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jurisdiction or to a routine of scribbling; with no escape but

philosophical excursions in imaginary space under the guidance of

Rousseau and Raynal。   There are three hundred and seventy…three of

this class; to whom may be added thirty…eight farmers and

husbandmen; fifteen physicians; and; among the manufacturers;

merchants; and capitalists; some fifty or sixty who are their equals

in education and in political capacity。   Scarcely one hundred and

fifty proprietors are here from the middle class。'18'  To these four

hundred and fifty deputies; whose condition; education; instruction;

and mental range qualified them for being good clerks; prominent men

in a commune; honorable fathers of a family; or; at best;

provincial academicians; add two hundred and eight curés; their

equals; this makes six hundred and fifty out of eleven hundred and

eighteen deputies; forming a positive majority; which; again; is

augmented by about fifty philosophical nobles; leaving out the weak

who follow the current; and the ambitious who range themselves on

the strong side。  …  We may divine what a chamber thus made up can

do; and those who are familiar with such matters prophesy what it

will do。'19'



〃There are some able men in the National Assembly;〃 writes the

American minister; 〃yet the best heads among them would not be

injured by experience; and; unfortunately; there are great numbers

who; with much imagination; have little knowledge; judgment; or

reflection。〃



It would be just as sensible to select eleven hundred notables from

an inland province and entrust them to the repair of an old frigate。

They would conscientiously break the vessel up; and the frigate they

would construct in its place would founder before it left port。



If they would only consult the pilots and professional shipbuilders!

 There are several of such to be found around them; whom they

cannot suspect; for most of them are foreigners; born in free

countries; impartial; sympathetic; and; what is more; unanimous。

The Minister of the United States writes; two months before the

convocation of the States…General:'20'



〃I; a republican; and just; as it were; emerged from that Assembly

which has formed one of the most republican of republican

constitutions; … I preach incessantly respect for the prince;

attention to the rights of the nobility; and moderation; not only in

the object; but also in the pursuit of it。〃



 Jefferson; a democrat and radical; expresses himself no

differently。   At the time of the oath of the Tennis Court; he

redoubles his efforts to induce Lafayette and other patriots to make

some arrangement with the King to secure freedom of the press;

religious; liberty; trial by jury; the habeas corpus; and a national

legislature; … things which he could certainly be made to adopt; …

and then to retire into private life; and let these institutions act

upon the condition of the people until they had rendered it capable

of further progress; with the assurance that there would be no lack

of opportunity for them to obtain still more。



 〃This was all;〃 he continues; 〃that I thought your countrymen able

to bear soberly and usefully。〃



 Arthur Young; who studies the moral life of France so

conscientiously; and who is so severe in depicting old abuses;

cannot comprehend the conduct of the Commons。



  〃To set aside practice for theory 。 。 。  in establishing the

interests of a great kingdom; in securing freedom to 25;000;000 of

people; seems to me the very acme of imprudence; the very

quintessence of insanity。〃



 Undoubtedly; now that the Assembly is all…powerful; it is to be

hoped that it will be reasonable:



 〃I will not allow myself to believe for a moment that the

representatives of the people can ever so far forget their duty to

the French nation; to humanity; and their own fame; as to suffer any

inordinate and impracticable views … any visionary or theoretic

systems … 。 。 。  to turn aside their exertions from that security

which is in their hands; to place on the chance and hazard of public

commotion and civil war the invaluable blessings which are certainly

in their power。   I will not conceive it possible that men who have

eternal fame within their grasp will place the rich inheritance on

the cast of a die; and; losing the venture; be damned among the

worst and most profligate adventurers that ever disgraced humanity。〃



 As their plan becomes more definite the remonstrances become more

decided; and all the expert judges point out to them the importance

of the wheels which they are willfully breaking。



  〃As they have'21' hitherto felt severely the authority exercised

over them in the name of their princes; every limitation of that

authority seems to them desirable。   Never having felt the evils of

too weak an executive; the disorders to be apprehended from anarchy

make as yet no impression〃  〃They want an American

Constitution;'22' but with a King instead of a President; without

reflecting they have no American citizens to support that

Constitution。 。 。  If they have the good sense to give the nobles;

as nobles; some portion of the national power; this free

constitution will probably last; But otherwise it will degenerate

either into a pure monarchy; or a vast republic; or a democracy。

Will the latter last? I doubt it。   I am sure that it will not;

unless the whole nation is changed。〃



  A little later; when they renounce a parliamentary monarchy to put

in its place 〃a royal democracy;〃 it is at once explained to them

that such an institution applied to France can produce nothing but

anarchy; and finally end in despotism。



  〃Nowhere'23' has liberty proved to be stable without a sacrifice

of its excesses; without some barrier to its own omnipotence。 。 。  。

Under this miserable government 。 。 。  the people; soon weary of

storms; and abandoned without legal protection to their seducers or

to their oppressors; will shatter the helm; or hand it over to some

audacious hand that stands ready to seize it。〃



 Events occur from month to month in fulfillment of these

predictions; and the predictions grow gloomier and more gloomy。   It

is a flock of wild birds:'24'



  〃It is very difficult to guess whereabouts the flock will settle

when it flies so wild。 。 。  。 This unhappy country; bewildered in

the pursuit of metaphysical whims; presents to our moral view a

mighty ruin。   The Assembly; at once master and slave; new in power;

wild in theory; raw in practice; engrossing all functions without

being able to exercise any; has freed that fierce; ferocious people

from every restraint of religion and respect。 。 。  。  Such a state

of things cannot last 。 。 。  The glorious opportunity is lost and

for this time; at least; the Revolution has failed。〃



 We see; from the replies of Washington; that he is of the same

opinion。   On the other side of the Channel; Pitt; the ablest

practician; and Burke; the ablest theorist; of political liberty;

express the same judgment。   Pitt; after 1789; declares that the

French have overleaped freedom。   After 1790; Burke; in a work which

is a prophecy as well as a masterpiece; points to military

dictatorship as the termination of the Revolution; 〃the most

completely arbitrary power that has ever appeared on earth。〃 Nothing

is of any effect。   With the exception of the small powerless group

around Malouet and Mounier; the warnings of Morris; Jefferson;

Romilly; Dumont; Mallet du Pan; Arthur Young; Pitt and Burke; all of

them men who have experience of free institutions; are received with

indifference or repelled with disdain。   Not only are our new

politicians incapable; but they think themselves the contrary; and

their incompetence is aggravated by their infatuation。



  〃I often used to say; 〃writes Dumont;'25' 〃that if a hundred

persons were stopped at haphazard in the streets of London; and a

hundred in the streets of Paris; and a proposal w

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