History of the Girondists, Volume I: Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French RevolutionLamartine, Alphonse de
History
History of the Girondists, Volume I: Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French Revolution
Lamartine, Alphonse de
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799; Girondists
rendered to the public cause by their example and their sacrifices! Have
they not themselves abjured all their titles for one only--that of
citizen? and yet you propose to despoil them of it! When you suppressed
the title of prince, what happened? The fugitive princes formed a league
against the country; the others ranged themselves with you. If to-day
the title of prince is re-established, we concede to the enemies of our
country all they covet; we deprive the patriotic relatives of the king
of all they esteem! I see the triumph and the recompence on the side of
the conspiring princes; I see the punishment of all sacrifices on the
side of the popular princes. It is said to be dangerous to admit the
members of the royal family into the legislative body. This hypothesis
would then be established, that every individual of the royal family
must be for the future a corrupt courtier or factious partisan! However,
is it not possible to suppose that there are patriots amongst them? Is
it those you would thus brand? You condemn the relatives of a king to
hate the constitution and conspire against a form of government which
does not leave them the choice between the character of courtiers or
that of conspirators. See, on the other hand, what may accrue if the
love of country inspire them! Cast your eyes on one of the branches of
that race, whom it is proposed to you to exile. Scarcely out of his
childhood, he had the happiness of saving the life of three citizens, at
the peril of his own. The city of Vendome decreed to him a civic crown.
Unhappy child! is that indeed the last which thy race shall obtain?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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