opening of States General of i/Sp Sy 



that not adding insult to despotism?" Mirabeau closes his 

 tribute to the nobles by saying, " Let them alone, gentlemen ; they 

 are going to give you a constitution, rule the state, arrange the 

 finances, and they will solemnly bring you extracts from their 

 registers to serve henceforth as a national code."^^® 



Mirabeau then turned his attention to the clergy, and urged 

 that since they had had enough regard for the third estate not to 

 declare themselves legally constituted, and had taken the part of 

 mediator, they alone should be addressed. ^^^ His hope was that 

 in winning the clergy, the clergy might win the nobility.^^® He 

 pointed out the advantages of negotiating with the clergy alone : 

 first, it would allow the third estate time to decide on what action 

 should be taken in regard to the nobility ; second, it would 

 furnish a pretext for the third estate to continue its present 

 policy of inaction ; third, it would give the deputies of the clergy 

 who favored the popular cause, the opportunity which they 

 seemed to wish, to unite with the commons ;, and fourth, it would 

 give support to the friends of the commons in the clergy. ^'^'^ 

 Mirabeau suggested that the commissioners be allowed to confer 

 with the nobility as individuals, but not as an authorized deputa- 

 tion.-*'^ 



In answering the argument that the ministry wished the organ- 

 ization of separate chambers, Mirabeau said : " If the ministry is 

 feeble, sustain it against itself, let it partake of your strength, 

 because you have need of its support. "-°^ 



Mirabeau did not believe that the privileged orders were sin- 

 cere in their promises to renounce their pecuniary privileges. 

 " They flatter us," he said, " that the privileged orders are going 

 to sacrifice their pecuniary exemptions, and what reason then, 

 they say, would there be for voting by head rather than by order ? 

 What reason? I could comprehend that language, if it were 



^^^Ihid., II, 12. 



^^"^ Lettres du Comte de Mirabeau, No. 4, 12. 



^^^Ibid., 12, 13. 



^^^Ibid., 13, 14. 



^<^°Ibid., 15. 



201 Ibid. 



269 



