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[No. 54, of Vol. lII.]
ANSWER of M. SYEYES,
To Dh. Paine s Letter 9 and to several other publi
cations of a fitnilar nature.
IT appears that the question depends entirely upon the manner
of crownmg the government. What the monarches would do
by individual umtv, the lepublicans would do by a colleflivt
body. Ido not accuse the lad of failing to perceive ihc neref.
fity of unity in aftiou, and I do not deny that it may be possible
to e(hbli!h this unity in a senate or superior council ot execution.
But I believe, that it would be ill-constituted under a multitude
el repoits of committees; and that, in order to prefervi all the
advantages of which the unity of adion is capable, it fnould not
be leparated from ir.dividnal unity.
Thus, i.i our tyftrro, the government is composed of a fit ft mo
narch, the elefierand irresponsible, in whose name aa fix mo
narch!, named by him and rcfponfible. After thel'e are the di
iettories of the departments.
In the other, a senate or council, named by the departments,
or by the legifl.Uive assembly, would be in the fiift degree of ex
ecution ; then the administration of the departments.
Those who aim at iriveftigating an image with abft'raft notions,
may figure a monarchical government as ending in a point, and
a republican government in a platform ; but tile advantages which
we attribute to one form rather than the other, are so important,
that they cannot be conveyed by a simple image. I do not give
the cxpofition of them ; this is not the place ; but I am not un
willing to repeat, that in the two points here mentioned, consist
the aiftmftive charaQers of the two fyltcms ; that is to fay, the
difference which there is between an individual responsible de
cifton, withheld by an irresponsible eleding will, and a decision
bya majority discharged of all legal responsibility. The confe
rences will be deduced elfewheie * j
The republicans and we, may, moreover, differ upon many
great queltions, referring to social regulation, though there mat be
no reatoii to acknowledge any difference between republicani fn.
and monarchifm. For example, several combinations .niy be
"nagined in the election of the council or senate of execution,
with the delign of extending them more or less to the deliberating
admimftrative bodies. So may we alfoada.it, that there may be
more than one method proper to regulate what is called the fu<-
eeliion to the throne : for there is a latitude of opinion .o be ei
er ' re P u blican or a monavcliift, according to several varieties.
J" 13 fnc s u ' re£ '' and * h av e no doubt that the enquiry will be
made, what is my opinion with refpeft to the hereditary right of
the monarch elcfior—l answer without hesitation, that, in good
theory, a hereditary tranfmiflion of an office, whatever it is, can
never accord with the laws of a true representation. Hercditary
• up, in i his KTife, is as inueh an attaint upon principle, as an out
rage iion iocicty. But let us refer to the history of all elective
monarchies or principalities. Is there one in which the elcttive
m »;k S ° 0t wor s e ■han the hereditary fucceffson ?
What more than they have done could have been performed in
the two years palt by men, at bottom, like others ; that is to fay,
who can judge only by that whioh they know, and who, for the
molt part, know that only to be possible which has been already
cone . And if they had thought themselves able to enter into the
examination of this question, wouhi it have been for them to ba
lance against an absurd, but peaceable hereditary (hip, the equally
a. ur cultom of ekflion, which is alio oftentimes accompanied
wit a civil war p At present, indeed, we are habituated to an
elective mode, and have fufficiently refl fled to believe, that there
ni ~, tx a S rcat variety of combinations in that refpeft.
Incte is certainly one very applicable to the firtt public fnnc
lion. It appears to mc to unite all the advantages attributed to
Hereditary without any of its inconveuiences ; and the advanta-
T t ek^' on >. wiltlout '«» dangeis. Nevertheless, lam far from
thinking that cirtumftjnc.es are favorable for producing a change
in 111s refpetl of the decreed Constitution, and lam very glad to
deliver my opinion strongly upon this fubjeft. The obilacks, I
admit, are no longer the fame ; but have they therefore all dis
appeared and have not foinenew ones arisen ? Would an interior
aivihon bean indifferent tranfaftion, at the yra in which we are
P acc . 1 lie National Assembly is f( cure of the union of all parts
0 prance for the Constitution, as already known.
n universal wilh appears for the completion and the confirm
ation of it throughout with uniformity, and with a force capable
° g ,v,n g empire to the law. Would it bereafonable to take this
roomeni tor throwing an apple of discord in the midst of the de
partments, and hazarding incongruities in the decrees, to which
"might be hereafter so difficult to place limits? If the nation will
ex P^ a ' n "frlf by a Constituent Aflembly as to the place of
e t onarch, whether it (hall become elective, or remain here
"ai y» may not, on that account, lose monarchy, since there
xl' i) 3 wa ) s rcma ' n what is its eflcnce, an individual decision, as
1 C f^° n r t 3rt a^'n g Monarchs, as the Monarch elector.
n ort, I hope, that as the public opinion is fimplifyjng more
n more in political matters, the triangle monarchy will be ge
era y perceived to be more suitable than the republicanism plat
°7" l ° that division of powers which is the Hue bulwark ot
P u ic iberty. [To 6e concluded in our next.]
EXTRACT of an ADDRESS to farmers.
[From the All/any Gazette.
y"OU wil] probably arrive at the dignity of re
prefentative —this is your field of battle,
eath or glory here await you—money mult not
now be f 0 much your objedt, or at least it must
"or appear to be, as fame—though there are
roes frequently to be made worth hazarding a
ittle character for—let the rights of the people
ant of vour constituents in particular be continu
a In y° u r mouth—no matter what the fubjec r t
o i e is, never consider it worth a moment's
lought, speak to it or from it with earnestness
and volubility ; dafli, like Wilkin lon, through
1 J' ou have attained your great
Hp f i ° which will be either to be confi
fli Pe d R oVer "J"ent as a troublesome man, and
. (" c s' *' th an office, in which you may fit down
yOl life—or be placed in the chair of state,
(CONTI NUED.)
t..y>
Wednesday, November 3, 1791.
by those whose right:-, and liberties you have so
nobly contended for. Should the latter ofthefe
events take place, and I lee nothing to hinder
you will have arrived to the zenith—and your
only care now ought t > be to preserve yourfelf
there-fill the country with judges, justices and
officers of every delcri; : ion—no matter for cha
racter or abilities, it ;< their votes and interest
only which yon are to look to—but it is needless
to give you further ad-ice—when you are once
in the chair, if you have a little sense and a great
rteal of cunning, it wiil be impoflible to get you
out - TIMON.
t'K.-JNCE.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, AUGUST 29.
Monday evening an extraordinary fitting
Vv was held on the intsreftinglituation ofthe M
and of St. Domingo, which lalted to the unusual
hour of n, and in which some warm personalties
were employed, that vill probably have fatal
consequences. A coalition seems to be formed
in the Colonial Committee, at the head of which
is M. Barnave, who iii.YTts upon the revocation of
the decree of the ijth of May.
M. De Tracy, Broftaret, Perifle da Luc, and
Rochefoucault, gave notice, that they should re
sign their places in the committee ; and in align
ing theirreafons for their resignation, these gen
tlemen successively displayed such a fceue of des
potism exercised in the committee, as to render
it impossible for any members ou: of the party
to be heard.'
August jr.
The order of the day was, the further consi
deration of the belt mode of fixing a national
convention for altering any part of" the present
conllitution.
The principal speech on this occasion, and up
on which the principalipart of the ensuing decree
was founded, was matfe by M. Frocheau, the
friend of the celebrate,4 Mirabeau.
After having demonttrated the principles of
the national sovereignty and the neceflity of not
departing from those on which representative go
vernments are founded ; he concluded, with pro
posing, that two forts of aflemblies lhould be ap
pointed, one of which, under the title of a na
tional convention, ftiouldjbe authorised to revise
retouch, and modify any parts of the conflitu
tion ; and the other, under the denomination of
the condiment aflembly, should be charged with
the funtftion of new modelling the conditution
entirely, if neceflary. The legislative body
should have the sole right of convoking one or
other of these aflemblies ; to have an authorita
tive efFe<ft ; three successive legislatures mud ex
press their desire with regard to the calling of
these aflemblies ; and in order to prevent cabal,
the fame members nuid not be eligible to the le
gislatures succeeding that which has began to
express its desire foi this change.
Many fpokeon this intereding fubjecft, among
the mod didinguifhed of whom was M. Barnave,
who with his usual precision, observed, that the
end of all government, is tranquility and liberty
conjoined ; but these two great advantages the
people themselves are modliableto destroy with
their own hands, from being led to a£l by ge
neral ideas, under the guidance of artful and
eloquent demagogues, who have their own pri
vate views at bottom. The people are no doubt
the only legal sovereign ; when they have ef
tablifhed a representative government, the pub
lie power resides in those representatives ; the
people can only exercise the sovereignty by elec
tions.
The decree with which the debate ended, is
couched in the following terms :
" Whenever three following legislatures fliall
express a uniform wilh to reform a part of the
conflitution, a revision may take place.
" The fourth legislature shall be charged with
examining the articles on which the three pre
cedinglegiflatures fliall have demanded a revision.
" The members of the third legislature cannot
be named to the fourth."
M. de !a Fayette proposed, that the mode
adopted by the American States fliould be adopt
ed, accordinp to which the nominal appeal is re
sorted to in the three legislative aflemblies, and
the names ef those voting fora reform are print
ed. This proposal was referred to the commit
tee of constitution.
After this business was concluded, a numberof
curious and interesting papers were read rela
tive to the Isle of St. Domingo.
s/'l"'
fZ-f X*? -f ■* v f y .
* CO'. A s
213
sip
T PARIS, September s.
£ -P r 1 ncl Con ft' cu tio"al Chart is at length
hmflied.and was on Saturday lall prefenteci to
• , : w ho received it with a countenance
m winch much outward fatisfartioti was depicted
J he members met in the Hall of the Alibmbly
thx o clock in the evening ; but i: was half
e lf every thing was readv.
hJi!" y ern . iei > the Prefitl ent, then intimated,thae
a waited on the King, and announced their
intentions ; and that bis Majesty was ready to
receive them. J
On this the deputation moved on towards the
Palace of the Thuilleries, between a double row
of National Guards, flambeaux preceding, sol-
Jowin| and accompanying them, and martial
procession ° P ' continuin S during the
Having arrived at the Palace, the Deputation
was immediately ufliered into the Grand Council
Chamber, and introduced to the King, who wag
Jeated on a throne, furrouiided by his Ministers,
an »j a^i. eat nun:^er other people of dift indtion.
JM-houret then advanced, and spoke as sol-
i he Representatives of the Nation who pre
ient to your Majelty the Conrtitutional a<ft, which
conlecrates the imprescriptible- Rights of the
trench Nation ; which gives to the throne its
true dignity, and which organizes the Govern
ment of the Empire."
j he King inltantly replied :
" 1 now receive the Conllitution presented to
me by the National Aflembly. I shall inform
them of my resolution, after the shortest possible
delay which the examination of such an important
object demands.
" 1 am resolved to remain in Paris ; I (hall
give the neceflary orders to die Commandant-Ge
neral of the national Parisian troops refpe&ing
my guards." °
Ihe Deputation having received this answer,
and M. Thouret havingalked and obtained a co
py of it m writing, for the fatisfatfion of the Af
lembly, they inftanily returned with the fame
ceremony that they had set our.
Yesterday the Thuilleries were opened, all the
centinels potted to prevent the entrance of stran
gers, being removed.
A prodigious crowd of citizens having gone to
the chapel during the morning service, on the
entrance of the King and Queen to hear Mass, a
number of voices exclaimed, Vive la Nation !
Vive la Conditution !
His Majesty, who was taken unawares, being
unable to hide liis emotion at this circumstance,
burit into tears. On this the audience cried out,
Vive ie Roi ! Vive la Liberte ! One person in
particular pronounced with a loud and didincft
voice, Vive le Premier Roi conflitutioual des
Francois !
VIENNA, August 17.
Accounts are received here, that after the last
rencontre between the van of the Turkilh army
the Ruffians,the Grand Vizier afl'embled all his and
army, the flower of which confided of Bo,oco
men, and the red he divided into two divisions,
consisting of 30,000 men each ; he then aflembled
all his officers, and gave them such orders as he
thought proper, and in a ipeech of great energy
told them, that lie had no doubt of obtaining a
victory over the enemy if they and the men un->
der their command would do theirduty. lmiile
diately after this they attacked the Ruffians, be
tween Galacz and Maczyn, and a bloody contest
ensued, the certain iflue of which is not known ;
some fay the Ruffians had the advantage, whilst
others aflert that the Muscovites were beat and
had 12,000 men killed upon the spot.
LONDON, September 9,
How strangely are the French altered ! It was
lately represented as a degradation in the As
sembly to exclude a member of the Royal Family
from the rights of a citizen. How infinite for
merly was the diftinc r tion between Prince and Ci-
tizen !
The French Elections do not seem to meet with
so many difficulties in general as in Paris At
Chaitres, the Electoral Aflembly chose nine De
puties to the new Legislature in one day.
An authentic lift has been publiflied, contain
ing the names of no less than eighty-nine per.
foiis, proposed as candidates for the officc of Go
vernor to the Dauphin.
fstopo
[Whole No. 363.1