6 Charles KuJiliiianii 



with no apparent effect other than to increase their popularity/ 

 Dnport, former member of the Chamhre des Enquetes of the 

 Parliament of Paris, came to the National Assembly with his 

 reputation as an opponent of the government already niade.^ 

 Possessed of considerable organizing talent, he supplemented the 

 work of the intriguer Lameth and the oratorical powers of the 

 proud but incisive advocate of Grenoble, Barnave, who, although 

 very soon remarked, made his reputation upon the committee on 

 colonies and in his famous debate with Mirabeau. 



As another group in the society, the friends of the Due d' Or- 

 leans are sometimes cited. Not infrequently the enemies of the 

 club charged it with being in the pay of this notorious character 

 or with working in his interests.^ As the duke was a popular 

 character, it is certain that many members of the club were fa- 

 vorably disposed toward him, but nothing v/orthy the name of 

 evidence has been found showing that the club, during this early 

 period of its existence, ever contemplated putting him forward as 

 against the ruling branch of the family. His son was a popular 

 member of the society,* and Desmoulins early in' 1790, speaking 

 of the imminent return of the Due d' Orleans from England, ad- 

 dressed him in one of the numbers of his "Revolutions de France 

 et de Brabant," in his half-bantering tone, urging him to go to 

 the Jacobins Avhere he would be gladly received.^ Laclos, the 

 editor of the Jacobin journal of correspondence, was held to be 

 an agent of the duke secretly working for his interests at the 



J Chroniqtie de Paris, No. 174. Pamphlets published by Aulard, in vol- 

 umes one and two. 



2 He was one of the principal opponents of the government during the 

 parliamentary revolution of 1787-1789, and gave his name to a revolutionary 

 club of this period, the Comite Dnport. 



^Famphlet, Le camaval/acobife, Aulard, II, 154-65; Les chefs des Jacob- 

 ites, 1, 1-9. 



■< Aulard, I, 32.5. 



''No. 8. "Dans un moment ou Malouet et les ministres veulent mener 

 le roi aux Augustins, c'est pour nous une affaire capitale d'entrainer son 

 frere aux jacobins. En consequence, le procureur general de la lanterne 

 ne se souvient plus que de ces paroles du iirophete: Quand vous scrie~ rouge 

 conune Vecarlate, t us vos peches scront laics, et vous serez bhinc coiiime neige 

 si voiis vencz aux Jacobins. Mais il faut renvoyer madame Balbi d'ou elle 

 est venue. Alors noster eris, et nous vous ferons president des Jacobins 

 honncur qui vaut bien celui d'etre frere du roi." 



234 



