History of the French Revolution, from 1789 to 1814
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iT€r&#© HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, FROM 1789 to 1814. BY A. F. MIGNET. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON : PRINTED FOR HUNT AND CLARKE, TAVISTOCK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. MDCCCXW I. ISAAC FOOT LIBRARY LONDON : PRINTED BY C. II. REYNELL, BROAn STREET, GOLDEN SQUARE. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. INTRODUCTION. PAGE Character of the French revolution ; its results ; its progress - - - - - 1 Successive forms of the monarchy - - - 5 Louis XIV and Louis XV - - - - 1 1 State of intelligence, of the finances, of the power and wants of the people, when Louis XVI ascended the - - 1 throne : his character - - 7 his - - - 19 Maurepas prime minister ; policy and with what He chooses popular reforming ministers ; - object - - - - - 20 Necker their encoun- Turgot, Malesherbes, ; plans ; they ter the opposition of the court and the privileged orders; their failure - • - - - 21 Death of Maurepas - - - - - 24 Influence of the queen Marie Antoinette - - 24 Courtier ministers succeed the popular ministers - 24 Calonne and his system - - - - - 25 his character his - - - Brienne ; ; attempts 27 Distressed condition of the finances of the as- ; opposition of notables of the sembly ; opposition parliament ; - opposition of the provinces - - - 29 VOL. I. A U CONTENTS. PACiF; Retirement of Brienne of - ; second ministry Necker 34 Convocation of the states-general - - -35 How the revolution had become inevitable - - 39 CHAPTER I. - Opening of the states-general - - - 4 1 Opinions of the court, of the ministry, of the different bodies of the realm, touching the states - - 44 Verification of the of powers ; question the vote by order - - or by poll - - - - 46 The order of the commons forms itself into the national assembly - - - - - 57 The court causes the hall of the state to be closed ; oath of the Tennis Court - - - - - 60 The majority of the order of the clergy re-unites itself to the order of the commons - - - -66 of the its - - Royal sitting 23rd June ; inutility 67 Projects of the court; events of the 12th, 13th, and 14th July; retirement of Necker; insurrection of Paris formation of the national ; guard ; siege and capture of the Bastile - - - - 71 The consequences of the 14th July ... 107 * Decrees of the night of the 14th August - 108 Character of the revolution which had been operated - 110 CHAPTER II. State of the constituent assembly - - - 112 of noblesse and Party the high clergy and the ; Maury Cazales 113 Party of the minister and of the two chambers ; Mounier, 115 Lally-Tollendal CONTENTS. HI PAUB the triumvirate of The popular party ; Bamave, Duport, its influence of Sieves Mira- and Lameth ; position ; ; - - beau, leader of the assembly at this epoch 1 1 7 - - - - - The party of Orleans 123 Constitutional labours; declaration of rights; perma- of the sanc- nence and unity legislative body ; royal which it - 124 tion ; the external agitation produces of the court of the - 134 Project ; banquet garde-du-corps Insurrection of the 5th and 6th October - - 139 - The king comes to live in Paris - - 147 CHAPTER III. - - - 150 Consequences of the events of October into Change of the provinces departments ; organization of the administrative and municipal authorities on the - 153 system of the popular sovereignty, and of election were resorted to found Finances ; all the means which of the insufficient ; the benefices clergy proclaimed - - - national property - - 157 The sale of the benefices of the clergy leads to the 163 assignats ._---- of the 165 Civil constitution of the clergy ; opposition bishops 14th abolition of tithes ; federa- Anniversary of the July ; - tion of the Champ-de-Mars - - 177 of the officers 185 New organization of the army; opposition The schism of the civil constitution of the clergy - 198 Clubs 191 Death of Mirabeau - - - - - 196 be- During all this period the separation of the parties comes more and more decided - - - 199 IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. PAGE Politics of Europe before the French Revolution - 201 The system of alliance adopted by the different states - 203 General coalition against the revolution ; motives of each power ------ 204 Declaration of Mantua ----- 205 to Varennes arrest of the his - 206 Flight ; king ; suspension The republican party, for the first time, separates itself from the constitutional-monarchy party - - 210 This last re-establishes the king - - - 214 Declaration of Pilnitz - - - - -217 The the king accepts constitution ; end of the constituent - - - - assembly ; opinion upon it 221 CHAPTER V. First interviews of the legislative assembly with the king 230 State of parties 235 _____ The Feuillants rely on the support of the middle classes, the Girondists on that of the people - - 236 The emigration and the refractory clergy ; decree against the - them ; king's veto 240 Declarations of war - 250 The Girondist - ministry ; Dumouriez and Roland 259 Declaration of war against the king of Hungary and Bo- hemia ------ 264 of our for a of reserve of Disasters armies ; order camp Paris decree of banishment 20,000 men below ; against - - the priests who had not taken the oaths 269 - - The king's veto ; fall of the Girondist ministry 272 Insurrectionary petition of the 20th June in favour of the decrees, and demanding the return of the minis- ters to their places ----- 278 CONTENTS. V TAOE Last efforts of the constitutional party ... 282 The duke of Brunswick's manifesto - 294 Events of the 10th August - - - - 299 Military insurrection of La Fayette against the conspira- 10th its failure - - - 315 tors of the August ; Division of the assembly and of the new commune - 319 Danton 321 Invasion of the Prussians - 323 Massacres of the 2nd September ... 326 Campaign of the Argonne - 329 Causes of the events that occurred under the legislative 335 CHAPTER VI. First measures of the convention ; manner in which it was composed - 339 of the Girondists Rivalry and Mountainists ; strength and views of these two parties - - - - 34 1 the Girondists accuse him of at the Robespierre ; aiming dictatorship - - - - - -347 Marat - - - - - - - 351 accusation New against Robespierre by Louvet ; Robes- defence the convention to the pierre's ; passes order of the day - - - - - - 356 The Mountainists, victorious in the struggle, demand the trial of Louis XVI 361 Opinions of the parties relative to this ... 365 The convention determines on the trial of Louis XVI, and that he shall be judged by it - - 368 at the his answers in of Louis XVI Temple ; presence the convention ; his defence ; his condemnation ; his in his last his courage and serenity moments ; qualities and defects as a monarch .... 3/5 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. PAGK - - The political and military situation of France 389 England, Holland, Spain, Naples, and all the circles of the empire agree to the coalition - 397 Dumouriez, after the conquest of Belgium, attempts an expedition into Holland - 394 He endeavours to re-establish the constitutional monarchy 401 Reverses of our armies ----- 403 - Struggles of the Mountainists and Girondists - 403 Conspiracy of the 10th March - 404 Insurrection in La Vendde, and its progress - - 406 Defection of Dumouriez - 409 The Girondists are accused of being his accomplices - 416 - - - - New conspiracies against them 418 Establishment of the commission of twelve, to undo the - plans of the conspirators 420 Insurrections of the 2Jth and 31st May against the com- mission of twelve - - - - - 42 1 - - - - It is suppressed - - 423 Insurrection of the 2nd June against the twenty-two - - - - - 431 principal Girondists They are arrested - 438 The entire defeat of that party - 438 HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. INTRODUCTION. its its Character of the French revolution ; results ; progress. —Successive forms of the monarchy.—Louis XIV and Louis XV.—State of intelligence, of the finances, of the power and wants of the people, when Louis XIV ascended the throne —his character.— minister his ; Maurepas, prime ; —He chooses ministers with policy. popular and reforming ; what — their object. Turgot, Malesherbes, Necker ; plans ; they encounter the opposition of the court and the privileged orders their — —Influence of ; failure. Death of Maurepas. the queen Marie Antoinette.—Courtier ministers succeed the ministers.— and his —Brienne popular Calonne system. ; his character his —Distressed condition of ; attempts. the finances of the of notables ; opposition assembly ; opposition of the of the —Retirement parliament ; opposition provinces. of Brienne of — ; second ministry Necker. Convocation of the states-general.—How the revolution had become in- evitable. I shall take a rapid view of the French re- volution, an event which introduced a new VOL. I. b 2 HISTORY OF THE state of society in Europe, as the English revolution had been the epoch of a new system of government. This revolution has not the merely modified the political power of nation, but has entirely changed its interior constitution. The forms of society which had sprung up in the middle ages still existed. The territory was divided into hostile pro- vinces, and the population into rival classes. The noblesse, although still preserving its lost all its the distinctions, had power ; peo- no the ple possessed rights ; royal authority restrained no limits and France was was by ; abandoned to the confusion of arbitrary admi- nistration, partial governments, and privileged bodies. For this disordered state of things, the revolution has substituted one more con- formable to the principles of justice, and better adapted to the spirit of our times. Privilege gave way to equality, and