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  withdrawn　from　the　King　and　assigned　to　the　people。　　　Again；　after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　intellects；
  Protestants；　Jansenists；　economists；　philosophers；　men　who；　like
  Fréteau；　Rabout…Saint…Etienne；　Volney；　Sieyès；　are　hatching　out　a
  long　arrears　of　resentments　or　hopes；　and　who　only　await　the
  opportunity　to　impose　their　system　with　all　the　intolerance　of
  dogmatism　and　of　faith。　　　To　minds　of　this　stamp　the　past　is　a　dead
  letter；　example　is　no　authority；　realities　are　of　no　account；　they
  live　in　their　own　Utopia。　　　Sieyès；　the　most　important　of　them　all；
  judges　that　〃the　whole　English　constitution　is　charlatanism；
  designed　for　imposing　on　the　people；〃＇32＇　he　regards　the　English　〃as
  children　in　the　matter　of　a　constitution；〃　and　thinks　that　he　is
  capable　of　giving　France　a　much　better　one。　　　Dumont；　who　sees　the
  first　committees　at　the　houses　of　Brissot　and　Clavières；　goes　away
  with　as　much　anxiety　as　〃disgust。〃
  〃It　is　impossible；〃　he　says；　〃to　depict　the　confusion　of　ideas；
  the　license　of　the　imagination；　the　burlesque　of　popular　notions。
  One　would　think　that　they　saw　before　them　the　world　on　the　day　after
  the　Creation。〃
  They　seem　to　think；　indeed；　that　human　society　does　not　exist；　and
  that　they　are　appointed　to　create　it。　　　Just　as　well　might
  ambassadors　〃of　hostile　tribes；　and　of　diverse　interests；　set
  themselves　to　arrange　their　common　lot　as　if　nothing　had　previously
  existed。〃　There　is　no　hesitation。　　　They　are　satisfied　that　the
  thing　can　be　easily　done；　and　that；　with　two　or　three　axioms　of
  political　philosophy；　the　first　man　that　comes　may　make　himself
  master　of　it。　　　Immoderate　conceit　of　this　kind　among　men　of
  experience　would　seem　ridiculous；　in　this　assembly　of　novices　it　is
  a　strength。　　　A　flock　which　has　lost　its　way　follows　those　who
  appears　to　forge　ahead；　they　are　the　most　irrational　but　they　are
  the　most　confident；　and　in　the　Chamber　as　in　the　nation　it　is　the
  daredevils　who　become　leaders。
  III。　　THE　POWER　OF　SIMPLE；　GENERAL　IDEAS。
  Ascendancy　of　the　revolutionary　party　…　Theory　in　its　favor　…　The
  constraint　thus　imposed　on　men's　minds　…　Appeal　to　the　passions　…
  Brute　force　on　the　side　of　the　party　…　It　profits　by　this　…
  Oppression　of　the　minority。
  Two　advantages　give　this　party　the　ascendancy；　and　these　advantages
  are　of　such　importance　that　henceforth　whoever　possesses　them　is
  sure　of　being　master。　…　In　the　first　place　the　prevailing　theory　is
  on　the　side　of　the　revolutionaries；　and　they　alone　are；　in　the
  second　place；　determined　thoroughly　to　apply　it。　　　This　party；
  therefore；　is　the　only　one　which　is　consistent　and　popular　in　the
  face　of　adversaries　who　are　unpopular　and　inconsequent。　　　Nearly　all
  of　the　latter；　indeed；　defenders　of　the　ancient　régime；　or　partisans
  of　a　limited　monarchy；　are　likewise　imbued　with　abstract　principles
  and　philosophical　speculation。　　　The　most　refractory　nobles　have
  advocated　the　rights　of　man　in　their　memorials。　　　Mounier；　the
  principal　opponent　of　the　demagogues；　was　the　leader　of　the　commons
  when　they　proclaimed　themselves　to　be　the　National　…Assembly。＇33＇
  This　is　enough：　they　have　entered　the　narrow　defile　which　leads　to
  the　abyss。　　　They　had　no　idea　of　it　at　the　first　start；　but　one　step
  leads　to　another；　and；　willing　or　unwilling；　they　march　on；　or　are
  pushed　on。　　　When　the　abyss　comes　in　sight　it　is　too　late；　they　have
  been　driven　there　by　the　logical　results　of　their　own　concessions；
  they　can　do　nothing　but　wax　eloquent　and　indignant；　having　abandoned
  their　vantage　ground；　they　find　no　halting…place　remaining。　…　　There
  is　an　enormous　power　in　general　ideas；　especially　if　they　are
  simple；　and　appeal　to　the　passions。　　　None　are　simpler　than　these；
  since　they　are　reducible　to　the　axiom　which　assumes　the　rights　of
  man；　and　subordinate　to　them　every　institution；　old　or　new。　　　None
  are　better　calculated　to　inflame　the　sentiments；　since　the　doctrine
  enlists　human　arrogance　and　pride　in　its　service；　and；　in　the　name
  of　justice；　consecrates　all　the　demands　of　independence　and
  domination。　　　Consider　three…fourths　of　the　deputies；　immature　and
  prejudiced；　possessing　no　information　but　a　few　formulas　of　the
  current　philosophy；　with　no　thread　to　guide　them　but　pure　logic；
  abandoned　to　the　declamation　of　lawyers；　to　the　wild　utterances　of
  the　newspapers；　to　the　promptings　of　self…esteem；　to　the　hundred
  thousand　tongues　which；　on　all　sides；　at　the　bar　of　the　Assembly；　at
  the　tribune；　in　the　clubs；　in　the　streets；　in　their　own　breasts；
  repeat　unanimously　to　them；　and　every　day；　the　same　flattery：
  〃You　are　sovereign　and　omnipotent。　　　Right　is　vested　in　you　alone。
  The　King　exists　only　to　execute　your　will。　　　Every　order；　every
  corporation；　every　power；　every　civil　or　ecclesiastical　association
  is　illegitimate　and　null　the　moment　you　declare　it　to　be　so。　　　You
  may　even　transform　religion。　　　You　are　the　fathers　of　the　country。
  You　have　saved　France；　you　will　regenerate　humanity。　　　The　whole
  world　looks　on　you　in　admiration；　finish