The Uprising of June 20, ijgB 71 



placed between several pieces of cannon. They showed the same honors 

 to the liberty tree which they proposed to set up in the garden of the 

 Tuileries opposite the chateau. Various inscriptions were borne aloft in 

 the procession, hone of which announced any dark designs of brigands. 

 Here could be read, ' The nation, the law.' ' When the country is in danger 

 all the sans-culottes are aroused,' ' Long live the national assembly,' 

 ' Warning to Louis XVI, The people, weary of suffering, wish entire 

 liberty or death,' ' We wish only union, liberty, long live equality,' 

 ' Free and sans-culottes, we will preserve at least the fragments,' ' People 

 and national guards, we are only one, we wish to be only one.' When it 

 arrived at the rue Saint Honore the procession, which had grown at each 

 step, was truly imposing and solemn. This crowd of people of all condi- 

 tions and in all kinds of costumes, armed as they had been in July, 1789, 

 with every weapon that came to their hands, marched in a disorder which 

 was only apparent. This was not a mob; these were the people of the first 

 city of the world, full of the sentiment of liberty and filled at the same 

 time with respect for the law which they had made. Touching fraternal 

 feeling and equality alone honored this fete in which were found pellmell, 

 locking arms with each other, national guards with their uniforms and 

 without, more than two hundred of the oldest of the invalides, a great 

 number of women and children of all ages, and very few epaulets; but 

 red caps, all the charcoal burners and all the market porters in fine feather. 

 Among the arms of all kinds with which this mass of men bristled, were 

 seen great boughs, bouquets of flowers and ears of corn. An unrestrained 

 joy animated this picture and passed into the hearts of the onlookers."^ 



It was thus that the people arrived at the court of the Feuil- 

 lants at half past one o'clock and asked permission, through their 

 leader, Santerre, to enter the assembly. As has already been 

 said, the president interrupted the discussion to announce a letter 

 which he had received from the commandant of the faubourg 

 Saint-Antoine, dated June 20, 1792, and which read as follows: 



" Mr. President, The inhabitants of the faubourg Saint-Antoine are 

 celebrating today the anniversary of the oath of the tennis court; they 

 come to present their homage to the national assembly. Their intentions 

 have been calumniated; they ask the honor of being admitted today at the 



'^^Revolutions de Paris, XII, 548-50, dated June 16-23, 1792. A similar 

 description is found in Courrier des 83 departements, IX, written by one 

 who claims to have been an eye witness. This account is reprinted in a 

 pamphlet called, Recit general. Another briefer and evidently prejudiced 

 account, by one who says he saw the procession is found in Correspond- 

 ance politique, LXIII, 3. 



267 



