The Insurrection of October, ij8g 21 



fused to obey, and by insisting on their rights as representatives 

 of the nation, took to themselves the sovereign power of the state. 

 Second, on the 14th of July, when the monarchy seemed about to 

 regain by force its ancient absolutism, the people of Paris rose, 

 the Bastille fell, and victory was again with the popular cause. 

 Finally, on the night of August 4, when discussion over the burn- 

 ing chateaux brought out the hatred of the feudal system, the 

 national assembly, moved by an impulse of wild enthusiasm, 

 passed decree after decree abolishing the rights and privileges 

 of caste, and established a reign of equality before the law. 



It was said that the revolution was over. 1 But a majority of 

 the nobility and a minority of the clergy, including the highest 

 dignitaries of the church, were not disposed to give up their 

 ancient privileges without a struggle. Nor was the king himself 

 favorable to such a sacrifice. Even in the last days of August, 

 when the question of the royal veto came up for discussion in the 

 assembly, the 4th of August decrees had not yet been sanctioned. 

 Fears were naturally entertained that the veto, if granted to the 

 king, might be used to defeat the will of the majority in the as- 

 sembly and that its whole work might be overthrown. When at 

 last the suspensive veto was passed it was with the distinct un- 

 derstanding that it should not be used to annul the decrees of the 

 present assembly. A sentence in Barnave's letter to Mme. de 

 Stael on the eve of the 10th of September, 1789, shows this 

 clearly. "It is very important," he says, "that the letter (from 

 Necker) which shall be read express the intention of the king 

 not to use his suspensive right on the decrees of the present as- 

 sembly, but only on laws which may be proposed by future as- 

 semblies. The interest which one part of the assembly takes in 

 the decrees of the night of August 4 would be a great obstacle 

 to the success of the proposition, if any doubt in this respect 

 were allowed to subsist."- It was, therefore, only on this condi- 

 tion that the patriot deputies consented to the suspensive veto on 

 September 11. It was naturally hoped that there would be no 

 further delay about sanctioning and promulgating the decrees. 



1 Morris, Piary and Litters, I, 143. 

 2 Revue histonque, LXVII, 278. 



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