The Uprising of June 20, 17^2 65 



There were frequent murmurs from the galleries during this 

 address especially when the good intentions of the people were 

 called into question. There was little applause. 



The president, Frangois de Nantes, after quieting the galleries 

 said, " The national assembly will take into consideration the 

 account that you have submitted to it. It invites you to attend 

 its session." The directory then entered the hall amidst murmurs 

 of the galleries and applause of a part of the assembly.^^^ 



The conduct of the Girondins in the assembly at this time 

 shows decided sympathy with the uprising. Vergniaud was the 

 first speaker. He said he agreed with Roederer that civism alone 

 actuated the citizens, but that the assembly ought to take the pre- 

 cautions that prudence commanded in order to prevent any act 

 that might be provoked by the ill-intentioned. He thought it 

 would be more regular if both they and the constituent assembly 

 had conformed to the principles that forbade the introduction of 

 an armed force into the legislative body because, even if civism 

 brought men here today, tomorrow the ill-intentioned might bring 

 in soldiers ; that the sanctuary of the law ought to be open only 

 to legislators; that by following the example of the constitutent 

 assembly they had been abettors of irregular conduct of the 

 citizens and having accorded this permission to other delegations 

 they ought not to be astonished at this request. He said, how- 

 ever, that the position here was a critical one because while other 

 armed gatherings had been formed without asking permission of 

 the administrative bodies, this one had done so. He thought 

 prudence would not allow them to assume bad intentions on the 

 part of the people and that having once accorded the privilege of 

 marching through the hall they could not refuse it now. He did 

 not think that the citizens intended to send armed petitioners 

 to the king and while he did not believe that there was any danger 



that without doubt Roederer was fulfilling his duty by this address rather 

 than expressing his opinion. 



'"Journal de I'assemblee nationaJe, XXI, 296-98. This paper is called 

 the most exact and the most complete journal of the national assembly, 

 Roederer, Chronique de cinquante jours, 24, note; Hatin, Bibliographie de 

 la presse periodique frangaise. 



261 



