The Uprising of June 20, i'jg2 loi 



The first municipal officer who came to the king's relief was 

 Mouchet, wearing his scarf as a badge of office. Raised on the 

 shoulders of two citizens, he approached the window in which the 

 king sat. With voice and gesture he strove to gain silence, but 

 his efforts were useless. He could make himself heard only by 

 those near by. The king tried several times to speak, but his 

 voice was lost in the tumult.^" This situation lasted more than an 

 hour, during which time the greatest confusion reigned. Shouts 

 were sent up from the crowd and cries of " Down with the veto ! " 

 " Recall the ministers ! " continued, while officers tried vainly to 

 make themselves heard. ^-^ During this period of uproar a number 

 of incidents can be clearly distinguished which show the temper 

 of the crowd. 



A man carrying a red cap on the end of a pole moved toward 

 the king. Several people inclined the pole in his direction. 

 Mouchet took the cap and passed it on to the king who reached out 

 for it, took it and put it on his head. At this strange spectacle, 

 the crowd burst into applause, stamping, clapping their hands and 

 ■ crying, " Bravo ! " " Long live the nation ! " " Long live liberty ! " 



deputy. An unsigned letter written June 21 and quoted in Weber, 

 (Memoires, II, 179) states that Legendre offered the king the red cap. 

 The same statement is found in the Correspondence politique of June 

 23, LXIII, 2, which says Legendre was the national guard who put the 

 red hat on the king. It is clear from all this evidence that Legendre 

 was present, but it is not clear what he did. He evidently did not play 

 a prominent part. It is stated ("Extrait d'une lettre ecrite de Paris en 

 datte du 21 juin a Dupin et fils a Montpellier ") that the orator of the 

 people said, " Sire, do you wish to be our king or not? If you do, enforce 

 the constitution, the execution of which you alone have hindered. If 

 you do not, you will be allowed to leave [France]. We will give you 

 forty thousand men to accompany you to the frontiers. We will guaran- 

 tee you your life until you leave the realm." This is not what Legendre 

 is reported to have said. It may refer to the speech that the " blond 

 young man" so often referred to, made to the king in Petion's presence. 

 The sentiment is similar. See below;. 



"^ " Proces-verbal dresse par Mouchet " ; " Proces-verbal dresse par 

 Patris " ; Bourcet in Revolution frangaise, XVII, 7;^; "Declaration de 

 Gosse " ; " Declaration de Fontaine." 



"'"Proces-verbal dresse par Mouchet"; Bourcet in Revolution fran- 

 gaise, XVII, 72; "Declaration de Guibout." 



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