58 Jeanette Needham. 
outlined by the king and not to the newer and broader idea of 
regeneration through the representatives of the nation. While 
not so strongly portrayed in the speech of the Count of Clermont- 
Tonnerre to the assembly, still the same ideas are noticeable. 
The impulse of conscience and the fulfillment of a duty were 
the motives he imputed to the nobles who had come. But the 
very conscience which had forced them to this step held back a | 
larger number of their brethren, bound by instructions more 
or less imperative, but dominated by motives as pure as their 
own. Hecontinued by acknowledging the gratitude the minority 
felt for the assembly’s glad welcome. Then he announced their 
firm adherence to the assembly in coming to work with the 
third estate for the regeneration of France, a labor conditioned, 
however, by the degree of activity permitted each individual.'® 
To this candid statement, Bailly replied in a manner equally 
frank. ‘‘Gentlemen,’’ he began, ‘‘your presence here spreads 
18 Boullé, Documents inédits, Revue de la rév., XIII, 76; Elats-généraux, 
Extrait du journal de Paris, 1, 109; Procés-verbal, No. 7, 7-9; Courrier de 
Provence, Lettre XIII, 15,16. The speech is given at the close of this number. 
It may have been drawn from the Procés-verbal or probably it was obtainable 
elsewhere. The Assemblée nationale (1, 226-27) reports the speech after the 
roll-call, but it seems that naturally this explanation would precede the 
roll-call. In Duquesnoy (I, 128) the text was suppressed by the editors. 
The Point du jour (I, 49) contains a short summary. Jallet (103) merely 
makes mention of the speech. In his Histoire de l’assemblée constituante (1, 
35-36, footnote) Alexandre de Lameth, one of the nobles who joined the 
national assembly on June 25, tells the story of how the vacillating Clermont- 
Tonnerre was really forced to unite with the assembly through the influence 
of some of the members of the ‘‘ société de Virofley,”’ a club which took a 
prominent part in the political life of that day. He says of the society and 
Clermont-Tonnerre: ‘‘ A l’ouverture des états-généraux, elle loua une maison 
de campagne du bout de l’avenue de Versailles, 4 Virofley. Elle y donnait 
souvent des diners 4 divers députés de la noblesse et des communes. Cler- 
mont-Tonnerre en faisait partie; il vivait dans l’intimité de M. Necker, par- 
tageait plusieurs des idées de ce ministre, et surtout ses hésitations. Aussi, 
le jour méme ot la minorité de la noblesse arréta qu’elle se reunirat aux com- 
munes, il était encore tellement indécis, qu'il s’en serait probablement séparé, 
si plusieurs des membres de la société de Virofley n’avaient été chez lui le matin 
lui rappeler la nature de leurs engagemens antérieurs. Alors il se décida, 
entra dans la salle des communes a la téte de la minorité et, comme premier 
député de Paris, il porta la parole.” 
172 
