"On convient que tout ce que chacun aliene, par le pacte
social, de sa puissance, de ses biens, de sa liberte, c'est seulement la
partie de tout cela dont l'usage importe a la communaute; mais il faut
convenir aussi que le souverain seul est juge de cette importance." II,
4.]

[Footnote 13: "Ainsi, par la nature du pacte, tout acte de souverainete,
c'est-a-dire toute acte authentique de la volonte generale, oblige ou
favorise egalement tous les citoyens." II, 4.]

[Footnote 14: "La puissance souverain n'a nul besoin de garant envers
les sujets." I, 7.]

[Footnote 15: "Il est contre la nature du corps politique que le
souverain s'impose une loi qu'il ne puisse enfreindre ... il n'y a ni ne
peut y avoir nulle espece de loi fundamentale obligatoire pour le corps
du peuple, pas meme le contrat social." I, 7.]

[Footnote 16: Constitution du 3 septembre 1791, titre premier: "Le
pouvoir legislatif ne pourra faire aucune loi qui porte atteinte et
mette obstacle a l'exercise de droits naturels et civils consignes dans
le present titre, et garantis par la constitution."]

[Footnote 17: _Cf._ Taine, _loc. cit._: _L'ancien regime_, pp. 321 _et
seq._]

CHAPTER III.

THE BILLS OF RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL STATES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION
WERE ITS MODELS.

The conception of a declaration of rights had found expression in France
even before the assembling of the States General. It had already
appeared in a number of _cahiers_. The _cahier_ of the _Bailliage_ of
Nemours is well worth noting, as it contained a chapter entitled "On the
Necessity of a Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens",[18]
and sketched a plan of such a declaration with thirty articles. Among
other plans that in the _cahier des tiers etat_ of the city of Paris has
some interest.[19]

In the National Assembly, however, it was Lafayette who on July 11,
1789, made the motion to enact a declaration of rights in connection
with the constitution, and he therewith laid before the assembly a plan
of such a declaration.[20]

It is the prevailing opinion that Lafayette was inspired to make this
motion by the North American Declaration of Independence.[21] And this
instrument is further declared to have been the model that the
Constituent Assembly had in mind in framing its declaration. The sharp,
pointed style and the practical character of the American document are
cited by many as in praiseworthy contrast to the confusing verbosity and
dogmati