The Counter Revolution of June-July 31 



Lodeve,"° the Archbishop of Bordeaux/" the Bishop of Dijon/*^ 

 and Petion de Mlleneuve"' on July 7, and Barnave/** but no 

 one person took the lead in the debate on the validity of im- 

 perative instructions. The Due de Mortemart claimed that the 

 imperative instructions existed in full force, being based on the 

 solemnity of the oath and authorized by ancient customs. They 

 should, therefore, be upheld during the session of the states- 

 general unless repealed by an article in the new constitution. ^^^ 

 This latter idea was rather general in the debate and was pre- 

 sented by Barnave,^^** A'bbe Sieyes,^*' the Archbishop of Bor- 

 deaux^*^ and Lally-Tolendal.^'*"' Barnave stated that the assembly 

 was " given the alternative of attacking its constituents or modi- 

 fying its operations. No representative can exercise power unless 

 it has been delegated to him, but when the nation makes a consti- 

 tution it can create an assembly according to its desires. When 

 such a law is made imperative instructions will not exist. At the 

 present time, however, the deputies can only assert that their con- 

 stituents can not give instructions, but how much force is there 

 in these assertions ? The national body has a unity which has been 

 recognized by all the provinces sending deputies tO' the assembly ; 

 it follows, then, that the law of the majority is the only one and, 

 according to this principle, every deputy who is not expressly 

 charged to retire should remain in the assembly and submit to the 

 wishes of the majority. "^^'^ The Archbishop of Bordeaux saw 

 some inconveniences in declaring the instructions null. " They 



^4" Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 169. 



^'*'^ Point du jour, I, 134. 



'^*- Point du jour, I, 134; Assemblee nationalc, I, 403. 



'^*^ Point du jour, I, 133; Bulletins de I'assemblcc nationalc, July 7. 



1** Bulletins de I'assemblee nationalc, July 7. 



1*^ Point du jour, I, loi ; Bulletins de I'assemblee nationalc, July 3. 



"^^^ Assemblee nationalc, I, 400-401; Point du jour, I, 133; Bulletins de 

 I'assemblee nationalc, July 7. 



'^*~ Point du jour, I, 134; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 168; Journal de Paris, 

 No. 190, 855 (July 9) ; Bulletins dc I'assemblee nationalc, July 7. 



'^^^ Point du jour, I, 134. 



^'^^ Bulletins dc I'assemblee nationalc, July 7. 



'^^'^ Assemblee nationalc, I, 400-401; Point du jour, I, 133; Bulletins de 

 I'assemblee nationalc, July 7. 



