S4 Lama H. Pft'ijft'r 



prooi'ssion. riio demonstrators entered, preceded by military 

 music. Santerre and Saint-l luruge directed their marcli and they 

 crossed the hall to ihc time oi c\i ira.^^* Lc inctciirc iiniirrst'l, 

 Inne Ji. 179-. yives the loUowini^' ilescriptim) of the procession 

 as it marched through the assembly : 



" Tlio petitioners nuirehoil ; women, children, wearing lilierty caps and 

 carrying l>ranches ot trees, tricolored ribbons and a banner npon which was 

 written: "Tyrants, you dare to drive out our pikes, return to tlie law or 

 tremble." Tliere followed grenadiers, armed national guards, citizens 

 with pikes, women with salvers; all were intermingled, fraternally united, 

 presenting only a mass of citizens. In the midst of these imposing groups 

 two tables of the form of those of Mount Sinai were religiously sup- 

 ported; on these was written the sublime declaration of rights. The 

 cries of ' Liberty.' the emlilems, the caps, the ril^bons, and these inscrip- 

 tions a thousand times repeated: 'The constitution I Live free or die! The 

 constitution or death I," the green branches, flowers, applause redoubled 

 without ceasing, the noise of military music, all presented a sort of rare 

 spectacle, where one part of the people dared to reclaim its rights against 

 those who constitutionally wished to enslave it. We shall not speak 

 of numerous and varied groups of women, children, grenadiers, market 

 porters, charcoal burners, priests with swords and guns, and imtilidcs. We 

 shall say less still of singular caricatures such as saus-ciilottcs held aloft 

 on pikes. Nor shall we speak of the caprice of arms; we saw long 

 and very long pikes, forks, scythes, axes, clubs, great saws, large daggers, 

 etc. But let us say that the flags of various sections and this forest of 

 pikes and bayonets which filled the hall presented a singularity very shock- 

 ing for some people and less disagreeal^le for others. A great banner, 

 the ribbons held in women's hands, contained these words : ' Liberty ! 

 Tyrants, tremble: the French are armed!' On the other side was written 

 ' Equality. Reunion of the Faubourgs Saint- Antoine and Saint-Mar- 

 ceau.' Another banner Ix^re these words : ' When the coimtry is in danger, 

 all the sanS'Ciilottcs are alert.* And on the other side you read: 'Trem- 

 ble tyrants, your reign approaches its end.' '"** 



As they moved on, some danced, some shouted. " Long live the 

 patriots! long live the sans-culottcs! down with the veto!" In 

 the procession there were carried two etublems. one a pair of old 

 knee breeches with the inscription. " Long live the saiis-citlottcs," 



' INd. 



' L(' pnercure unifcrsal. Tune 21, 1792. 



2$0 



