uS Laura B. Pfciffcr 



Avoukl not form a mob nor cause a riot. In view of these cir- 

 cumstances, he called the municipality together and, believing 

 that it would be very imiM-udent and very dangerous to allow 

 forty thousand men to move without leaders, the numicipality 

 decided to legalize the movement by requiring the battalions to 

 march under their conunaiulants. allowing the citizens to range 

 themselves under the tlag of the national guard. It was under 

 these circumstances that the citizens had presented their petition 

 to the assembly and to the king. 



He said that the citizens, having marched through the assembly 

 and the Tuileries. respecting property and insulting no one, had 

 proved that they had no intention of committing excesses. Any 

 intentions of that kind could easily have been carried out for 

 there was not sufHcient police force to have prevented anything 

 the crowd might have attempted. He declared he had gone to 

 the Tuileries and had done all he could to restore quiet and have 

 the apartments cleared as promptly as possible and that the 

 king had nothing to complain of and had expressed himself so 

 to the various deputations that the assembly had sent to him. He 

 said all was now quiet at the Tuileries and that he hoped it would 

 remain so. He assured them that the magistrates would neglect 

 no measures for maintaining tlie peace. This was followed by 

 reiterated applause. 



In conclusion Petion added. " I have heard it said that there 

 are plots. It will be necessary for the public safety that these 

 should be made known. I do not believe that any good citizen 

 will refuse to give such proofs as he has. to enable the magistrates 

 to baffle the conspirators. I ask all the members of the assembly 

 who have proofs, to present them and the magistrates will at once 

 perfonn their duty." This was followed by much applause.'^** 



Charlier suggested that honorable mention should be made of 

 the conduct of the municipality. Becquey opposed this proposi- 

 tion which was received with murmurs and cries of, '" No ! No !*'^'^ 



^Journal cic rassemblt-e nationale, XXI, 341 ff. ; Jcurtuil des debats et 

 di'crt'ts. No. 26S. p. 288 ff. ; Moniteur, XII, 720. 



^^ Ibid. The Journal des debats et decrets does not give the name of 

 Charlier and the Moniteur does not mention Becquey. Otherwise the 

 accounts agree. 



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