The Uprising of June 20, 17^2 49 



Petion and the administrators of police asked them to state the 

 disposition of the citizens in their sections and in their battahons. 

 For Santerre's answer we have only Petion's report, but Alex- 

 andre and Saint-Prix have left their own accounts. Each would 

 have us believe that he answered first and that he suggested 

 legalizing the movement. Santerre assured them "that nothing 

 in the world could prevent the national guards and the citizens 

 from marching, that all remonstrance was absolutely useless, that 

 the inhabitants of the vicinity of Paris had joined them, that 

 they had made a fete day of it and that they would answer to any 

 argument that might be made, ' that they ought to receive the 

 same treatment as others whom the assembly had received.' "" 

 Alexandre affirmed that the same sentiment existed in his fau- 

 bourg and declared that it would be dangerous to use force to pre- 

 vent what was firmly resolved upon. He said he had not noticed 

 any disposition on the part of the people to insult either individ- 

 uals or the constituted authorities and that a wise and simple 

 course of action would be not to try to prevent the project, but to 

 direct it, to legalize it in some way and then he would answer 

 for it. He said in reply to the mayor's reference to the depart- 

 mental decree that it was a very good measure in itself but came 

 too late. When asked what his personal idea was, he answered 

 without hesitation that if the citizens did not change their minds 

 he had resolved to march with them. He reasoned that if he 

 did not go, he would irritate his fellow citizens and lose their 

 confidence and still not prevent the march. He would thus 

 lose the personal advantage of protection for his person and 

 his home and friends and thereby gain no advantage for pub- 

 lic aflfairs. On the contrary, if he marched with them he 

 would keep their confidence and prevent them " from committing 

 any excesses and would moderate their enthusiasm and their im- 

 patience, if they should be provoked or insulted, as there was 

 reason, from reports, to believe they would be."®* Other com- 

 mandants did not answer in as positive a manner because they had 



" " Conduite tenue par M. le maire " 



** " Rapport d' Alexandre," in Ternaux, I, 407. 



245 



