into　a　fact；　fully　established；　it　is　that　of　Rousseau；　in　1789　and
  during　the　three　following　years。　　For；　not　only　are　his　principles
  embodied　in　the　laws；　and　the　Constitution　throughout　animated　with
  his　spirit；　but　it　seems　as　if　the　nation　looked　upon　his
  ideological　gambols；　his　abstract　fiction；　as　serious。　　This　fiction
  it　carried　out　in　every　particular。　　A　social　contract；　at　one
  spontaneous　and　practical；　an　immense　gathering　of　men　associating
  together　freely　for　the　first　time　for　the　recognition　of　their
  respective　rights；　forming　a　specific　compact；　and　binding
  themselves　by　a　solemn　oath：　such　is　the　social　recipe　prescribed　by
  the　philosophers；　and　which　is　carried　out　to　the　letter。　　Moreover；
  as　this　recipe　is　esteemed　infallible；　the　imagination　is　worked
  upon　and　the　sensibilities　of　the　day　are　brought　into　play。　　It　is
  admitted　that　men；　on　again　becoming　equals；　have　again　become
  brothers。＇2＇　A　sudden　and　amazing　harmony　of　all　volitions　and　all
  intelligences　will　restore　the　golden　age　on　earth。　　It　is　proper；
  accordingly；　to　regard　the　social　contract　as　a　festival；　an
  affecting；　sublime　idyll；　in　which；　from　one　end　of　France　to　the
  other；　all；　hand　in　hand；　should　assemble　and　swear　to　the　new
  compact；　with　song；　with　dance；　with　tears　of　joy；　with　shouts　of
  gladness；　the　worthy　beginning　of　public　felicity。　　With　unanimous
  assent；　indeed；　the　idyll　is　performed　as　if　according　to　a　written
  program。
  On　the　29th　of　November；　1789；　at　Etoile；　near　Valence；　the
  federations　began。＇3＇　　Twelve　thousand　National　Guards；　from　the　two
  banks　of　the　Rh？ne；　promise　〃to　remain　for　ever　united；　to　insure
  the　circulation　of　grain；　and　to　maintain　the　laws　passed　by　the
  National　Assembly。〃　On　the　13th　of　December；　at　Montélimart；　six
  thousand　men；　the　representatives　of　27　000　other　men；　take　a
  similar　oath　and　confederate　themselves　with　the　foregoing。　…　Upon
  this　the　excitement　spreads　from　month　to　month　and　from　province　to
  province。　　Fourteen　towns　of　the　bailiwicks　of　Franche…Comté　form　a
  patriotic　league。　　At　Pontivy；　Brittany　enters　into　federal
  relations　with　Anjou。　　One　thousand　National　Guards　of　Vivarais　and
  Languedoc　send　their　delegates　to　Voute。　　48　000　in　the　Vosges　send
  their　deputies　to　Epinal。　　During　February；　March；　April；　and　May；
  1790；　in　Alsace；　Champagne；　Dauphiny；　Orléanais；　Touraine；　Lyonnais；
  and　Provence；　there　is　the　same　spectacle。　　At　Draguignan　eight
  thousand　National　Guards　take　the　oath　in　the　presence　of　20　000
  spectators。　　At　Lyons　50　000　men；　delegates　of　more　than　500　000
  others　take　the　civic　oath。　…　But　local　unions　are　not　sufficient　to
  complete　the　organization　of　France　；　a　general　union　of　all
  Frenchmen　must　take　place。　　Many　of　the　various　National　Guards　have
  already　written　to　Paris　for　the　purpose　of　affiliating　themselves
  with　the　National　Guard　there；　and；　one　the　5th　of　June；　the
  Parisian　municipal　body　having　proposed　it；　the　Assembly　decrees　the
  universal　federation。　　It　is　to　take　place　on　the　14th　of　July；
  everywhere　on　the　same　day；　both　at　the　center　and　at　the
  extremities　of　the　kingdom。　　There　is　to　be　one　in　the　principal
  town　of　each　district　and　of　each　department；　and　one　in　the
  capital。　　To　the　latter　each　body　of　the　National　Guards　is　to　send
  deputies　in　the　proportion　of　one　man　to　every　two　hundred；　and　each
  regiment　one　officer；　one　non…commissioned　officer；　and　four
  privates。　　Fourteen　thousand　representatives　of　the　National　Guard
  of　the　provinces　appear　on　the　Champ　de　Mars；　the　theater　of　the
  festival；　also　eleven　to　twelve　thousand　representatives　of　the　land
  and　marine　forces；　besides　the　National　Guard　of　Paris；　and　sixty
  thousand　spectators　on　the　surrounding　slopes；　with　a　still　greater
  crowd　on　the　heights　of　Chaillot　and　of　Passy。　　All　rise　to　their
  feet　and　swear　fidelity　to　the　nation；　to　the　law；　to　the　King　and
  to　the　new　Constitution。　　When　the　report　of　the　cannon　is　heard
  which　announces　the　taking　of　the　oath；　those　of　the　Parisians　who
  have　remained　at　home；　men；　women；　and　children；　raise　their　hands
  in　the　direction　of　the　Champ　de　Mars　and　likewise　make　their
  affirmation。　　In　every　principal　town　of　every　district；　department；
  and　commune　in　France　there　is　the　same　oath　on　the　same　day。　　Never
  was　there　a　more　perfect　social　compact　heard　of。　　Here；　for　the
  first　time　in　the　world；　everybody　beholds　a　veritable　legitimate
  society；　for　it　is　founded　on　free　pledges；　on　solemn　stipulations；
  and　on　actual　consent。　　They　possess　the　authentic　act　and　the　dated
  official　report　of　it。＇4＇
  There　is　still　something　more　…　the　time　and　the　occasion　betoken　a
  union　of　all　hearts。　　The　barriers　which　have　hitherto　separated　men
  from　each　other　are　all　removed　and　without　effort。　　Provincial
  antagonisms　are　now　to　cease：　the　confederates　of　Brittany　and　Anjou
  write　that　they　no　longer　desire　to　be　Angevins　and　Bretons；　but
  simply　Frenchmen。　　All　religious　discords　are　to　come　to　an　end：　at
  Saint…Jean…du…Gard；　near　Alais；　the　Catholic　curé　and　the　Protestant
  pastor　embrace　each　other　at　the　altar；　the　pastor　occupies　the　best
  seat　in　the　church；　and　at　the　Protestant　meeting…house　the　curé　has
  the　place　of　honor；　and　listens　to　the　sermon　of　the　pastor。＇5＇
  Distinctions　of　rank　and　condition　will　no　longer　exist；　at　Saint…
  Andéol　〃　the　honor　of　taking　the　oath　in　the　name　of　the　people　is
  conferred　on　two　old　men；　one　ninety…three　and　the　other　ninety…four
  years　of　age；　one　a　noble　and　a　colonel　of　the　National　Guard；　and
  the　other　a　simple　peasant。〃　At　Paris；　two　hundred　thousand　persons
  of　all　conditions；　ages；　and　sexes；　officers　and　soldiers；　monks　and
  actors；　school…boys　and　masters；　dandies　and　ragamuffins；　elegant
  ladies　and　fishwives；　workmen　of　every　class　and　the　peasants　from
  the　vicinity；　all　flocked　to　the　Champ　de　Mars　to　dig　the　earth
  which　was　not　ready；　and　in　a　week；　trundling　wheelbarrows　and
  handling　the　pick…ax　as　equals　and　comrades；　all　voluntarily　yoked
  in　the　same　service；　converted　a　flat　surface　into　a　valley　between
  two　hills。　…　At　Strasbourg；　General　Luckner；　commander…in…chief；
  worked　a　whole　afternoon　in　his　shirt…sleeves　just　like　the
  commonest　laborer。　　The　confederates　are　fed；　housed；　and　have　their
  expenses　paid　everywhere　on　all　the　roads。　　At　Paris　the　publicans
  and　keepers　of　furnished　houses　lower　their　prices　of　their　own
  accord；　and　do　not　think　of　robbing　their　new　guests。　　〃The
  districts；〃　moreover；　〃feast　the　provincials　to　their　heart's
  content。＇6＇　　There　are　meals　every　day　for　from　twelve　to　fifteen
  hundred　people。〃　Provincials　and　Parisians；　soldiers　and　bourgeois；
  seated　and　mingled　together；　drink　each　other's　health　and　embrace。
  The　soldiers；　especially；　and　the　inferior　officers　are　surrounded；
  welcomed；　and　entertained　to　such　an　extent　that　they　lose　their
  heads；　their　health；　and　more　besides。　　One　〃old　trooper；　who　had
  been　over　fifty　years　in　the　service；　died　on　the　way　home；　used　up
  with　cordials　and　excess　of　pleasure。〃　In　short；　the　joy　is
  excessive；　as　it　should　be　on　the　great　day　when　the　wish　of　an
  entire　century　is　accomplished。　…　Behold　ideal　felicity；　as
  displayed　in　the　books　and　illustrations　of　the　time！　The　natural
  man　buried　underneath　an　artificial　civilization　is　disinterred；　and
  again　appears　as　in　early　days；　as　in　Tahiti；　as　in　philosophic　and
  literary　pastorals；　as　in　bucolic　and　mythological　operas；
  confiding；　affectionate；　and　happy。　　〃The　sight　of　all　these　beings
  again　restored　to　the　sweet　sentiments　of　primitive　brotherhood　is
  an　exquisite　delight　almost　too　great　for　the　soul　to　support；〃　and
  the　Frenchman；　more　light…hearted　and　far　more　childlike　than　he　is
  to…day；　gives　himself　up　unrestrainedly　to　his　social；　sympathetic；
  and　generous　instincts。　Whatever　the　imagination　of　the　day　offers
  him　to　increase　his　emotions；　all　the　classical；　rhetorical；　and
  dramatic　material　at　his　command；　are　employed　for　the　embellishment
  of　his　festival。　　Already　wildly　enthusiastic；　he　is　anxious　to
  increase　his　enthusiasm。　…　At　Lyons；　the　fifty　thousand　confederates
  from　the　south　range　themselves　in　line　of　battle　around　an
  artificial　rock；　fifty　feet　high；　covered　with　shrubs；　and
  surmounted　by　a　Temple　of　Concord　in　which　stands　a　huge　statue　of
  Liberty；　the　steps　of　the　rock　are　decked　with　flags；　and　a　solemn
  mass　precedes　the　administration　of　the　oath。　…　At　Paris；　an　alter
  dedicated　to　the　nation　is　erected　in　the　middle　of　the　Champ　de
  Mars；　which　is　transformed　into　a　colossal　circus。　　The　regular
  troops　and　the　federations　of　the　departments　stand　in　position
  around　it；　the　King　being　in　front　with　the　Queen　and　the　dauphin；
  while　near　them　are　the　princes　and　princesses　in　a　gallery；　and　the
  members　of　the　National　Assembly　in　an　amphitheater；　two　hundred
  priests；　draped　in　their　albs　and　with　tricolored　belts；　officiate
  around　Talleyrand；　Bishop　of