I lo Ethel Lee Howie 



the soldiers should submit to mihtary law until a national militia 

 could be established by the assembly.^^^ 



Mirabeau was the only upholder of an appeal to the constitu- 

 ents.^-® He presented an address which he had prepared before 

 the union of the orders, but which he had changed to fit the occa- 

 sion. ^^^ He stated that the right of their constituents could be 

 " in peril only by popular agitations. Hope of a grand and sure 

 union should quiet every one."^^° There were exhortations to 

 stop the popular uprisings which hindered the activity of the 

 assembly. Such disturbances gave rise to atrocious slanders 

 which were attributed to the members of the assembly. It was 

 stated, according to the Assemble e nationale, that every effort 

 would be made to obtain from the king pardon for the unfortu- 

 nate victims led astray by an impulse of patriotism.^^^ 



Freteau, Mounier, Clermont-Tonnerre, the Comte de Crillon, 

 Boufflers and the Prince de Poix thought that the question should 

 be left to the executive authority. It is significant that all those 

 desiring executive action, except Mounier, were nobles. They 

 naturally did not wish any action taken which would weaken the 

 power of the king for, at this time, as has been stated before, the 

 upper orders looked upon the union of the orders as a temporary 

 ore and many refused to deliberate until their instructions had 

 bten changed. Any check on the power of the king and any 

 step which increased the influence of the assembly would be 

 detrimental to the interests of the nobles and hence was opposed 

 by them. 



Freteau is reported to have said that the cahiers did not pre- 

 scribe what the deputies should do in such an important affair, 

 but their instructions attributed the executive power to the king 

 and left the legislative power to the representatives. The 



52- Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 150. 



528 Point du jour, I, 83 ; Assemblee nationale, I, 288 ; Courrier de Prov- 

 ence, I, 15th letter, 5; also 14th letter, 18-30; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 149; 

 Bulletins de V assemblee nationale, July i. 



529 Courrier de Provence, I, 15th letter, 5. 

 ^^0 Point du jour, I, 83. 



531 Assemblee nationale, I, 288. 



