The First Revolutionary Step n 



tion may cause them to yield to persuasion. For these reasons, 

 gentlemen, I favor the proposition of Rabaut de Saint-Etienne, 

 but I do not reject the motion of Le Chapelier, which I only con- 

 sider premature at the time. It seems well that we proceed step 

 by step and advance slowly enough in order to be never forced 

 to retreat." 1 



Another deputy favored Le Chapelier's motion, 2 but only after 

 the conferences had proved unsuccessful. He said : "Gentlemen, 

 the two motions presented yesterday appear to me equally judi- 

 cious ; but the first for the present, the second for the future ; 

 the one is an actual working plan, the other indicates to us what 

 we may do in several days. The honorable members who have 

 submitted these propositions to -the discussions of the representa- 

 tives of the nation merit at once our eulogy. . . . Without 

 doubt, gentlemen, it is indeed necessary to act alone if the two 

 privileged bodies, insensible to our patriotic invitations, wish to 

 consider the questions, which are already decided, of the union 

 of the orders and the vote by head." To the objection made that 

 the conferences would bring about no conciliation, he answered : 

 "Granted, but is it not a success to conquer our constituents, to 

 convince them that we have deliberated before we have acted?" 

 And to the argument of losing time, he replied that it was no ob- 

 jection at all. "Instead of to-day, we shall be fully as well situ- 

 ated in a week to give to Chapelier's motion every attention that 

 it merits ; in a week, I assure you, judging from the reception 

 that it has received, we shall find ourselves here with the same 

 principles, the same firmness, the same patriotism ; in a week, 

 reinforced by the deputation from the capital, we shall not ex- 

 pose ourselves to the reproaches of having taken a decision, so 

 infinitely important, without the cooperation of a portion, as con- 

 siderable as precious, of our colleagues." 



During these days of debate, in the beginning of every session, 

 Rabaut de Saint-Etienne's motion seemed to be favored, but 



1 Journal des etats-generaux, I, 32-36. 



I Journal des etats-generaux, I, 36-43. This speech seems not to have 

 been given in the assembly. Our source says, p. 36, that "le temps ne 

 permet pas a l'un des deputes de [le] lire publiquement a l'assemblee." 



IT 



