34] 
diffention and agitation was not lefs 
among the people at large, than it 
was within the walls of the affem- 
bly. All the paffions which had 
hitherto been in fome degree {mo- 
thered, now burft forth with greater 
force from their reftraint, and many 
fprung from recent caufes, appear- 
ed in all the ardour of juvenility. 
Rabaut owns, that every debate in 
the affembly was now a quarrel ; 
and the! heat and violence without 
was ftill greater. 
On the one fide were arranged, 
in the firft inftance, thofe who had at 
all times confidered the fovereign 
as the fole and rightful legiflator ; 
with thefe were joined thofe who, 
without entering into the abftract 
principle, were from habit or opi- 
nion attached to monarchy, and 
who were ftruck with dread and 
horror at the fudden torrent of re- 
publicanifm which now fo fuddenly 
overfpread the land; to thefe were 
to be added the fmaller band, who 
felt themfelves attached by affection 
to the king’s perfon, and that much 
more numerous, which, from in- 
terefted motives, found itfelf bound 
at all events to the fupport of king- 
ly government. But the great force 
on that fide was a new acceflion ; 
being compofed of the nobility and 
clergy, who, though reduced in pow- 
er, were {till refpeétable, if not for- 
midable, from their number, as well 
as from what {till remained of their 
influence. Thefe, become at length 
fenfible of the baleful effect of their 
patt tergiverfation, reflecting in bit- 
¢ernefs of heart upon the manner 
in which both’ orders had been al- 
ternately duped by the commons, 
and led blindly to play their own 
game into their hands, and clearly 
perceiving now that nothing leis 
Fe ek 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
than their final ruin was intended, 
were equally convinced that nothing 
could avert that ruin, but the re- 
taining of fo much power in the 
hands of the king, as might prove 
fome check to the prevailing fy tem; 
and enable him to interpofe with 
effect in their prefervation. 
On the other fide was oppofed, in 
much clofer and firmer array, and 
much better officered and command.~ 
ed, the whole body of republicans 
throughout the kingdom ; who, net- 
withftanding the innumerable divi- 
fions into which they were formed, 
and the great diftances by which 
the parts were feparated, were fo 
intimately conneéted, and_ their 
correfpondence and union fo per- 
fetly eftablifhed, that their general 
movements difplayed the facility 
which might have been expected 
from thofe of a fingle individual. 
With thefe were joined no {mall 
number of men, who ftood in the 
very odd predicament, that though 
they joined the republicans in every 
thing, they were notwithftanding 
attached to fome undefined or un- 
known fpecies of monarchy, but 
were unable to decide in themfelves 
what that fhould be; thefe having 
no other principle of union or ac- 
tion than one common fear, that the 
crown might recover its former 
preponderance and power, could fee’ 
no other evil or danger whatever ;. 
but that was fo ftrongly fixed in their 
minds, that it feemed difficult to 
affign what degree of humiliation 
or weaknefs it could be reduced to, 
which would prove fufficient to re- 
move their apprehenfions. Under 
this impreffion, although they were 
dire&tly adverfe to republicanifm 
in principle, their conduét produced 
the fame effect as if they had been 
the 
