The Uprising of June 20, I/Q2 53 



their orders to the commandant. They wrote him again at seven 

 o'clock saying the faubourgs would present a petition but would 

 go unarmed.*-- Thus, we see, the directory, in contrast with the 

 municipality, showed great interest in suppressing the movement. 

 Roederer and the greater part of the members spent the night 

 in the hall and held a full session at four o'clock, in the morning. 

 As we have seen they answered dispatches of the municipality 

 and gave orders to the commandant of the national guards. They 

 also sent out officers to learn the state of Paris and decided to go 

 to the assembly as soon as it should meet in the morning to say 

 to that body that the custom which it had established of receiving 

 armed deputations in its midst was responsible for this situation, 

 was the obstacle to the success of the remonstrances against these 

 petitioners.^^ The refusal of the directory destroyed all Petion's 

 plans. He says he was overwhelmed with the thought of the 

 abyss into which this act might plunge his fellow citizens. Nev- 

 .ertheless he executed the ideas of the directory. He wrote to 

 the four chiefs of the battalions, Santerre, Alexandre, Saint-Prix 

 and Bonneau, saying, " We inform you again that you can not 

 assemble in arms. See in this connection the letter that the 

 directory has sent us. After this letter we understand too well 

 your patriotism not to expect that you will conform, and instruct 

 your fellow citizens."^* These letters were received by Alexan- 

 dre at seven o'clock and by Saint-Prix at seven-thirty. Their 

 answers expressed a willingness to execute the order but Alex- 

 andre said he could not answer for anvthin^^.*^ After writing 



"Directory to Terrier, June 20, 1792, six o'clock a. m. ; Director}' to 

 Terrier, June 20, 1792, seven o'clock a. m. in Rapport du ministre de 

 I'interieur. 



^ Roederer, Chronique de cinqiiante jours, 23. 



** " Conduite tenue par M. le maire " ; " Rapport de qui s'est passe dans 

 le bataillon du Val-de-Grace " in "Pieces justificatives," No. Ill, " Proces- 

 verbal de la protestation de MM. Bonneau et Savin " in same. No. IX ; 

 The only direct statement that Santerre received this letter is made by 

 these other men; "Rapport d' Alexandre," Ternaux, I, 407; Longchamp to 

 Petion, June 20, 1792, in Archives Nationales F'4774"'. 



*" Alexandre to Petion, June 20, 1792, Archives Nationales F^4774'\ The 

 original of this letter is signed Renaud, Com. of Saint-Marcel. I have not 



249 



