The First Revolutionary Step 51 



necessity of wisdom and perseverance in order to arrive at a con- 

 stitution which shall draw us from so deplorable a state of things, 

 and of proportioning our emulation and our efforts to the diffi- 

 culties of this enterprise, sublime, no doubt, but simple, and which 

 demands only the cooperation of statesmen 1 and the support of 

 their wishes ; for it is to the development of reason that nature 

 has intrusted the eternal destiny of societies ; and it is reason alone 

 which is able to make laws that are binding and durable f and it 

 is reason and law alone that can govern man in society." 



Mirabeau's wise guidance is seen in this address. The assem- 

 bly should advance, but towards a goal that it could reach, that 

 could not escape it. It was forced to take a firm forward step 

 now. All peaceful means were exhausted, the conferences were 

 closed. "It is necessary to constitute ourselves ; we all agree as 

 to that; but how? with what powers, with what title?'' 3 States 

 general was improper "for it supposes three orders, three estates, 

 and certainly these three orders are not here. But who will pro- 

 pose to us to constitute ourselves with some title synonymous 

 after all with that of states general ? I shall always ask : will you 

 have the sanction of the king? And how can you dispense with 

 his sanction? May the authority of the monarch be in abeyance 

 for a moment? Is it not necessary that he should concur in your 

 decree were it only that he should be bound thereby ? And when 

 it is denied, against all principles, that his sanction is necessary 

 in order to make binding every act outside of this assembly, will 

 he accord to subsequent decrees his sanction?" 4 



1 "Lumieres." 



2 Conrrier de Provence, Lettre XI, 12. "Obligatoires et durables." 



3 Ibid., 199. "II faut nous constituer, nous en sommes tous d'accord; 

 mais comment? Sous quelle forme, sous quelle denomination?" 



*Courrier de Provence, Lettre XI, 13: ''Nous proposerait-on de nous 

 constituer sous quelqu'autre denomination synonime apres tout de celle 

 d'etats-generaux ? Je demanderai toujours : aurez-vous la sanction du roi? 

 Et pouvez vous vous en passer? L'autorite du monarque peut-elle som- 

 meiller tin instant? Ne faut-il pas qu'il concoure a votre decret, ne fut-ce 

 que pour en etre lie? Et quand on nierait, contre tous les principes, que la 

 sanction fut necessaire pour rendre obligatoire tout acte exterieur de cette 

 assemblee, accordera-t-il aux decrets subsequents une sanction dont on 

 avoue qu'il est impossible de se passer, lorsqu'ils emaneront d'un mode de 

 constitution qu'il ne voudra pas reconnaitre?" La revolution francaise, 

 XXIII, 533. 



51 



