282 THE SUPREMACY OF PUBLIC OPINION. 



Third Estate. But it was now too late ; for, since the meeting of the 

 States-General, and the first proceedings of the Commons, public 

 opinion had acquired tenfold force, and the whole people were united 

 as one man, to support the representatives of the nation in those bold 

 and decided resolutions which they adopted in the hour of danger. 

 Every intelligent man in France was aware, that until the Tiers 

 Etat had acquired an undoubted superiority in the national assembly, 

 none of the changes which had become absolutely necessary, could 

 be carried into effect. It was then, and is still urged, that the people 

 acted unjustly, in demanding that the Three Estates should consti- 

 tute one assembly; and by voting numerically, secure to the Com- 

 mons a great majority upon every public question. Why not have 

 adopted Necker's plan, of dividing the states into two chambers ; 

 one composed of the nobility and clergy, the other of the represen- 

 tatives of the people ? Now we put it to any man of common under- 

 standing, and who is at all acquainted, however slightly, with the 

 state in which France was placed at the commencement of the revo- 

 lution, whether such a plan was practicable, or could have retarded, 

 even for a moment, the collision which took place between the nobility 

 and the people? We have lately seen, that even in a country where 

 the House of Peers is intimately connected with, and constantly 

 receiving new members from the Commons, there may arise occasions 

 in which its liability to some change demanded by the people, may be 

 attended with the most serious embarrassment, and may place in the 

 greatest danger that constitution, of which it forms a part. 



Now, if such a thing could take place in England, what would 

 have been the case in France, where the majority of the nobi- 

 lity and clergy were ignorant, proud, and bigotted, and where every 

 measure which could be proposed for the benefit of the people, in- 

 terfered with some one or other of the privileges and exemptions 

 possessed by the ecclesiastical and secular nobility ? No : a single 

 assembly, composed of the representatives of the people, and the 

 clergy and nobility, was the only thing which could do for France; 

 and there, if anywhere, the Tiers Etat could listen to the opinions, 

 and respect the prejudices of the nobility; and there, if any where, 

 the nobility could see the necessity of yielding to the just demands 

 of the people. At that period, public opinion in France, however 

 decided, in favour of the claims advanced by the Tiers Etat, was 

 still willing to yield much to the crown and the nobility ; and had 

 the understanding of the king been equal to the goodness of his 

 heart, he might have placed himself at the head of the revolution ; 

 and, by rigorous and prudent measures, have secured the support of 

 great majority of the people. But, unfortunately, Louis was too 

 much influenced by his queen and his courtiers ; and they were con- 

 stantly engaged in attempts to defeat the popular cause at every 

 stage of its progress, until the people, regarding the king and nobility 

 as their natural enemies, listened to those who advocated the most 

 extreme opinions, and whose object it was to introduce universal 

 anarchy, in order to make way for their fondly-cherished political 

 dreams. Public opinion was thus soon placed between two extremes, 

 unable to give its support, either to the court or the republicans ; and 



