248 
fatal and disastrous consequences of 
that politicai phrenzy which under- 
mines, dissolves, and destroys it. 
However little one may have ob- 
served the events of the catastrophes 
which have desolated France; how- 
ever little one may have reflected 
on their cause and effects, or calcu- 
lated the emigration of French pro- 
perty, of which no age affords an 
equal example, and may have fol- 
lowed, in their firm and courageous 
resistance, the faithful and en- 
lightened minority of the states-ge- 
neral, or will be convinced that a 
small number of villains have ex- 
cited all these troubles, and that by 
theassistance of obscure individuals, 
people banished from all countries, 
criminals escaped from prison or 
punishment, and of the error into 
which they have hurried weak and 
enthusiastic minds, —they have 
brought about their fatal revolution, 
which is equally an attack upon the 
nation, as well as his royal Majesty. 
Has not the rebellious majority 
of the deputies to the states-gene- 
ral, declared themselves to be supe- 
rior to its power? Have they not 
usurped the rights, by substituting 
for the national will their own pas- 
sions, and to the paternal govern- 
ment of a wise monarch, their own 
tyranny? 
With regard to their instructions, 
when all the baliwicks unanimously 
requested the same thing, had this 
criminal majority the right to de- 
termine another? and once freed 
by itself from the observance of its 
ANNUAL. REGISTER, 
1792. 
oath, who could check the course 
of its abuses, and moderate the ar- 
bitrary despotism of its power? 
To mislead the people, and fas- 
cinate their eyes by false illusions, 
this assembly speaks of equality, 
when they make all France tremble; 
they speak of justice, and they have 
not yet punished a single crime, nor 
a single atrocity: on the contrary, 
they applauded the most detestable 
crimes, and admitted into their 
bosom criminals abhored by all 
nations*! They speak of public 
safety, yet the asylum of the King 
is daily violated by committees of 
research, which desolate France ; 
assassinations are everywhere com- 
mitted, and the magistrates of the 
people are themselves massacred 
with impunity+; they speak of to- 
leration, yet all the temples of the 
established religion are shuts all its 
ministers, immured in_ prisons 
throughout whole provinces}, are 
condemned by the assembly to be 
entirely banished from the king- 
dom; the Roman Catholics cannot 
profess their religion but at the 
risque of their lives; aad wretches 
have been excited to persecute and 
punish their worship, even in nun- 
neries §, consecrated by religion it- 
self to the use of the poor; they 
speak of liberty, yet the King is not 
free; every avenue from the king- 
dom is shut; more than 50,000 
municipalities or administrative bo- 
dies have a right to arrest and ac- 
tually cause to be arrested in an ar- 
bitrary manner, peaceful and inno- 
* Conspirators of the 5th and 6th of October, 1789; murderers of Avignon, 
Nismes, &c. soldiers of Chateaux-Vieux. 
+ Mayors of Troye, St. Denis, Estampes. 
+ Mans, Anjers, Dijon, la Bretagne, &c. 
§ The nuns de la Charite des Hospitalieres were flogged and beaten by penple 
sent for that purpose, in presence of the national guard, because they desired to 
hear mass from a nonjurent priest.j 
cent 
