ic8 Ethel Lee Howie 



the object of the deputation was handed to him.^^- "Uncertain 

 of their fate," the letter ran, " the prisoners asked that their 

 liberty be officially recognized. "°^^ It was significant that this 

 appeal was made to the assembly and not to the king. Should 

 a clash come between the king and the assembly the latter would 

 have no force to defend it unless the troops refused to execute 

 the king's orders. The assembly was therefore put in the diffi- 

 cult position of solving the problem so as to retain the support of 

 the people of Paris and the troops and, at the same time, not 

 ofifend the king. Bailly saw the significance of the situation and 

 realized that it was necessary to bring the question before the 

 assembly, but he had no guarantee of the facts except from un- 

 known persons. He finally told the deputation to go to the 

 assembly hall at the opening of the session and he himself went 

 to consult M. Necker and to find how much he knew of the 

 circumstances. Necker informed him that the report was true. 

 He (Necker) was anxious and represented the danger of sanc- 

 tioning such acts. Bailly, on the other hand, realized the danger 

 of severity and thought that, guilty or not guilty, these prisoners 

 should be granted their liberty, but in such a manner as would 

 not compromise the royal authority. Both Necker and Bailly 

 were convinced that it was necessary to have the assembly recom- 

 mend the guards to the mercy of the king.^^* It seems that 

 Bailly again met the deputation at the assembly hall and told 

 them that he believed the assembly could not receive a deputa- 

 tion without credentials but that he would propose that a com- 

 mittee should be named to consider the question and report to 

 the assembly.^^^ 



When Bailly presented the question the assembly refused to 

 admit the deputation, but listened to the reading of the letter 

 which had been presented to Bailly.^^® Duquesnoy says that 



^'^^ Point du jour, I, 8i ; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 149; Gazette de Leyde, 

 Sup. No. 55 (July 2) ; Journal de Paris, No. 184, 827 (July 3) ; Assemblee 

 nationale, I, 283 ; Bulletins de I'assemblee nationale, July i. 



513 Bailly, Memoircs, I, 265 ; Point du jour, I, 81. 



51* Bailly, Mcmoires, I, 266-267. 



515 Assemblee nationale, I, 283. 



^'^^ Proces-verbal, I, No. 17, i ; Courrier de Provence, I, No. 15, i ; Point 



