THE COLTON PAPER*. 1 9 



of his Intended victim, and information reaching him of the heroic part 

 taken by the young gentlemen of the Polytechnic School, he launched 

 forth an Ordinance, ordering its dissolution. This was the last degree of 

 infatuated imbecility ; and, like many which preceded it, was more the 

 subject of contempt than obedience. By this time the Duke of Morte- 

 mart had leturned from his important mission, with a countenance that 

 announced the worst. It appeared that, on repeating the concessions of 

 which he was the bearer to General Lafayette, that staunch patriot of 

 other times returned for answer, in presence of his assembled staff and 

 officers, that " He was only called to head the National Guards, for the 

 preservation of public safety, and had no authority whatever to treat with 

 His Majesty." 



How gladly would now the terms, proposed in the morning, by M. 

 Laffitte and the deputation to the Duke of Ragusa during the murderous 

 slaughter, and contemptuously refused by Polignac, have been accepted ! 

 but the hour was past — victory on all sides rested witli the people. At 

 the expense of their life-blood they had torn the sceptre from the be- 

 sotted family, who had abused its power, and precautions were now to 

 be taken that a conquest so dearly obtained, should not be rendered futile 

 by the arts of diplomacy. The people generously did not ask indemnity, 

 or vengeance for the past, but tliey demanded security for the future. 

 Taught by experience, that even the charter might be explained, by artful 

 and designing men, to be hostile to their liberties, that the solemnities of 

 an oath might be broken at pleasure, they determined that sovereign 

 power should no more revert into the hands which had so arrogantly 

 abused it ; and nothing less than a total abdication was the general cry. 

 Hope, however, had not yet abandoned the court : another messenger 

 was di-spatched by Charles to the Provisional Government, demanding an 

 explicit replv to the offer of concession he had made. General Lafayette 

 returned the following note : — 



"An explicit answer is requested of me upon the situation of the 

 Royal Family since their last aggression upon the public liberties, and 

 the victory gained by the citizens of Paris. I will give it frankly. My 

 answer is, that reconciliation is impossible, and that the Royal family 

 have ceased to reign. "Lafayette." 



About this period the Duchess of Angouleme arrived at St. Cloud. 

 Her determined and masculine mind is known to have had great influence 

 over the whole of the late royal family. After hearing the particulars, 

 and learning from the state of the troops, and the preparations made for 

 their reception in Paris, that any furtlier attack on the city was hopeless, 

 she proposed, with what soldiers still remained, and whose ranks were 

 hourly thinned by desertion, to retire behind the Loire, and foment a 

 counter revolution in La Vendee. Their deliberation was, however, cut 

 short by intelligence of the a])proach of large bodies of the National 

 Guard and the poi)uIace of Paris, upon which preparations were made to 

 abandon the palace ; and, lute in the night, this culpably obstinate family, 

 to whom former exile and adversity had given no lesson, once more left 

 the jjalace of their^ancestors on their melancholy pilgrimage — " The 

 world before them where to choose their place of rest, and Providence 

 their guide." 



Tlic JJauphiu did not leave until the next day at ten o'clock, in a car- 



C 2 



