The Uprising of June 20, i'/C)2 81 



divinity that he is permitted to worship — find in its temple, those 

 rebelHous to its cult? Let them name themselves the friends of 

 arbitrary power. Let them purge the earth of liberty. Let them 

 go to Coblenz to join the emigres. . . . There they can plot with- 

 out regrets; there they will conspire against their country which 

 will never fear." 



These, he said, were the words Cicero spoke when he pressed 

 the traitor Catiline to join the camp of traitors to the country. He 

 urged the assembly to execute the constitution and wish of the 

 people who perish in their defense. He said it was time for the 

 French people to show themselves worthy of the character that 

 they had assumed, that they had broken down prejudice and 

 intended to remain free, intended to deliver themselves from 

 tyrants leagued against them. Then he added, " You know the 

 tyrants. Do not yield before them.'' 



After these preliminaries of a general nature, three causes for 

 complaint can be clearly distinguished: first, the dismissal of the 

 patriotic ministers ; second, the inaction of the armies and their 

 progressive destruction; third, the inaction of the high national 

 courts. 



Speaking of the dismissal of the ministers, he said, "The 

 executive power is not in accord with you. We wish no other 

 proof than the dismissal of the patriotic ministers. Does the wel- 

 fare of a free people depend upon the caprice of a king?" He 

 added, " We complain of the inaction of our armies. We ask 

 that you seek the cause. H it comes from the executive power, 

 let it be annihilated. The blood of patriots ought not to flow to 

 satisfy the pride and ambition of the perfidious chateau of the 

 Tuileries. . . . Shall we see our armies perish gradually? . . . 

 n the executive power does not act there is but one alternative; 

 you should assume it ; one man alone ought not to influence the 

 will of twenty-five million men. . . . We complain, finally, of 

 the delays of the high national court. You have given it the 

 sword of the law. Why does it delay in making it fall upon the 

 head of criminals? . . . The people were forced at the crisis of 

 July 14 to take this sword into their own hands and avenge with 

 one blow the outraged law and punish the criminals." He -asked 



277 



