ch bore them along.
Events were about to teach them that there is no opposing passions to
which concession has been once made. The strength of a statesman is his
power. One concession, how slight soever, to factions, is an irrevocable
engagement with them: when once we consent to become their instrument,
we may be made their idol and their victim, never their master. Barnave
was doomed to learn this when too late; and the Girondists were to learn
it after him. The plan was thus arranged:--Malouet was to ascend the
tribune, and in a vehement but well-reasoned discourse was to attack all
the errors of the constitution; he was to demonstrate that if these
vices were not amended by the Assembly before the constitution itself
should be presented to the king and the people to swear to, it would be
anarchy registered by an oath. The three hundred members of the _cote
droit_ were to support the charges of their spokesman by vehement
plaudits. Barnave was then to demand a reply, and in a discourse,
apparently much excited, was to have vindicated the constitution from
the invectives of Malouet, at the same time conceding that as this
constitution was suddenly produced by the enthusiastic ardour of the
Revolution, and under the impulse of desperately contending
circumstances, there might be some imperfections in a certain portion of
the construction; that the grave consideration and wisdom of the
Assembly might remedy these errors before it dissolved; and that,
amongst other ameliorations which might be applied to this work, they
might retouch two or three articles in which the power assigned to the
executive authority and the legislative authority had been ill defined,
so as to restore to the executive power the independence and scope
indispensable to their existence. The friends of Barnave, Lameth, and
Duport, as well as all the members of the left, would have clamorously
supported the speaker, except Robespierre, Petion, Buzot, and the
republicans. A commission would have been instantly named for the
special revision of the articles alluded to. This commission would have
made its report before the end of the meeting of the chambers; and the
three hundred votes of Malouet, united to the constitutional votes of
Barnave, would have assured to the monarchical amendments the majority
which was to restore royalty.

XIX.

But the members of the right refused to give their unanimous concurrence
to this plan. "To amend the constitut