iS Laura B. Pfciffcr 



first ami but for the proscuoc of (lie king the altercation between 

 these two ministers might have led to blows. ^" 



Robespierre and Dumouriez were not alone in their opposition to 

 the measure. It was also opposed by the party of the Feuillants.^^ 

 Their leaders prepared a reactionary petition with 8,000 signa- 

 tures, drawn largely from the members of the national guards. 

 In this body there was much agitation because of Servan's speech, 

 some of his expressions proving otTensive to the Constitutionals. 

 They seemed to question the loyalty of the national guard.^® 



On the 8th and 9th of June, deputations from several batallions 

 complained to the assembly of this attack and presented a peti- 

 tion, requesting the withdrawal of the decree and protesting their 

 devotion to liberty and the fatherland.^" For several sessions 

 the assembly listened to accusations from partisans of the peti- 

 tion and from those who denounced it. The ^fountain here 

 deftly changed the ground of attack from the decree to the peti- 

 tion which had been circulated in the battalions for the purpose 

 of extorting signatures. A letter asking for signatures, sent by 

 the start" of the national guard to each battalion, was read to the 

 assembly. '•^^ It was charged that women also had been forced to 

 sign the petition for their husbands.*^ On June 11, a number of 

 persons appeared before the assembly to withdraw their signa- 

 tures and among them an officer of the national guard. *- 



Finally, on June 10, the assembly expelled from the hall as 

 calumniators all petitioners who had expressed indignation either 



^ Mihnoircs dc Dumouriez, II, 268, 269; Oelsner in Revue historique, 

 LXXXIII, 308; Ri'volutiofis de Paris. XII, 480. This contemporary news- 

 paper claims that Dumouriez, two months before, advocated just such a 

 camp to save Paris. 



"Oelsner in Rczuc historique. LXXXIII, 30S. 



** Mortimer-Ternaux points out {Histoire de la terreur, I, 115) that 

 the Moiiiieur does not give Servan's speech in full, but suppresses the ir- 

 ritating phrases which were criticised in the petition wliich the national 

 guard presented to the assembly. 



** Moiiiteur, XII. 605, 618, 622; Chaumette. Mhnoires, 5. 



"MotiHeur, XII, 618. 



*" Rc^roluiious de Paris. XII. 482. 



"Ibid.. XII, 50C), 510; Moiiiteur, XII. 634-36, 638-40. 



214 



