tso] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790, 
eeflary to cool and: wife delibera- 
ticn, all thefe checks and powers of 
controul, were here wanting. 
In this extraordinary decree, not 
contented with declaring in its pre- 
amble that hereditary nobility was 
iocompatible with the liberty of 
France, they declare, in general 
terms, with peculiar arrogance, that 
hereditary nobility is incompatible 
with a free ftate; thereby implicat- 
ing all the reft of Europe, excepting 
a very few petty democratic repub- 
lics, to be in a ftate of flavery. It 
abolifhes for ever ail titles exifting 
in France, from the prince to the 
lowelt, equivalent to:our elquire ; 
and, with a precifion which rather 
indicated a long and well-concerted 
defign, than a fudden ft of paffion, 
it forbids the application of all terms 
of diftinétion or <efpect, ufually 
paid to certain degrees of rank, of- 
fice, or authority, fuch as highnels, 
excellency, &c. trom being uled to 
apy man or body of men. It like- 
wife abolifhed all blazonry, coats of 
arms, and liveries; in a,word, every 
memorial of heraldry and anceftry 
was obliterated. It abolifhed a'l 
names derived from eftates, a cul 
tom long and generally eftablitheé 
in France, and which produced ne 
fmall trouble and perplexity in read- 
ing and endeavouring. to compre- 
hend the hiftory of that cottntry. 
The princes of the blood: were 
fripped like others of all titles de- 
- rived from eftates or places, fuch as 
Artois, Provence, or Orleans, and 
of every Ceremonial of phrafe, ad- 
drefs, or mark of refpe&, which 
could diftinguifh them from the 
common.mais.of the people. The 
decree defcended to minutia which 
appeared ridiculous); fuch as to 
ome trifling marks. of diftingtion 
und refpect.which were wfually, paid 
#199 a} 
at church to fome of the principal 
nobility, to men high in office, as, 
the governors of great towns or of 
pyoyinces, and not unfrequently to” 
the lords of parifhes, in their owa 
churches. 
This decree excited a height. of 
indignation before unknown in the 
whole body of gentlemen through-- 
out the kingdom, who fent up re- 
peated protefts againft it; but there 
was fo little regard paid to them, 
that they were not even fuffered to 
be inferted in the journals. The no- 
bility and clergy of Alface were. 
- peculiarly enraged; they deriving 
their honours as well as their emo-- 
luments not from France but from 
the German empire, and both being 
befides fecured to them by. the 
treaty of Weftphalia. The demo- 
cratic writers fay, that from that 
day, the greate{t part of the nobles 
of the kingdom became the unap- 
peafeable enemies of the conftitu- 
tion ; and that this decree had de- 
termined them to excite a civil war, . 
and to perifh upon the ruins of 
France, rather than renounce their 
claim to honour. 
The decree which was pafled on 
the 19th received the king’s fanc~. 
é 
g 
ay 
ion on the 21ft of June; and was: ~ 
ignalized by, the fingnlar: circum- 
ftance, that of all his minifters, 
Neckar alone, a plebeian, a repub-. 
lican, a man born and bred in a. 
democracy, infifted on his not give 
ing it his f{an&tion, but on the con- 
> 
trary to fend back his exprefs difap-. © ~ 
probation to the affembly. Being 
over-ruled .in. his attempt. by. the, 
joint qpeainian of the other mi-. 
nifters, he immerliately publifhed 2 
pamphlet, contgining a number. of: 
very judicious. obfervations on the. 
decree, and informing the. public 
of, be neinns, Wiieh OReTabee nih 
~ 
