2 Ethel Lee Howie 



they failed to appear proceeded as if all were present. On June 

 17, the commons took a more decisive step declaring themselves 

 the national assembly. 



Even in taking this step they entertained no ill will toward the 

 king. Louis XVI could still have placed himself at the head of 

 the revolution had he chosen to ally himself with the commons 

 instead of with the privileged classes. He chose the latter course, 

 however, and attempted to undo the work of the commons by 

 holding a royal session on June 23. In the declarations of the 

 king presented on this day, the decrees of the national assembly 

 were nullified ; deliberation in common was permitted only on 

 affairs of general interest ; no definite promises were made re- 

 garding periodic meetings of the states-general, and legislation 

 and ministerial responsibility were not mentioned, although these 

 things were demanded by the cahiers. The members of the as- 

 sembly, finding no constitutional guarantees in the declarations, 

 reaffirmed their former decrees. Thus an open break was made 

 between the king and the assembly. 



Although the deputies realized the seriousness of the situation, 

 they were encouraged in their position by the apparent inaction 

 of the king after the royal session. He had not dismissed 

 Necker, who opposed the plan of the royal session, nor had he 

 forcibly ejected the deputies from the assembly hall when they 

 remained there in open violation of his command ; neither had he 

 arrested the leading members of the assembly after they had 

 passed a decree to sustain their former action. The assembly 

 appeared to be steadily gaining ground, for on June 24 the 

 majority of the clergy joined it and on June 25 the minority of 

 the nobility appeared. 



On the other hand, there were no indications that the king 

 did not intend to execute his plan of June 23. On the day fol- 

 lowing the royal session troops surrounded the assembly hall and 

 the public was excluded from the sessions. The declarations of 

 June 23 were printed and sent into the provinces. Although 

 Necker remained in the ministry, the members who had favored 

 the measures of June 23 were not dismissed and apparently re- 

 tained the king's confidence. Troops began to gather around 



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