66 Mae Darling 



speaker of the day.^**^ His opinions are explained at length in 

 his Lettres. He did not support either motion unreservedly. 

 The chief objection which he raised against the summoning of 

 the privileged orders at once, was that it would call forth still 

 stronger opposition from the nobility than they had already dis- 

 played. This, in turn, might necessitate extreme measures on the 

 part of the commons, and they were not yet ready to resort to 

 them. 



Taking up the motion of Rabaut de Saint-Etienne, that the 

 commissioners be appointed, Mirabeau argued that such action 

 would place the third estate in the position of " suppliants," when 

 they ought to be adopting the role of protectors of the people.^®* 

 He also objected to the motion because it made no distinction 

 between the two upper orders. " That motion, finally," he ex- 

 claimed, " treats with the same deference those who, making 

 themselves judges of their own case, have not even condescended 

 to discuss it, and those who, more clever and more tactful, at 

 least cover with gentlemanly manners their irregular and waver- 

 ing conduct.^"^ Mirabeau ridiculed the idea of ever coming to 

 any agreement with the nobles. " Can anyone," said he, " with- 

 out voluntary blindness flatter himself that conciliation with the 

 members of the nobility is possible when they let it be seen that 

 they will agree [to a conciliation] only after having passed 

 decrees excluding all conciliation, when they have preceded their 

 consent to name commissioners to confer with the other orders, 

 with the proud declaration that they are legally constituted? Is 



^°3 Duquesnoy, I, 22; Bulletins d'un agent secret, in La revolution 

 frangaisc, XXIII, 266; Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau, No. 4, 8-17. Du- 

 quesnoy states that Mirabeau made a speech on May 15. The writer of 

 the Bulletins d'un agent secret gives this as taking place on May 16, but 

 as this same writer gives the motions of Rabaut and Chapeher as having 

 been made on May 16, he evidently is not to be relied upon for exact dates. 

 Mirabeau himself, in his letters, says nothing of having made this speech, 

 but he explains his views at some length. This letter has been followed in 

 explaining Mirabeau's attitude. It is not possible to tell whether or not 

 he expressed all these opinions in just this manner in the assembly. 



^^* Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau, No. 4, 10. 



195 Ibid. 



268 



