64 Carl Christ ophelsmeier 



being what we are and what we must be ? Can the royal sanction 

 change the order of things, alter their nature? We are the rep- 

 resentants verifies de la nation, the king can not change us to 

 something which we are not; he can force us not to exercise the 

 rights which this title gives us, but is it not necessary that this 

 title should extricate us?" Camus, in these words, practically 

 expressed the sovereignty of the people or of the commons. The 

 assembly could and should constitute itself in such a manner and 

 with such powers as it saw fit. He also severely criticised Ra- 

 baut's proposition of making a loan. 1 



Crenieres proposed that the assembly should constitute itself 

 as representants de nos commettants. He, as several others had 

 done, advised that a certain time should elapse between the pro- 

 posal of a project and the voting on it. The custom of voting at 

 once upon important matters he thought unsatisfactory : "This 

 custom, so convenient for those who speak, so painful for those 

 who think, so favorable for those to whom the motions have been 

 communicated in advance, and so cruel for those who, strangers 

 to all parties, to all conspiracies, know only those projects which 

 are forming in the assembly.''" 2 



Regnier and Prugnon supported Mounier's motion. The latter 

 wanted to substitute for the phrase en V absence de la minorite, 

 the expression en attendant la minorite* Both Sieyes and Mira- 

 beau rose in support of their motions and attempted to refute the 

 objections made to them. 4 Le Grand, a deputy from Berry, made 

 a new motion. 5 It was he who first proposed during these de- 



1 Duquesnoy, I, 98; Courrier de Provence, Lettre XI, 36; Journal des 

 etats-generaux, I, 107-9. 



2 Duquesnoy, I, 98; Biauzat, II, 119. 



3 Duquesnoy (I, 98, 99) quotes Prugnon: "Les pontiles elevent les autels 

 de la religion contre les autels de la patrie ; ils ont consigne l'esprit public 

 a la porte de leur salle, pour l'empecher d'entrer. Les droits de la noblesse 

 sont anciens, les notres sont eternels ; les siens se perdent dans la nuit des 

 temps, les notres remontent jusqu'a. l'origine des societes. Si la justice 

 cessait d'etre sur le trone, elle se refugierait dans les communes. Les abus 

 sont comme ces tours antiques qu'on ne peut detruire qu'on otant pierre 

 par pierre et qu'il faut quelquefois laisser au temps le soin de demolir." 

 Journal des etats-generaux, I, 110; Biauzat, II, 119. 



* Courrier de Provence, Lettre XI, 37; Biauzat, II, 119. 



5 Courrier de Provence, Lettre XI, 34-36; Biauzat, II, 119; Journal des 



64 



