The Counter Revolution of June-July 1 1 1 



deputies should follow their instructions. "But what is the 

 question here?" he asked. "A police affair, military discipline 

 which does not concern us. Is it right to assume that military 

 discipline belongs to us ? Should we watch over public security ? 

 These duties belong to the executive authority, they belong to 

 the king."532 



Mounier, according to the Bulletins de Vassemblee nationale, 

 thought that it was unworthy the dignity of the national assembly 

 to consider an insurrection when all the knowledge they had of 

 the uprising came in a letter signed by nineteen unknown people.^^' 

 Clermont-Tonnerre said they should wait until the king asked 

 their intervention before they considered the question. ^^* The 

 Comte de Crillon proposed that the president send to the guard 

 of the seals a copy of the letter which they had just received, with- 

 out the signatures, explaining, at the same time, that the legisla- 

 tive power had no right to consider these complaints, but that the 

 members of the assembly appealed to the justice and kindness of 

 the king.^^^ The Prince de Poix having affirmed that the ques- 

 tion should be left to the "justice and wisdom of the king"^^* 

 was according to the Point du jour, interrupted by M. Brostaret 

 crying out : " We ought not be inactive when the executive power 

 inspires alarm. The legislative power is delegated by the people 

 and we must not abondon the people."^^'' 



This was the first utterance that really touched the heart of the 

 question. Alarm was caused by the arrival of troops which were 

 evidently to be used in executing a coup d'etat. The assembly 



^^^ Assemblee nationale, I, 285; Bulletins de I'asscmblee nationale, July i. 



533 Bulletins de Vassemblee nationale, July i. 



^^^ Point du jour, I, 82; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 149; Assemblce na- 

 tionale, I, 285. 



^^^ Point du jour, I, 83; Assemblee nationale, I. 292; Bulletins de Vas- 

 semblee nationale, July i; Gazette de Leyde, Sup. No. 55 (July 2). 



536 Point du jour, I, 83. 



5ST Point du jour, I, 84. The name given here is Broustaret, but as I 

 find no deputy by that name I have concluded it is meant for Brostaret, 

 deputy of Nerac, member of the third estate (Brette, Les Constituants, 

 206). 



393 



