us affairs, and not
only possess the right, but the faculty, of imposing its will on its
mandatories.--All the stronger is the reason for referring to it the
institutions now being prepared for it. Hence the Convention, after the
parade is over, convokes the primary assemblies and submits to them for
ratification the Constitutional bill has been drawn up.

III. Primary Assemblies

Primary Assemblies.--Proportion of Absentees.--Unanimity of
the voters.--Their motives for accepting the Constitution.
--Pressure brought to bear on voters.--Choice of Delegates.

The ratification will, undoubtedly, be approved. Everything has
been combined beforehand to secure it, also to secure it as wanted,
apparently spontaneously, and almost unanimously.--The primary
assemblies, indeed, are by no means fully attended; only one-half, or a
quarter, or a third of the electors in the cities deposit their votes,
while in the rural districts there is only a quarter, and less.[1110]
Repelled by their experience with previous convocations the electors
know too well the nature of these assemblies; how the Jacobin faction
rules them, how it manages the electoral comedy, with what violence
and threats it reduces all dissidents to voting either as figurants or
claqueurs. From four to five million of electors prefer to hold aloof
and stay at home as usual. Nevertheless the organization of most of the
assemblies takes place, amounting to some six or seven thousand. This is
accounted for by the fact that each canton contains its small group
of Jacobins. Next to these come the simple-minded who still believe in
official declarations; in their eyes a constitution which guarantees
private rights and institutes public liberties must be accepted, no
matter what hand may present it to them. And all the more readily
because the usurpers offer to resign; in effect, the Convention has
just solemnly declared that once the Constitution is adopted, the people
shall again be convoked to elect "a new national assembly... a
new representative body invested with a later and more immediate
trust,"[1111] which will allow electors, if they are so disposed, to
return honest deputies and exclude the knaves who now rule. Thereupon
even the insurgent departments, the mass of the Girondins population,
after a good deal of hesitation, resign themselves at last to voting for
it.[1112] This is done at Lyons and in the department of Calvados only
on the 3