for　the　violence　which　they　have　to　suffer。＇41＇　In　short　they　are　at
  the　mercy　of　the　mob。　　　The　most　moderate；　the　most　liberal；　and　the
  most　manly　both　in　heart　and　head；　Malouet；　declares　that　〃in　going
  to　the　Assembly　he　rarely　forgot　to　carry　his　pistols　with　him。〃＇42＇
  〃For　two　years；〃　he　says；　〃after　the　King's　flight；　we　never　enjoyed
  one　moment　of　freedom　and　security。〃
  〃　On　going　into　a　slaughter…house；〃　writes　another　deputy；　〃you　see
  some　animals　at　the　entrance　which　still　have　a　short　time　to　live；
  until　the　hour　comes　to　dispatch　them。　　　Such　was　the　impression
  which　the　assemblage　of　nobles；　bishops；　and　parliamentarians＇43＇　on
  the　right　side　made　on　my　mind　every　time　I　entered　the　Assembly；
  the　executioners　of　the　left　side　permitting　them　to　breathe　a
  little　longer。〃
  They　are　insulted　and　outraged　even　upon　their　benches；　〃placed
  between　peril　within　and　peril　without；　between　the　hostility　of　the
  galleries；〃＇44＇　and　that　of　the　howlers　at　the　entrance；　〃　between
  personal　insults　and　the　abbey　of　Saint…Germain；　between　shouts　of
  laughter　celebrating　the　burning　of　their　chateaux　and　the　clamors
  which；　thirty　times　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　cry　down　their
  opinions；〃　they　are　given　over　and　denounced　〃to　the　ten　thousand
  Cerberuses　〃　of　the　journals　and　of　the　streets；　who　pursue　them
  with　their　yells　and　〃cover　them　with　their　slaver。〃　Any　expedient
  is　good　enough　for　putting　down　their　opposition；　and；　at　the　end　of
  the　session；　in　full　Assembly；　they　are　threatened　with　〃a
  recommendation　to　the　departments；〃　which　means　the　excitement　of
  riots　and　of　the　permanent　jacquerie　of　the　provinces　against　them
  in　their　own　houses。　　…　　Parliamentary　strategy　of　this　sort；
  employed　uninterruptedly　for　twenty…nine　months；　finally　produces
  its　effect。　　　Many　of　the　weak　are　gained　over；＇45＇　even　on
  characters　of　firm　temper　fear　has　a　hold；　he　who　would　march　under
  fire　with　head　erect　shuddered　at　the　idea　of　being　dragged　in　the
  gutter　by　the　rabble　；　the　brutality　of　the　populace　always
  exercises　a　material　ascendancy　over　finely　strung　nerves。　　　On　the
  12th　of　July；　1791；＇46＇　the　call　of　the　house　decreed　against　the
  absentees　proves　that　one　hundred　and　thirty…two　deputies　no　longer
  appear　in　their　places。　　　Eleven　days　before；　among　those　who　take
  no　further　part　in　the　proceedings。　　　Thus；　before　the　completion　of
  the　Constitution；　the　whole　of　the　opposition；　more　than　four
  hundred　members；　over　one…third　of　the　Assembly；　is　reduced　to
  flight　or　to　silence。　　　By　dint　of　oppression；　the　revolutionary
  party　has　got　rid　of　all　resistance；　while　the　violence　which　gave
  to　it　ascendancy　in　the　streets；　now　gives　to　it　equal　ascendance
  within　the　walls　of　Parliament。
  IV。
  Refusal　to　supply　the　ministry　…　Effects　of　this　mistake　…
  Misconception　of　the　situation　…　The　committee　of　investigation　…
  Constant　alarms　…　Effects　of　ignorance　and　fear　on　the　work　of　the
  Constituent　Assembly。
  Generally　in　an　omnipotent　assembly；　when　a　party　takes　the　lead
  and　forms　a　majority；　it　furnishes　the　Ministry；　and　this　fact
  suffices　to　give；　or　to　bring　back　to　it；　some　glimpse　of　common
  sense。　　　For　its　leaders；　with　the　Government　in　their　own　hands；
  become　responsible　for　it；　and　when　they　propose　or　pass　a　law；　they
  are　obliged　to　anticipate　its　effect。　　　Rarely　will　a　Secretary　of
  War　or　of　the　Navy　adopt　a　military　code　which　goes　to　establish
  permanent　disobedience　in　the　army　or　in　the　navy。　　　Rarely　will　a
  Secretary　of　the　Treasury　propose　an　expenditure　for　which　there　is
  not　a　sufficient　revenue；　or　a　system　of　taxation　that　provides　no
  returns。　　　Placed　where　full　information　can　be　procured；　daily
  advised　of　every　details；　surrounded　by　skillful　counselors　and
  expert　clerks；　the　chiefs　of　the　majority；　who　thus　become　heads　of
  the　administration；　immediately　drop　theory　for　practice；　and　the
  fumes　of　political　speculation　must　be　pretty　dense　in　their　minds
  if　they　exclude　the　multiplied　rays　of　light　which　experience
  constantly　sheds　upon　them。　　　Let　the　most　stubborn　of　theorists
  take　his　stand　at　the　helm　of　a　ship；　and；　whatever　be　the　obstinacy
  of　his　principles　or　his　prejudices；　he　will　never；　unless　he　is
  blind　or　led　by　the　blind；　persist　in　steering　always　to　the　right
  or　always　to　the　left。　　　Just　so　after　the　flight　to　Varennes；　when
  the　Assembly；　in　full　possession　of　the　executive　power；　directly
  controls　the　Ministry；　it　comes　to　recognize　for　itself　that　its
  constitutional　machine　will　not　work；　except　in　the　way　of
  destruction；　and　it　is　the　principal　revolutionaries；　Barnave；
  Duport；　the　Lameths；　Chapelier；　and　Thouret；＇47＇　who　undertake　to
  make　alterations　in　the　mechanisms　so　as　to　lessen　its　friction。
  But　this　source　of　knowledge　and　reason；　however；　to　which　they　are
  momentarily　induced　to　draw；　in　spite　of　themselves　and　too　late；
  has　been　turned　off　by　themselves　from　the　very　beginning。　　　On　the
  6th　of　November；　1789；　in　deference　to　principle　and　in　dread　of
  corruption；　the　Assembly　had　declared　that　none　of　its　members
  should　hold　ministerial　office。　　　We　see　it　in　consequence　deprived
  of　all　the　instruction　which　comes　from　direct　contact　with　affairs；
  surrendered　without　any　counterpoise　to　the　seductions　of　theory；
  reduced　by　its　own　decision　to　become　a　mere　academy　of　legislation
  only。
  Nay；　still　worse；　through　another　effect　of　the　same　error；　it
  condemns　itself　by　its　own　act　to　constant　fits　of　panic。　　　For；
  having　allowed　the　power　which　it　was　not　willing　to　assume　to　slip
  into　indifferent　or　suspect　hands；　it　is　always　uneasy；　and　all　its
  decrees　bear　an　uniform　stamp；　not　only　of　the　willful　ignorance
  within　which　it　confines　itself；　but　also　of　the　exaggerated　or
  chimerical　fears　in　which　its　life　is　passed。　　…　　　Imagine　a　ship
  conveying　a　company　of　lawyers；　literary　men；　and　other　passengers；
  who；　supported　by　a　mutinous　and　poorly　fed　crew；　take　full　command；
  but　refuse　to　select　one　of　their　own　number　for　a　pilot　or　for　the
  officer　of　the　watch。　　　The　former　captain　continues　to　nominate
  them；　through　very　shame；　and　because　he　is　a　good　sort　of　man；　his
  title　is　left　to　him；　and　he　is　retained　for　the　transmission　of
  orders。　　　If　these　orders　are　absurd；　so　much　the　worse　for　him；　if
  he　resists　them；　a　fresh　mutiny　forces　him　to　yield；　and　even　when
  they　cannot　be　executed；　he　has　to　answer　for　their　being　carried
  out。　　　In　the　meantime；　in　a　room　between　decks；　far　away　from　the
  helm　and　the　compass；　our　club　of　amateurs　discuss　the　equilibrium
  of　floating　bodies；　decree　a　new　system　of　navigation；　have　the
  ballast　thrown　overboard；　crowd　on　all　sail；　and　are　astonished　to
  find　that　the　ship　heels　over　on　its　side。　　　The　officer　of　the
  watch　and　the　pilot　must；　evidently；　have　managed　the　maneuver
  badly。　　　They　are　accordingly　dismissed　and　others　put　in　their
  place；　while　the　ship　heels　over　farther　yet　and　begins　to　leak　in
  every　joint。　　　Enough：　it　is　the　fault　of　the　captain　and　the　old
  staff　of　officers；　They　are　not　well…disposed；　for　a　beautiful
  system　of　navigation　like　this　ought　to　work　well；　and　if　it　fails
  to　do　so；　it　is　because　some　one　interferes　with　it。　　　It　is
  positively　certain　that　some　of　those　people　belonging　to　the　former
  régime　must　be　traitors；　who　would　rather　have　the　ship　go　down　than
  submit；　they　are　public　enemies　and　monsters。　　　They　must　be　seized；
  disarmed；　put　under　surveillance；　and　punished。　　…　　　Such　is　the
  reasoning　of　the　Assembly。　　　Evidently；　to　reassure　it；　a　message
  from　the　Minister　of　the　Interior　chosen　by　the　Assembly；　to　the
  lieutenant　of　police　whom　he　had　appointed；　to　come　to　his　office
  every　morning；　would　be　all　that　was　necessary。　　　But　it　is　deprived
  of　this　simple　resource　by　its　own　act；　and　has　no　other　expedient
  than　to　appoint　a　committee　of　investigation　to　discover　crimes　of
  〃treason　against　the　nation。〃＇48＇　　What　could　be　more　vague　than
  such　a　term？　What　could　be　more　mischievous　than　such　an
  institution？　　　Renewed　every　month；　deprived　of　special　agents；
  composed　of　credulous　and　inexperienced　deputies；　this　committee；
  set　to　perform　the　work　of　a　Lenoir　or　a　Fouché；　makes　up　for　its
  incapacity　by　violence；　and　its　proceedings　anticipate　those　of　the
  Jacobine　inquisition。＇49＇　　Alarmist　and　suspicious；　it　encourages
  accusations；　and；　for　lack　of　plots　to　discover；　it　invents　them。
  Inclinations；　in　its　eyes；　stand　for　actions；　and　floating　projects
  become　accomplished　outrages。　　　On　the　denunciation　of　a　domestic
  who　has　listened　at　a　door；　on　the　gossip　of　a　washerwoman　who　has
  found　a　scrap　of　paper　in　a　dressing…gown；　on　the　false
  interpretation　of　a　letter；　on　vague　indications　which　it　completes
  and　patches　together　by　the　strength　of　its　imagination；　it　forges　a
  coup　d'état；　makes　examinations；　domiciliary　visits；　nocturnal
  surprises　and　arrests；＇50＇　it　exaggerates；　black