learn that the French people, which
has acquired its rights, will not again lose them."

On quitting the Champ-de-Mars, the people thronged round the Tuileries,
the Assembly, and the Palais Royal. Of their own accord they shut up the
theatres, and proclaimed the suspension of all public entertainments,
until justice should be done to them. That evening 4000 persons went to
the Jacobins, as though to identify in the agitators who met there the
real assembly of the people. The chiefs in whom they reposed confidence
were there: the tribune was occupied by a member who was denouncing to
the meeting a citizen for having made a remark injurious to Robespierre;
the accused was justifying himself, and they drove him tumultuously from
the chamber. At this moment Robespierre appeared, and begged them to
pardon the citizen who had insulted him. His generous intercession was
hailed with applause, and enthusiasm for Robespierre was at its height.
"Sacred vaults of the Jacobins," were the words of an address from the
departments; "you guarantee to us Robespierre and Danton, these two
oracles of patriotism." Laclos proposed a petition to be sent into the
departments, and covered with ten millions of signatures. A member
opposes this proposition, from love of order and peace. Danton
rises,--"And I, too, love peace, but not the peace of slavery. If we
have energy, let us show it. Let those who do not feel courage to rise
and beard tyranny refrain from signing our petition: we want no better
proof by which to understand each other. Here it is to our hand."

Robespierre next spoke, and demonstrated to the people that Barnave and
the Lameths were playing the same game as Mirabeau. "They concert with
our enemies, and then they call us factious!" More timid than Laclos and
Danton, he did not give any opinion as to the petition. A man of
calculation rather than of passion, he foresaw that the disorderly
movement would split against the organised resistance of the
_bourgeoisie_. He reserved to himself the power of falling back upon the
legality of the question, and kept on terms with the Assembly. Laclos
pressed his motion, and the people carried it. At midnight they
separated, after having agreed to meet the next day in the
Champ-de-Mars, there to sign the petition.

The day following was lost to sedition, by disputes between the clubs as
to the terms of the petition. The Republicans negotiated with La
Fayette, to whom they offered the pre