52 Laura B. Pfeiffer 



in case of sedition make it impossible to act.'' They replied 

 to Petion with a letter at five o'clock saying, " We can not, under 

 any circumstances, compromise the law which we have sworn to 

 execute ; it lays down our duty imperatively. We must persist 

 in our decree of yesterday." Petion, wakened perhaps by Roed- 

 erer's messenger, and not having received the reply from the di- 

 rectory, sent a second letter by Sergent dated at five o'clock. This 

 was a reply to Roederer's call for an administrator of police. It 

 stated that " the measure indicated is the only practicable one 

 especially in circumstances where the citizens cannot be notified 

 and are already assembled."'^ In addition to the letter Sergent 

 made a strong plea to the directory, still in session, in favor of 

 legalizing, saying that the citizens had taken action irrevocably 

 and that it would be impossible to prevent their movement. They 

 answered him that they would give a general alarm and Sergent 

 reminded them that for such a course written orders were neces- 

 sary."^ But they persisted in their decree and Roederer answered 

 Petion's letter by a postscript written on the decree of the direct- 

 ory stating that the decision could not be changed.*'^ 



The directory then wrote to the commandant at five-thirty 

 o'clock renewing instructions to him to discharge his duty in con- 

 formity with the decree of the night before, even to calling the 

 troops under arms, if the danger were pressing.^^ They also 

 wrote to the minister of the interior at six o'clock to tell him of 

 the proposition of the municipality and of the directory's peremp- 

 tory refusal, enclosing copies of the correspondence, and stating 



"Decree of the directory of July 6, 1792, which suspended Petion from 

 office. 



" Petion to Roederer, five o'clock a. m., June 20, 1792. Petion in his 

 report omits mention of this second letter which is mentioned by both 

 Roederer and Sergent. 



'* " Proces-verbal dresse par Sergent." According to the law of Nov. 

 20, 1791, the mayor alone had the right to give orders in such cases. 

 " Rapport fait au conseil du departement par MM. Garnier, Levillard et 

 Demantort," 249. 



** Directory to the mayor and municipal officers, June 20, 1792, five 

 o'clock a. m. ; Roederer, Chronique de ciiiqiiante jours. 20. 



" Directory to the commandant, June 20, 1792, five-thirty a. m. 



248 



