STATE PAPERS. 
anda desire of complying with 
public opinion has always. deter- 
mined him in the choice of his 
measures. Continually employed 
in, devising means for relieving his 
people, and for knowing and grati- 
fying the public wishes, he nas erred 
with them and for them; obeyed 
the dictates of humanity rather than 
those of justice; and overlooked 
their faults, in hopes that they would 
repair them without rendering it 
necessary for him to have recourse 
to punishment. Calumny itself has, 
however, always respected. his in- 
tentions ; and the most criminal and 
audacious factions, while attacking 
his sovereign authority and insult-, 
ing his sacred person, struck by his 
ptivate virtues, have. neither been 
able, nor dared, to deny them. 
_ After trying in vainevery method 
that occurred. to him of promoting 
the welfare of his subjects, of dis- 
charging the public debt of the na- 
tion—unfortunate in the choice of 
his measures, deceived in his hopes, 
and disappointed by various events 
—yet, still firm in his benevolent) 
intentions, and encouraged, though: 
there was no occasion for his being 
so, by the Queen and all the royal 
family, to incessantly pursue. the 
object) of |his wishes, the. darling 
passion of his heart, the happiness 
of his people, Louis XVI. not find- 
ing the succour which he sought in 
the assembly of the notables, con- 
voked the states- general of the king- 
dom. He was desirous of collect- 
ing around him, in the three orders 
of the monarchy, all his subjects, 
and toask themselves by what means 
he could at length render them 
‘ 237 
happy.  Scrupulous even in the 
form, and fearing to take any thing 
upon himself, he endeavoured. to 
learn, in every manner possible, the 
public opinion respecting the calling 
together of the states-general; he 
found himself compelled, by cir- 
cumstances which his goodness and 
magnanimous, loyalty could not 
avoid to change, in this convoca- 
tion; the ancient. form followed by 
his predecessors *; he signed, with- 
out distrust, orders, insidiously and 
artfully drawn up, which endanger- 
ed his sovereign authority, tended 
to excite discord, and insinuated 
disobedience to his commands. _Un- 
der these fatal auspices, the states- 
general, met; and one of the best 
kings that. France \can boast. of, 
addressed to-this august, but soon 
afterscriminal assembly, these va- 
luable. words,, which sovereigns, 
who might have found them in their 
own sentiments, stilltake a pleasure 
in repeating :— jlao 
‘« Every thing that can he ex- 
pected from the tenderest,interese 
in the happiness of the public— 
every thing that can be required of 
a sovereign, the best friend of his, 
people, you may and ought to hope 
for from my sentiments tf.” 
These memorable expressions, 
which might have recovered. the 
most estranged hearts and the most 
alienated minds, and which ought, 
in a peculiar manner, to have in- 
spired with the most lively grati- 
tude a people loaded with kindness 
by their King, were scarcely pro- 
nounced, when the signal of revolt 
was given on all sides. One of the 
three orders, converting a momen- 
Rs Results of the Council of Dec, 27, 1188. Letters of Convocation addressed 
to the grand bailiffs. 
+ Speech of the King on opening the states-general, 5th of May 1789. 
tary 
