Meeting of the Estates-General, 1789. 97 
of every good citizen. Then a long extract from the minutes 
of the nobility, containing the text of the decree passed the 
day before, was read. As previously noted, it declared for an 
unconditional acceptance of the propositions embraced in the 
first declaration of the king, given in the royal session of June 23. 
Under such circumstances, there could be no recognition of the 
order of the nobility by the assembly; the conflict of principles 
was irreconcilable. 
Bailly calmly made the reply agreed upon before the admission 
of the nobles as the condition of their reception. In conformity 
with the policy of the assembly, he stated that it could recognize 
them only as noble deputies not united, as their fellow citizens 
and brothers. The assembly wished to place before the nobles 
the efforts constantly being made to effect their union in the 
general hall.** Such a repulse to all that the nobles had done 
was followed by so marked a silence, the Point du jour records, 
that it seemed as if the use of applause had been entirely lost.*4 
Without another word, the nobles withdrew having been con- 
ducted outside in the same manner as they had been received.™ 
The assembly had dared to vindicate its principles not less firmly 
by this act than when it declared its persistence in all that had 
been done before the royal session. Once for all, the nobles 
82 Procés-verbal, No. 8, p. 17. The speech of the duke is given in full. 
The Courrier de Provence, Lettre XIV, 4; Assemblée nationale, I, 242; Point 
du jour, I, 57; Duquesnoy, I, 134; all these mention the speech. Procés- 
verbal . . . de la noblesse, 296. This gives the text as agreed upon in the 
chamber before the deputation went to the national assembly. The texts 
are the same except for one word. The Procés-verbal of the national assembly 
has the clause, “‘ pour que les Ordres soient ramenés a la concord.” The 
Procés-verbal of the nobility inserts tous before les Ordres. 
53 Procés-verbal, No. 8, 20; Assemblée nationale (I, 243) also gives the text 
of Bailly’s reply; the Point du jour (I, 57-58) gives a resume of the reply; 
Courrier de Provence, Lettre XIV, 4; Duquesnoy, I, 134. The last gives the 
speech and criticizes it as ‘‘ trés déplacée, séche, et propre a éloigner peut- 
étre pour jamais la réunion que nous devons tant désirer.”’ Bulletin d'un 
agent secret, No. 48 (La révolution frangaise, XXIV, 74), gives the gist of 
the reply, but does not name Bailly. Boullé, Docs. inédits, Revue de la rév., 
XIII, 77; Etats-généraux, Extrait du journal de Paris, 1, 114-115. 
54 Point du jour, I, 58. 
55 Procés-verbal, No. 8, 20. 
