the　spot　and　under　the　hands　of　its　subordinates。　　It　loses　its
  prestige　and　independence　when　those　who　create　it　are　precisely
  those　who　have　to　submit　to　it。　　For；　in　submitting　to　it；　they
  remember　that　they　have　created　it。　　This　or　that　candidate　among
  them　who　has　but　lately　solicited　their　suffrages　is　now　a
  magistrate　who　issues　orders；　and　this　sudden　transformation　is
  their　work。　　It　is　with　difficulty　that　they　pass　from　the　role　of
  sovereign　electors　to　that　of　docile　subjects　of　the　administration；
  and　recognize　a　commander　in　one　of　their　own　creatures。＇25＇　On　the
  contrary；　they　will　submit　to　his　control　only　in　their　own　fashion；
  reserving　to　themselves　in　practice　the　powers　the　right　to　which
  they　have　conferred　on　him。
  〃We　gave　him　his　place；　and　he　must　do　as　we　want　him　to　do；〃
  Such　popular　reasoning　is　the　most　natural　in　the　world。　　It　is　as
  applicable　to　the　municipal　officer　wearing　his　scarf　as　to　the
  officer　in　the　National　Guard　wearing　his　epaulettes；　the　former　as
  well　as　the　latter　being　conferred　by　the　arbitrary　voice　of　the
  electors；　and　always　seeming　to　them　a　gift　which　is　revocable　at
  their　pleasure。　　The　superior　always；　and　more　particularly　in　times
  of　danger　or　of　great　public　excitement；　seems；　if　directly
  appointed　by　those　whom　he　commands；　to　be　their　clerk。　…　Such　is
  municipal　authority　at　this　epoch；　intermittent；　uncertain；　and
  weak；　and　all　the　weaker　because　the　sword；　whose　hilt　the　men　of
  the　H？tel…de…Ville　seem　to　hold；　does　not　always　leave　its　scabbard
  at　their　bidding。　　They　alone　are　empowered　to　summon　the　National
  Guard；　but　it　does　not　depend　on　them；　and　it　is　not　at　their
  disposal。　　To　obtain　its　support　it　is　needful　that　its　independent
  chiefs　should　be　willing　to　respond　to　their　requisition；　that　the
  men　should　willingly　obey　their　elected　officers；　that　these
  improvised　soldiers　should　consent　to　quit　their　plow；　their　stores；
  their　workshops　and　offices；　to　lose　their　day；　to　patrol　the
  streets　at　night；　to　be　pelted　with　stones；　to　fire　on　a　riotous
  crowd　whose　enmities　and　prejudices　they　often　share。　　Undoubtedly；
  they　will　fire　on　some　occasions；　but　generally　they　will　remain
  quiet；　with　their　arms　at　rest；　and；　at　last；　they　will　grow　weary
  of　a　trying；　dangerous；　and　constant　service；　which　is　disagreeable
  to　them；　and　for　which　they　are　not　fitted。　　They　will　not　answer
  the　summons；　or；　if　they　do；　they　will　come　too　late；　and　in　too
  small　a　number。　　In　this　event；　the　regulars　who　are　sent　for；　will
  do　as　they　do　and　remain　quiet；　following　their　example；　while　the
  municipal　magistrate；　into　whose　hands　the　sword　has　glided；　will　be
  able　to　do　no　more　than　make　grievous　reports；　to　his　superiors　of
  the　department　or　district；　concerning　the　popular　violence　of　which
  he　is　a　powerless　witness。　…　In　other　cases；　and　especially　in　the
  country；　his　condition　is　worse。　　The　National　Guard；　preceded　by
  its　drums；　will　come　and　take　him　off　to　the　town　hall　to　authorize
  by　his　presence；　and　to　legalize　by　his　orders；　the　outrages　that　it
  is　about　to　commit。　　He　marches　along　seized　by　the　collar；　and
  affixes　his　signature　at　the　point　of　the　bayonet。　　In　this　case　not
  only　is　his　instrument　taken　away　from　him；　but　it　is　turned　against
  of　holding　it　by　the　hilt；　he　feels　the　point：　the　armed　force　which
  he　ought　to　make　use　of　makes　use　of　him。
  IV。　　On　Universal　Suffrage。
  The　National　Guard　as　electors。　…　Its　great　power。…　Its　important
  task。　…　The　work　imposed　on　active　citizens。　…　They　avoid　it。
  Behold；　then；　the　true　sovereign；　the　elector；　both　National　Guard
  and　voter。　　They　are　the　kings　designed　by　the　Constitution；　there
  he　is；　in　every　hierarchical　stage；　with　his　suffrage；　with　which　to
  delegate　authority；　and　his　gun　to　assure　its　exercise。　…　Through
  his　free　choice　he　creates　all　local　powers；　intermediary；　central；
  legislative；　administrative；　ecclesiastical；　and　judiciary。　　He
  appoints　directly；　and　in　the　primary　assemblies；　the　mayor；　the
  municipal　board；　the　public　prosecutor　and　council　of　the　commune；
  the　justice　of　the　peace　and　his　assessors；　and　the　electors　of　the
  second　degree。　　Indirectly；　and　through　these　elected　electors；　he
  appoints　the　administrators　and　procureurs…syndics　of　both　district
  and　department；　the　civil　and　criminal　judges；　the　public
  prosecutor；　bishops；　and　priests；　the　members　of　the　National
  Assembly　and　jurors　of　the　higher　National　Court＇26＇。　　All　these
  commissions　which　he　issues　are　of　short　date；　the　principal　ones；
  those　of　municipal　officer；　elector；　and　deputy；　having　but　two
  years　to　run；　at　the　end　of　this　brief　term　their　recipients　are
  again　subject　to　his　vote；　in　order　that；　if　he　is　displeased　with
  them；　he　may　replace　them　by　others。　　He　must　not　be　fettered　in　his
  choice；　in　every　well…conducted　establishment　the　legitimate
  proprietor　must　be　free　easily　and　frequently　to　renew　his　staff　of
  clerks。　　He　is　the　only　one　in　whom　confidence　can　be　placed；　and；
  for　greater　security；　all　arms　are　given　up　to　him。　　When　his　clerks
  wish　to　employ　force　he　is　the　one　to　place　it　at　their　disposal。
  Whatever　he　desired　as　elector　he　executes　as　National　Guard。　　On
  two　occasions　he　interferes；　both　times　in　a　decisive　manner；　and
  his　control　over　the　legal　powers　is　irresistible　because　these　are
  born　out　of　his　vote　and　are　obeyed　only　through　his　support。　…　But
  these　rights　are；　at　the　same　time；　burdens。　　The　Constitution
  describes　him　as　an　〃active　citizen；〃　and　this　he　eminently　is　or
  should　be；　since　public　action　begins　and　ends　with　him；　since
  everything　depends　on　his　zeal　and　capacity；　since　the　machine　is
  good　and　only　works　well　in　proportion　to　his　discernment；
  punctuality；　calmness；　firmness；　discipline　at　the　polls；　and　in　the
  ranks。　　The　law　requires　his　services　incessantly　day　and　night；　in
  body　and　mind；　as　gendarme　and　as　elector。　…　How　burdensome　this
  service　of　gendarme　must　be；　can　be　judged　by　the　number　of　riots。
  How　burdensome　that　of　elector　must　be；　the　list　of　elections　will
  show。
  In　February；　March；　April；　and　May；　1789；　there　are　prolonged　parish
  meetings；　for　the　purpose　of　choosing　electors　and　writing　out
  grievances；　also　bailiwick　meetings　of　still　longer　duration　to
  choose　deputies　and　draw　up　the　memorial。　　During　the　months　of　July
  and　August；　1789；　there　are　spontaneous　gatherings　to　elect　or
  confirm　the　municipal　bodies；　other　spontaneous　meetings　by　which
  the　militia　is　formed　and　officered；　and　then；　following　these；
  constant　meetings　of　this　same　militia　to　fuse　themselves　into　a
  National　Guard；　to　renew　officers　and　appoint　deputies　to　the
  federative　assemblies。　　In　December；　1789；　and　January；　1790；　there
  are　primary　meetings；　to　elect　municipal　officers　and　their
  councils。　　In　May；　1790；　there　are　primary　and　secondary　meetings；
  to　appoint　district　and　departmental　administrators。　　In　October；
  1790；　there　are　primary　meetings；　to　elect　the　justice　of　the　peace
  and　his　assessors；　also　secondary　meetings；　to　elect　the　district
  courts。　　In　November；　1790；　there　are　primary　meetings；　to　renew
  one…half　of　the　municipal　bodies。　　In　February　and　March；　1791；
  there　are　secondary　meetings；　to　nominate　the　bishop　and　curés。　　In
  June；　July；　August；　September；　1791；　there　are　primary　and　secondary
  meetings；　to　renew　one…half　of　the　district　and　departmental
  administrators；　to　nominate　the　president；　the　public　prosecutor；
  and　the　clerk　of　the　criminal　court；　and　to　choose　deputies。　　In
  November；　1791；　there　are　primary　meetings　to　renew　one…half　of　the
  municipal　council。　　Observe　that　many　of　these　elections　drag　along
  because　the　voters　lack　experience；　because　the　formalities　are
  complicated；　and　because　opinions　are　divided。　　In　August　and
  September；　1791；　at　Tours；　they　are　prolonged　for　thirteen　days；＇27＇
  at　Troyes；　in　January；　1790；　instead　of　three　days　they　last　for
  three　weeks；　at　Paris；　in　September　and　October；　1791；　only　for　the
  purpose　of　choosing　deputies；　they　last　for　thirty…seven　days；　in
  many　places　their　proceedings　are　contested；　annulled；　and　begun
  over　again。　　To　these　universal　gatherings；　which　put　all　France　in
  motion；　we　must　add　the　local　gatherings　by　which　a　commune　approves
  or　gainsays　its　municipal　officers；　makes　claims　on　the　department；
  on　the　King；　or　on　the　Assembly；　demands　the　maintenance　of　its
  parish　priest；　the　provisioning　of　its　market；　the　arrival　or
  dispatch　of　a　military　detachment；　…　and　think　of　all　that　these
  meetings；　petitions；　and　nominations　presuppose　in　the　way　of
  preparatory　committees　and　preliminary　meetings　and　debates！　Every
  public　representation　begins　with　rehearsals　in　secret　session。　　In
  the　choice　of　a　candidate；　and；　above　all；　of　a　list　of　candidates；
  in　the　appointment　in　each　commune　of　from　three　to　twenty…one
  municipal　officers；　and　from　six　to　forty…two　notables；　in　the
  selec