4 2 Carl Christophelsmeier 



but stentorian lungs or the finest, clearest voices can be heard; 

 however, the very size of the apartment, which admits two thou- 

 sand people, gave a dignity to the scene. It was, indeed, an in- 

 teresting one. The spectacle of the representatives of twenty-five 

 millions of people, just emerging from the evils of two hundred 

 years of arbitrary power and rising to the blessings of a freer 

 constitution, assembled with open doors under the eye of the 

 public, was framed to call into animated feelings every latent 

 spark, every emotion of a liberal bosom." 1 



It was again Sieyes who opened the discussion. He proposed 

 that the assembly constitute itself as the assembly of the repre- 

 sentatives known and verified of the French nation. While the 

 title was somewhat ambiguous, the wording of Sieyes' speech and 

 motion was clear and direct. In the introductory remarks, he 

 reviewed the events which had followed the resolution of June 

 io. 2 The assembly had decided to constitute itself. To this end 

 it had invited the deputies of the clergy and of the nobility to 

 unite with them and to take part in the organization. The invita- 

 tion had not been accepted. The credentials of the deputies of 

 the commons had subsequently been verified, and it was therefore 

 now necessary for the assembly to constitvite itself as an active 

 assembly. Sieyes laid down certain principles and drew inferences 

 from them. He enumerated various titles, but found inconve- 

 niences in all of them. After deciding in favor of Assemble dcs 

 representants connus ct verifies de la nation francaise, he pre- 

 sented his motion, or rather series of motions : 



"It has been proved by the result of the verification of creden- 

 tials that this assembly is already composed of the representa- 

 tives sent directly by at least ninety-six hundredths of the nation. 



"Such a number of deputies must not and can not remain idle 

 because of the absence of deputies from several bailliages, or from 

 several classes of citizens ; for those absent ones who have been 

 invited to come into the national hall can not have the right to 



1 Young, 163; Biauzat, II, 120: "Remarquez qu' heureusement nous 

 admettons 8 a 1200 ouvriers a entendre le developpement de nos vues pour 

 le bien public." Duquesnoy, I, 65-66, 101, 104 ; Journal des ctats-generaux, 

 I, 86, 87. 



-Courrier de Provence, Lettre II. 



42 



