The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
the dispositions of the King, he went about eleven o'clock, accompanied
only by his brothers, to the Assembly, and there read to them a
speech, in which he asked their interposition to re-establish order.
Although couched in terms of some caution, yet the manner in which
it was delivered, made it evident that it was meant as a surrender
at discretion. He returned to the Chateau a foot, accompanied by the
Assembly. They sent off a deputation to quiet Paris, at the head of
which was the Marquis de La Fayette, who had, the same morning, been
named Commandant en chef of the Milice Bourgeoise; and Monsieur Bailly,
former President of the States General, was called for as Prevôt des
Marchands. The demolition of the Bastile was now ordered and begun. A
body of the Swiss guards, of the regiment of Ventimille, and the city
horse guards joined the people. The alarm at Versailles increased. The
foreign troops were ordered off instantly. Every Minister resigned.
The King confirmed Bailly as Prevôt des Marchands, wrote to M. Necker,
to recall him, sent his letter open to the Assembly, to be forwarded
by them, and invited them to go with him to Paris the next day, to
satisfy the city of his dispositions; and that night, and the next
morning, the Count d'Artois, and M. de Montesson, a deputy connected
with him, Madame de Polignac, Madame de Guiche, and the Count de
Vaudreuil, favorites of the Queen, the Abbe de Vermont her confessor,
the Prince of Conde, and Duke of Bourbon fled. The King came to Paris,
leaving the Queen in consternation for his return. Omitting the less
important figures of the procession, the King's carriage was in the
centre; on each side of it, the Assembly, in two ranks a foot; at their
head the Marquis de La Fayette, as Commander-in-chief, on horseback,
and Bourgeois guards before and behind. About sixty thousand citizens,
of all forms and conditions, armed with the conquests of the Bastile
and Invalids, as far as they would go, the rest with pistols, swords,
pikes, pruning-hooks, scythes, &c., lined all the streets through which
the procession passed, and with the crowds of people in the streets,
doors, and windows, saluted them everywhere with the cries of "vive
la nation," but not a single "vive le Roi" was heard. The King stopped
at the Hotel de Ville. There M. Bailly presented and put into his hat,
the popular cockade, and addressed him. The King being unprepared, and
unable to answer, Bailly went to him, gathered from him some scraps of
sentences, and made out an answer, which he delivered to the audience,
as from the King. On their return, the popular cries were "vive le Roi
et la nation." He was conducted by a garde Bourgeoise to his palace at
Versailles, and thus concluded an "amende honorable," as no sovereign
ever made, and no people ever received.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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