The Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson
By Subject
FRANCE / REVOLUTION
My letter of the 25th gave you the transactions of the States General
to the afternoon of that day. On the next, the Archbishop of Paris
joined the Tiers, as did some others of the Clergy and Noblesse. On
the 27th, the question of the St. Domingo deputation came on, and it
was decided that it should be received. I have before mentioned to you
the ferment into which the proceedings at the
seance royale of the 23d, had thrown the people. The soldiery
also were affected by it. It began in the French guards, extended to
those of every other denomination, (except the Swiss) and even to the
body guards of the King. They began to quit their barracks, to
assemble in squads, to declare they would defend the life of the King,
but would not cut the throats of their fellow-citizens. They were
treated and caressed by the people, carried in triumph through the
streets, called themselves the soldiers of the nation, and left no
doubt on which side they would be, in case of a rupture. Similar
accounts came. in from the troops in other parts of the kingdom, as
well those which had not heard of the seance royale, as those
which had, and gave good reason to apprehend that the soldiery, in
general, would side with their fathers and brothers, rather than with
their officers. The operation of this medicine, at Versailles, was as
sudden as it was powerful. The alarm there was so complete, that in
the afternoon of the 27th, the King wrote . . . to the President of
the Clergy, the Cardinal de La Rochefoucault, in these words:
"I pass my word that my faithful Clergy will, without delay,
unite themselves with the other two orders, to hasten the
accomplishment of my paternal views."
A like letter was written to the Duke de Luxemburgh, President of the
Noblesse. The two chambers entered into debate on the question,
whether they should obey the letter of the King. There was a
considerable opposition; when notes written by the Count d'Artois to
sundry members, and handed about among the rest, decided the matter,
and they went in a body and took their seats with the Tiers, and thus
rendered the union of the orders in one chamber complete. As soon as
this was known to the people of Versailles, they assembled about the
palace, demanded the King and Queen, who came and showed themselves in
a balcony. They rent the skies with cries of "vive le roy,"
"vive la reine." They called for the Dauphin, who
was also produced, and was the subject of new acclamations. After
feasting themselves and the royal family with this tumultuary
reconciliation, they went to the house of Mr. Neckar and M. de
Montmorin, with shouts of thankfulness and affection. Similar emotions
of joy took place in Paris, and at this moment, the triumph of the
Tiers is considered as complete. Tomorrow they will recommence
business, voting by persons on all questions; and whatever
difficulties may be opposed in debate by the malcontents of the Clergy
and Nobility, everything must be finally settled at the will of the
Tiers. It remains to see whether they will leave to the Nobility
anything but their titulary appellations.
to John Jay, 29 June 1789
|