Influence of the Breton Deputation 81 



sen ted, the assembly' chose this way out of the difficulty J 

 The address, after dividing the deputation itself, had 

 furnished to its enemies in the assembh' the occasion f or , 

 a malicious attack which could not fail to injure its in- 

 fluence at tliis critical period with those who were still 

 undecided in their attitude. Equally damaging was its 

 effect upon the hitherto ideal relation existing between* 

 the deputies and their constituents. Many municipalities 

 adhered to the address,^ and since nearly all the deputies 

 were opposed to it, they stood in formal opposition to 

 the municipalities which they had until now recognized. 

 in effect, as their constituents. The complaint of the dep 

 uties of Quimper against those of Rennes provoked in the 

 former city a violent attack upon its own representatives,- 

 ending in a proposition to approve the conduct of Rennes 

 and disavow all the future acts of their own deputies." 

 Legendre and Mo^^ot, when they received the adhesion .of 

 Brest, replied in a letter full of indignation, but in which 

 they made many sensible observations recalling to their 

 city its true position and that of the National Assembly. 

 The address, they said, interfered directly with the lib-, 

 erty of debate. The adhesion of Brest had reached them 

 too late to be presented before the vote on the veto had 

 been taken, but even had it arrived in time they would 

 have been too considerate of the honor of their munic- 

 ipality to compromise it in exposing its resolution to the 

 disapprobation of the National Assembly. "Perhaps you 

 Avill agTee, gentlemen, that you have not accorded this 

 consequence (interference Avith the liberty of debate) all 

 the attention it merits; perhaps you have not remarkcj^ 



'Letter of Legendre and Moyot, No. 51. MSS., Archives de Brest. 

 Bulletin de Rennes, II: No. 6, supra. 



'See the lists of the cities adhering, in the Bulletin de Rennes, II, 

 Nos. 7, 8, 9, 11. and 12. 



^Journal d'etat et du citoyen, I, No. 7. 



287 



