42 Charles Kuhlmanii 



of wliicli the plan was proposed, by which, after a sum- 

 mary of the facts and motives of the inaction of the dep- 

 uties of the commons, all the deputies of the States Gen- 

 eral are invited to render themselves to the place of as- 

 sfmbly in order to enable it to form itself, protesting that 

 those who refuse will remain responsible toward the pub- 

 lic for the consequences of their refusal and for the delay 

 which will be caused by it. This declaration will be re- 

 mitted to the assembled members of the church and the 

 Nobility, repeated in stronger terms at the end of several 

 days, and even several times if necessary, and in this way 

 prepare the final resolutions of the deputies of the com- 

 muns."^ 



This was a premature signal of revolution. The depu- 

 ties of BretagTie urged action for which the majority were 

 prepared only a month later. The motion of Le Chapelier . 

 involved the assumption of the legislative power of France 

 by the deputies of the Third Estate, and that it was so 

 understood is evident from the speeches we i)0ssess of the 

 four days during which it was debated. According to the 

 Courricr dc Provence;, ^lirabeau on May 18, in advising a 

 middle course between the motions of Eabaut and Le 

 Chapelier, affirmed, "That a step as memorable, as new, 

 as profoundly decisive as that of declaring ourselves Na- 

 tional Assembly and of pronouncing the other orders at 

 fault, can never be too well prepared, too measured, too 

 imposing."^ In the Hcro/i(U de la Nation of May 22, 1789, 

 after a discussion of Le Chapelier'S motion and that of 

 Laborde of May 20, the writer says : "After the explana- 

 tion of tlieir measure, and if the desired union does not 

 talve place, the commons are, according to what is assured 



'Letter of Boulle, May 15. Revue de la Revolution, vol. XI, pp. 

 12, 13. 

 -Courrier de Provence, I, p. 58. 



248 



