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

hundred in the streets of Paris; and a proposal were made to them to

take charge of the Government; ninety…nine would accept it in Paris

and ninety…nine would refuse it in London 。 。 。  The Frenchman

thinks that all difficulties can be overcome by a little quickness

of wit。   Mirabeau accepted the post of reporter to the Committee on

Mines without having the slightest tincture of knowledge on the

subject。〃



 In short; most of them enter politics 〃like the gentleman who; on

being asked if he knew how to play on the harpsichord; replied; 'I

cannot tell; I never tried; but I will see。' 〃



  〃The Assembly had so high an opinion of itself; especially the

left side of it; that it would willingly have undertaken the framing

of the Code of Laws for all nations。 。 。  Never has so many men been

seen together; fancying that they were all legislators; and that

they were there to correct all the errors of the past; to remedy all

mistakes of the human mind; and ensure the happiness of all ages to

come。   Doubt had no place in their minds; and infallibility always

presided over their contradictory decrees。〃  



 This is because they have a theory and because; according to their

notion; this theory renders special knowledge unnecessary。   Herein

they are thoroughly sincere; and it is of set purpose that they

reverse all ordinary modes of procedure。   Up to this time a

constitution used to be organized or repaired like a ship。

Experiments were made from time to time; or a model was taken from

vessels in the neighborhood; the first aim was to make the ship

sail; its construction was subordinated to its work; it was

fashioned in this or that way according to the materials on hand; a

beginning was made by examining these materials; and trying to

estimate their rigidity; weight; and strength。  …   All this is

reactionary; the age of Reason has come and the Assembly is too

enlightened to drag on in a rut。   In conformity with the fashion of

the time it works by deduction; after the method of Rousseau;

according to an abstract notion of right; of the State and of the

social compact。'26'  According to this process; by virtue of

political geometry alone; they shall have the perfect vessel and

since it perfect it follows that it will sail; and that much better

than any empirical craft。  …  They legislate according to this

principle; and one may imagine the nature of their discussions。

There are no convincing facts; no pointed arguments; nobody would

ever imagine that the speakers were gathered together to conduct

real business。   Through speech after speech; strings of hollow

abstractions are endlessly renewed as in a meeting of students in

rhetoric for the purpose of practice; or in a society of old

bookworms for their own amusement。   On the question of the veto

〃each orator in turn; armed with his portfolio; reads a dissertation

which has no bearing whatever〃 on the preceding one; which makes a

〃sort of academical session;〃'27' a succession of pamphlets fresh

every morning for several days。   On the question of the Rights of

Man fifty…four speakers are placed on the list。



 〃I remember;〃 says Dumont; 〃that long discussion; which lasted for

weeks; as a period of deadly boredom;  vain disputes over words; a

metaphysical jumble; and most tedious babble; the Assembly was

turned into a Sorbonne lecture…room;〃



 and all this while chateaux were burning; while town…halls were

being sacked; and courts dared no longer hold assize; while the

distribution of wheat was stopped; and while society was in course

of dissolution。   In the same manner the theologians of the Easter

Roman Empire kept up their wrangles about the uncreated light of

Mount Tabor while Mahomet II was battering the walls of

Constantinople with his cannon。  …  Ours; of course; are another

sort of men; juvenile in feeling; sincere; enthusiastic; even

generous; and further; more devoted; laborious; and in some cases

endowed with rare talent。   But neither zeal; nor labor; nor talent

are of any use when not employed in the service of a sound idea; and

if in the service of a false one; the greater they are the more

mischief they do。



 Towards the end of the year 1789; there can be not doubt of this;

and the parties now formed reveal their presumption; improvidence;

incapacity; and obstinacy。   〃This Assembly;〃 writes the American

ambassador;'28' 〃may be divided into three parties; 



 one called the aristocrats; consists of the high clergy; the

parliamentary judges; and such of the nobility as think they ought

to form a separate order。〃 This is the party which offers resistance

to follies and errors; but with follies and errors almost equally

great。   In the beginning 〃the prelates;'29' instead of conciliating

the curés; kept them at a humiliating distance; affecting

distinctions; exacting respect;〃 and; in their own chamber; 〃ranging

themselves apart on separate benches。〃 The nobles; on the other

hand; the more to alienate the commons; began by charging these

with; 〃revolt; treachery; and treason;〃 and by demanding the use of

military force against them。   Now that the victorious Third…Estate

has again overcome them and overwhelms them with numbers; they

become still more maladroit; and conduct the defense much less

efficiently than the attack。   〃In the Assembly;〃 says one of them;

〃they do not listen; but laugh and talk aloud;〃 they take pains to

embitter their adversaries and the galleries by their impertinence。

〃They leave the chamber when the President puts the question and

invite the deputies of their party to follow them; or cry out to

them not to take part in the deliberation : through this desertion;

the clubbists become the majority; and decree whatever they please。〃

It is in this way that the appointment of judges and bishops is

withdrawn from the King and assigned to the people。   Again; after

the return from Varennes; when the Assembly finds out that the

result of its labors is impracticable and wants to make it less

democratic; the whole of the right side refuses to share in the

debates; and; what is worse; votes with the revolutionaries to

exclude the members of the Constituent from the Legislative

Assembly。   Thus; not only does it abandon its own cause; but it

commits self…destruction; and its desertion ends in suicide。   



  A second party remains; 〃the middle party;〃'30' which consists of

well…intentioned people from every class; sincere partisans of a

good government; but; unfortunately; they have acquired their ideas

of government from books; and are admirable on paper。   But as it

happens that the men who live in the world are very different from

imaginary men who dwell in the heads of philosophers; it is not to

be wondered at if the systems taken out of books are fit for nothing

but to be upset by another book。   Intellects of this stamp are the

natural prey of utopians。   Lacking the ballast of experience they

are carried away by pure logic and serve to enlarge the flock of

theorists。  …  The latter form the third party; which is called the

〃enragés (the wild men); and who; at the expiration of six months;

find themselves 〃the most numerous of all。〃



 〃It is composed;〃 says Morris; 〃of that class which in America is

known by the name of pettifogging lawyers; together with a host of

curates and many of those persons who in all revolutions throng to

the standard of change because they are not well。'31'  This last

party is in close alliance with the populace and derives from this

circumstance very great authority。〃



  All powerful passions are on its side; not merely the irritation

of the people tormented by misery and suspicion; not merely the

ambition and self…esteem of the bourgeois; in revolt against the

ancient régime; but also the inveterate bitterness and fixed ideas

of so many suffering minds and so many factious in

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