8 Carl Christ ophelsmeier 



the nation — a principle which should be accepted with enthusiasm 

 even by the clergy and by the nobles themselves and which ought 

 to influence them in the determination to unite themselves with 

 the commons in the general hall, where they have been awaited 

 for the last ten days, and of forming themselves into the states 

 general in order to verify the credentials of all the representa- 

 tives of the nation. The deputies of the commons invite those 

 of the clergy and the nobles who have received special instruc- 

 tions to deliberate in common, and those who, free to follow this 

 patriotic impulse, have already manifested their willingness to 

 do the same, to give an example to their colleagues by coming 

 and taking the place destined for them. 



"It is in this general assembly, it is in this union of all the sen- 

 timents, of all the wishes and of all the votes, that will be deter- 

 mined, upon the principles of reason and of equity, the rights of 

 all the citizens. . . . Those who will still delay the accom- 

 plishment of such important duties- — labors that will assure public 

 happiness and the splendor of the state — are responsible for their 

 actions to the nation. 



"The deputies of the commons vote that the present delibera- 

 tion shall be sent to the deputies of the clergy and of the nobles, 

 in order to call their attention to the obligations which the role of 

 national representatives places upon them." 



Le Chapelier had prepared his motion with great care. It con- 

 tained the essential points of the fundamental question of vote by 

 person or by order which had been discussed for months. It was 

 practically the same as that presented to the assembly by Sieves 

 on June 10. Between May 14 and June 10 more and more dep- 

 uties were prepared to carry it into immediate execution, so that 

 by the latter date the tiers-etat could, because of the unanimity 

 of its members, take the action outlined in this motion with a 

 high degree of success. But even on May 14 Le Chapelier did 

 not speak for himself only ; he was the appointed spokesman of 

 other deputies. The nucleus of the supporters of Le Chapelier's 

 motion was the Breton deputation, of which he was the most 

 prominent member. 



Previous to the deputations of the nobles and of the clergy on 



