78 Laura B. Pfciffcr 



plied that the object of the procession was to celebrate the anni- 

 versary of the oath of the tennis court ami to present a petition 

 to tiie assembly and to his majesty. The king seemed astonished 

 that the magistrate shonkl see so simple an act in this extraordi- 

 nary movement and recalled the decree of the council and that of 

 the tlirectory. Then Mouchet reviewed the efforts that they had 

 made since the o'clock to check the uprising and assured the king 

 that since they were not able to prevent the procession they 

 thought it best to legalize it and assemble the people under the 

 flag; that the nnniicipality had also taken the precaution to send 

 its members to various places as seemed necessary and that they 

 three were especially chargeil with the chateau, lie said it was 

 with great anxiety that they had noticed that the Tuileries. usually 

 open to the public, had been closed just as the cortege arrived and 

 that the people in the narrow passage showed discontent at this. 

 He urged the king to open the gate saying that the cannon pointed 

 at the people tended more to irritate than to ai')pease them. 

 " Your duty." said the king. " is to execute the law." Mouchet 

 insisted that if the gate of the terrace of the Feuillants was not 

 ojKMied it would be forced. The king then replied. " You ought 

 to execute the law. Come to an understanding with the com- 

 mandant of the national guard ; if you think necessary have the 

 gate of the terrace of the Feuillants opened so that the citizens 

 may pass along the terrace and go out by tlie court of the ccurics. 

 See that the public peace is not violated ; your duty imposes sur- 

 veillance upon you." The ofhcers rushed to carry the order to 

 Aclocq who was in command of the troops but by the time they 

 reached the gate it had been forced and the crowd had filled the 

 garden of the Tuileries. ^^'^ ^^'hether the gate was forced open 



'** " Proces-verbal dresse par MM. Mouchet et Boucher-Saint-Sauveur;" 

 " Proces-verbal dresse par M. Boucher-Rene ; " " Rapport du chef de la 

 deuxieme legion " [Aclocq] ; " Declaration de M. Genty, premier valet de 

 garde-robe du roi," in Ternaux, I, 404; Terrier to the directory, report 

 of June 26, 1792. These last two give the text of the king's order. 

 Roederer (36) thinks that Mouchet represented the mass of the bour- 

 geoisie of Paris who feared the popular fury but who feared even more 

 the royal treason and so would use the uprising of the proletariat to force 

 the court to greater uprightness and fidelity. 



-^74 



