The Uprising of June 20, I/Q2 5 



the adversary of the privileged orders and it was but natural that 

 the third estate should look to him for leadership in this crisis. 

 Consequently they expected on his part at least a policy of non- 

 resistance to their efforts. 



But in this expectation they were disappointed. If in the dis- 

 cussion of the verification of credentials at the opening of the 

 States-General, the king did not at first declare himself in favor 

 of either party, it was possible for the third estate to interpret his 

 action in a manner favorable to their cause. But when, under the 

 stress of circumstances, the third estate declared itself national 

 assembly, the king abandoned his neutral policy, attempted to 

 undo the work of the third estate and threw his protection over 

 the privileged classes. This reactionary policy at length brought 

 the king into conflict with the representatives of the majority of 

 the French people.^ 



• That the struggle was one for supremacy between the old con- 

 ception of "divine right" and the new conception of the sover- 

 eignty of the people became clear on the 20th of June, 1789. 

 Under pretext of preparing the hall of the third estate for the 

 meeting of the royal session, called for June 22, the doors were 

 closed to the deputies on the 20th. Moved by the fear that the 

 government intended to dissolve the assembly, the commons took 

 the famous oath of the tennis court in which they proclaimed that 

 no one had the right to suspend their sessions. The resolution 

 affirmed that nothing could prevent the assembly " from continu- 

 ing its deliberations in whatsoever place it might establish itself." 

 " At that moment, the assembly asserted its supremacy over the 

 royal authority, virtually declaring itself supreme in the state."® 



Ignoring this declaration, the king persisted in his reactionary 

 policy and on June 23 held the royal session. Here he annulled 

 the previous decrees of the assembly and promised a series of 

 reforms including most of the demands of the cahiers, but he 

 made no satisfactory concessions concerning the organization and 

 periodical meetings of the States-General, thus making the fulfil- 



Christophelsmeier, " The First Revolutionary Step." 

 Fling, "The Oath of the Tennis Court," 7, 8. 



201 



