Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence, Vol. 1Kite, Elizabeth Sarah
History
Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence, Vol. 1
Kite, Elizabeth Sarah
Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de, 1732-1799; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Participation, French
A few days later he wrote to Morande, “Restored to my family and friends,
my affairs are quite as little advanced as before my voyage to England,
through the unexpected death of the King. I seize the first instant of
repose to write to you and to compliment you, Monsieur, very sincerely
upon your actual condition. Each one of us has done his best; I to tear
you from the certain misfortune which menaced you and your friends, and
you to prove a return with good faith to the sentiments and conduct of a
true Frenchman.... There only remains to me for total recompense the
satisfaction of having fulfilled my duty as an honest man and a good
citizen.... What consoles me is that the time of intrigue and cabal is
over. Restored to my legal defense the new King will not impose silence on
my legitimate reclamations; I shall obtain, _by force of right_, and _by
title of justice_ that which the late King was only willing to accord me
as a favor.” (Quoted from Lintilhac, _Beaumarchais et ses oeuvres_, p.
62.)
Here as elsewhere, true to the instincts of his nature, he accepted the
inevitable, while looking about him to see what remained to be done.
Realizing that the service accomplished for Louis XV could have small
interest for the virtuous young monarch just ascending the throne, he had
no thought for the moment of pressing for his rehabilitation, but
preferred to wait until some opportunity offered for making himself
useful, and if possible necessary, to the young King.
In November of the same year, he had the satisfaction of seeing the
parliament abolished which had degraded him. More than this, his opinion
was sought as to the best means to be employed in the re-establishment of
the ancient magistracy. Gudin, in his life of Beaumarchais says, “The
ministers were divided in opinion as to the best means to employ in
recalling the parliaments; they consulted Beaumarchais, and demanded of
him a short, elementary memoir, where his principles should be exposed in
a way proper to instruct every clear mind.... He obeyed and gave them
under the title of--_Idées élementaires sur le rappel du parlement_--a
memoir, which contains the most just ideas, the purest principles upon
the establishment of that body, and the limitations of its powers....” The
Ministers, however, did not dare to follow the simplicity of the
principles he laid down. After much discussion the parliaments were
recalled, and though the liberties of the people received but slight
attention, “Everyone was too flattered by the return of the ancient
magistracy, to think of the future.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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