6o Laura B. Pfciffer 



surrounded l)y the crowd of people of all ages, both sexes, armed 

 and unarmed, many in uniform, grenadiers, fusileers and light 

 infantry with the flag in their midst. The officers reminded them 

 of the law, of the orders given them, and of the departmental 

 decree, but the crowd assured them that their intentions were 

 good, that they did not wish to commit any disorder, that they 

 only wished to present their respects to the assembly, to celebrate 

 the oath of the tennis court, and to plant a liberty tree to per- 

 petuate its memory. They said again that the assembly had re- 

 ceived other iK'titioners and they did not see why they should not 

 be received. The officers appealed to them in the name of the 

 country and in the name of humanity to consider the frightful 

 evils which might follow their conduct, but the citizens answered 

 that no one had cause to fear aiul that they would guarantee that 

 no disorder would be committed, but that nothing could prevent 

 them from marching. The magistrates reminded them that in 

 order to be good officers they were forced to execute the law, 

 whereupon the citizens answered that they recognized this fact 

 and that they also would be good citizens and that if cannon were 

 to be used against them they also must have some. They then 

 asked the officers to carry their flags. Whereupon the crowd 

 yielded to its impatience and cried, "En avant! monsieur le com- 

 mandant, en ai'aiit!" and Alexandre gave the order to march. 

 The officers returned to the municipality where they made their 

 report. At the same time, the municipality of Gentilly arrived 

 and asked permission to join the procession."" 



During all this excitement a crowd had gathered in the neigh- 

 boring section Jardin des Plantes trying to take away from the 

 commandant of the battalion, LafTond, his cannon. He dis- 

 patched two letters to Petion asking for instructions. "° 



jNIeanwhile at the Hotel de Ville the mayor had not been idle. 

 We have seen that when Petion learned that the directory refused 

 on the 19th to legalize the procession he had great fear of the 



** " Proces-verbal dresse par MM. Mouchet, Guiard et Thomas"; " Con- 

 duite tenue par M. le maire." Alexandre in his Mcmoircs says he gave 

 the order to march, Masson, Petites hist aires, 1. serie, 246-58. 



'"" Laflfond to Petion, June 20, 1792, in Archives Nationales 1^4474™. 



256 



