1 8 Charles Kuhlmann 



theless, we do not pretend that the club is composed entirely of 

 men such as we have described; indeed, a very large portion of 

 the members not deputies to the National Assembly have with- 

 drawn from the club, and among those who show themselves the 

 most fanatic there are unquestionably many honest and estimable 

 citizens who, not having studied mankind sufficiently and esti- 

 mated the elements which ought to compose a government, al- 

 though these elements are everywhere the same, because reason 

 is indivisible, ought nevertheless to be differently combined ac- 

 cording to the country, the population, the customs, language, 

 civilization, wealth, commerce, etc., and, allowing themselves to 

 be drawn on by a just indignation, think only of a vengeance 

 which is without doubt very legitimate, but not thinking that 

 long' years of frightful misfortunes and the loss of liberty will 

 be the necessary consequences of their action. These persons, 

 misled by detestable men who profit by the inconsiderate ardor 

 of noble and generous souls, make of them the instruments of 

 their ambitious projects and seek by their aid to open the door 

 to the most unbridled factions. "'^ 



One might suspect from the tone of this letter that the writers 

 exaggerated the faults of the society in order to better justify 

 their own action in withdrawing from it, but, unfortunately, their 

 testimony is only too well borne out by that of the intelligent 

 Prussian, Conrad Oelsner, who was a member of the club and 

 reasonably free from partisanship.- Most convincing, however, 

 is the official record of the club itself giving the outline of the 

 debates beginning with June i, 1791.^ In reading this, one is 

 tempted to believe the accounts of their meetings given in the 



'^Journal dii dcpartevicnt dc Maine ci Loire, published by the Amis de la 

 constittition of Angers. Bib. Nat. Lc. ■*'/229. 



-Luzifer oder Gereinigte Beitrage zur Geschichte der franzosischen Re^ 

 volution. Erster Theil (1797), 160. Among otlier things he wrote in the 

 spring of 1791: Es hat sich eine Menge rollelustiger Gliicksritter und 

 Ehrgeiziger angedrangt, die, um zu Krfedit zu gelangen, einen schreienden 

 Patriotismus affichirt und zu jedem ausschweifenden Projeckte die Hand 

 bietet. Tumult und Bitterkeiten ersticken die Stimme der aufgeklarten 

 Mfissigung, und haben viele scharfsehende, aber furchtsame oder zu un- 

 rechten Zeit empfindliche Leute verscheucht, etc. 



^Journal des dehats dc la socicte des amis dc la coiistiliilioii, scanl ait.x- 

 Jacobins, a Paris. Republished by Aulard, II. 



246 



