée； a weak and worn old man whom his children forced
into the Legislative Assembly； and； lastly； Mathieu Dumas； a
conservative； and the only prominent one。
＇5＇ 〃Correspondance du Baron de Sta？l；〃 Jan。19； 1792。 Gouverneur
Morris （II。162； Feb。 4； 1792） writes to Washington that M。 de
Warville； on the diplomatic committee； proposed to cede Dunkirk and
Calais to England； as a pledge of fidelity by France； in any
engagement which she might enter into。 You can judge； by this； of the
wisdom and virtue of the faction to which he belongs Buchez et
Roux； XXX 89 （defense of Brissot； Jan。 5； 1793） 〃Brissot； like all
noisy； reckless； ambitious men； started in full blast with the
strangest paradoxes。 In 1780。 in his 'Recherches philosophiques sur le
droit de propriété；' he wrote as follows： 'If 40 crowns suffice to
maintain existence； the possession of 200；000 crowns is plainly unjust
and a robbery 。 。 。 Exclusive ownership is a veritable crime against
nature 。 。 。 The punishment of robbery in our institutions is an act
of virtue which nature herself commands。'〃
＇6＇ Moniteur； speech by Cambon； sittings of Feb。 2 and April 20； 1792。
＇7＇ Ibid。； （sitting of April 3）。 Speech by M。 Cailliasson。 The
property belonging to the nation； sold and to be sold； is valued at
2；195 millions； while the assignats already issued amount to 2；100
millions。 Cf。 Mercure de France； Dec。 17； 1791； p。201； Jan。28；
1792； p。 215； May 19； 1792； p。 205。 Dumouriez； 〃Mémoires；〃 III。
296； and 339； 340； 344； 346。 … 〃Cambon； a raving lunatic； without
education； humane principle； or integrity （public） a meddler； an
ignoramus； and very giddy。 He tells me that one resource remained to
him； which is； to seize all the coin in Belgium； all the plate
belonging to the churches； and all the cash deposits 。 。 。 that； on
ruining the Belgians； on reducing them to the same state of suffering
as the French； they would necessarily share their fate with them； that
they would then be admitted members of the Republic； with the prospect
of always making headway； through the same line of policy； that the
decree of Dec。 15； 1792； admirably favored this and； because it tended
to a complete disorganization； and that the luckiest thing that could
happen to France was to disorganize all its neighbors and reduce them
to the same state of anarchy。〃 （This conversation between Cambon and
Dumouriez occurs in the middle of January； 1793。） … Moniteur； XIV。 758
（sitting of Dec。 15； 1792）。 Report by Cambon。
＇8＇ Chronique de Paris； Sept。 4； 1792。 〃It is a sad and terrible
situation which forces a people； naturally amiable and generous； to
take such vengeance！ 〃 … Cf。 the very acute article； by St。 Beuve； on
Condorcet； in 〃Causeries du Lundi；〃 Hua （a colleague of Condorcet；
in the Legislative Assembly）； 〃Mémoires；〃 89。 〃Condorcet； in his
journal； regularly falsified things； with an audacity which is
unparelleled。 The opinions of the 'Right' were so mutilated and
travestied the next day in his journal； that we； who had uttered them；
could scarcely recognise them。 On complaining of this to him and on
charging him with perfidy； the philosopher only smiled。〃
＇9＇ Malouet； II。 215。 Dumouriez； III。 ch。 V。 〃They were elected to
represent the nation to defend； they say； its interests against a
perfidious court。〃
＇10＇ Moniteur； X。 223 （session of Oct。 26； 1791）。 Speech by M。
Fran？ois Duval。 Grandiloquence is the order of the day at the very
first meeting。 On the 1st of October； 1791； twelve old men； marching
in procession； go out to fetch the constitutional act。 〃M。 Camus；
keeper of the records； with a composed air and downcast eyes； enters
with measured steps；〃 bearing in both hands the sacred document which
he holds against his breast； while the deputies stand up and bare
their heads。 〃People of France；〃 says an orator； 〃citizens of Paris；
all generous Frenchmen； and you； our fellow citizens virtuous；
intelligent women； bringing your gentle influence into the sanctuary
of the law behold the guarantee of peace which the legislature
presents to you！〃 We seem to be witnessing the last act of an
opera。
＇11＇ Ibid。； XII。 230 （sessions of April 26 and May 5）。 Report and
speech by Fran？ois de Nantes。 The whole speech； a comic treasure from
the beginning to the end； ought to have been quoted： 〃Tell me； pontiff
of Rome； what your sentiments will be when you welcome your worthy and
faithful co…operators？ 。 。 I behold your sacred hands； ready to launch
those pontifical thunderbolts； which； etc。 。 。 Let the brazier of
Sc？vola be brought in； and； with our outstretched palms above the
burning coals； we will show that there is no species of torture； no
torment which can excite a frown on the brow of him whom the love of
country exalts above humanity！〃 Suppose that； just at this moment；
a lighted candle had been placed under his hand！
＇12＇ Moniteur； XI。 179 （session of Jan。 20； 1792）。 … Ibid。； 216
（session of Jan。 24）。 … XII。 426 （May 9）。
＇13＇ Ibid。； XII。 479 （session of May 24）。 … XIII。 71 （session of July
7； speech by Lasource）。 … Cf。 XIV。 301 （session of July 31） a
quotation from Voltaire brought in for the suppression of the
convents。
＇14＇ Moniteur。 Speech by Aubert Dubayer； session of Aug。 30。
＇15＇ Speech by Chaumette； procureur of the commune； to the newly
married。 （Mortimer…Ternaux； IV。 408）。
＇16＇ The class to which they belonged has been portrayed； to the life；
by M。 Roye…Collard （Sainte…Beuve； 〃Nouveaux Lundis；〃 IV。 263）： 〃A
young lawyer at Paris； at first received in a few houses on the Ile
St。 Louis； he soon withdrew from this inferior world of attorneys and
pettyfoggers； whose tone oppressed him。 The very thought of the
impression this gallant and intensely vulgar mediocrity made upon him；
still inspired disgust。 He much preferred to t