te the constitution, the Chamber of Representatives, and the
dwelling of the king," said Roederer at the bar; "the reports of the
night are alarming; the minister of the interior calls on us to march
troops immediately to defend the chateau. The law forbids armed
assemblies, and yet they advance--they demand admittance; but if you
yourselves set an example by suffering them to enter, what will become
of the force of the law in our hands? your indulgence will destroy all
public force in the hands of the magistrates. We demand to be charged
with the fulfilment of all our duties: let the responsibility also be
ours, and let nothing diminish the obligation we are under of dying to
preserve and defend public tranquillity." These words, worthy the
chancellor L'Hopital, or Mathieu Mole, were coldly listened to by the
Assembly, and saluted by ironical laughter from the tribunes. Vergniaud
affected to bow to them, and weakened their effect. "Yes, doubtless,"
said this orator, destined to be torn from the tribune, a year later, by
an armed mob,--"Doubtless, we should have done better never to have
received armed men, for if to-day patriotism brings good citizens
hither, aristocracy may to-morrow bring its janissaries. But the error
we have committed authorises that of the people. The Assembly, formed up
to the present time, appears sanctioned by the silence of the law. It is
true that the magistrates demand force to put them down: but what should
you do in such circumstances? I think that it would be an excess of
severity to be inflexible to a fault, the origin of which is in your
decrees: it would be an insult to the citizens to imagine they had any
evil designs. It is said that this Assembly wishes to present an address
at the chateau: I do not believe that the citizens who compose it will
demand to be presented with arms in their hands to the king: I think
that they will obey the laws, and that they will go unarmed, and like
simple petitioners. I demand that these citizens be instantly permitted,
to defile before us." Dumolard and Raymond, indignant at the perfidy or
the cowardice of these words, energetically opposed this weakness or
complicity of the Assembly. "The best homage to pay the people of
Paris," cried Raymond, "is to make them obey their own laws. I demand
that before these citizens are introduced they lay down their arms."
"Why," returned Guadet, "do you talk of disobedience to the law, when
you have so often disobe