of wine as a sign of fraternization.
Finally Vergniaud and Petion succeeded in having the palace evacuated;
and the assassination of Louis, which many had feared and a few hoped,
had been averted.

[1] There is no opportunity here for discussing adequately the clause
in the declaration to the effect that every citizen is entitled to
concur in making laws. That clause apparently conflicts with what I
have said above. My explanation of the discrepancy is based on this:
that the declaration is a much tinkered, composite document, made up
over a period of many months, and not logical at every point. The
clause here mentioned I explain as a direct echo of the elections to
the States-General; it was one of the first drafted; its precise
significance was soon lost sight of and its inconsistency remained
unnoticed.

{139}

CHAPTER X

THE MASSACRES

The event of the 20th of June was like lightning flashing in darkness.
Instantly people saw where they were. Moderate, loyal, reasonable men,
startled at the danger of the King, smarting at the indignity he had
suffered, fearful of mob rule and mob violence, rallied to the throne,
signed petitions protesting against the event. Louis himself, realizing
that his life was in jeopardy, made appeals both to the assembly and to
his people.

The first reply to the King's appeal, unsolicited and unappreciated, came
from La Fayette. On receiving news of the event of the 20th he left his
headquarters and reached Paris on the 28th. He appealed to the assembly
and rallied the centre, still responsive if a leader could be found. He
then began to concert measures for getting control of the city by means
of the national guards. At this point, however, his scheme failed. The
Court {140} would not support him, the King too prudent, the Queen too
impolitic. Marie Antoinette herself, it is said, in her rancorous
dislike of La Fayette, gave Petion the secret as to his contemplated use
of the national guards; and this proved fatal. Checked by the action of
the mayor and the Jacobins, unsupported by the Tuileries, La Fayette had
to abandon his efforts.

Another attempt followed. The Department of the Seine, presided by La
Rochefoucauld, tried to assert its constitutional authority over the
great city situated within its limits. It voted the suspension of
Petion, mayor of Paris, and of Manuel, his procureur, for dereliction of
duty in failing to maintain order on the 20th