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301 the clericals. His reply was worthy of an indomitable patriot. Declaring his unalterable purpose to be governed only by the will of the nation, lawfully expressed, he uttered these memorable words: "I am not the chief of a party: I am the lawful representative of the nation. The instant I set aside law my powers cease and my mission is ended. I cannot—I do not desire to, and must not—make any compromise whatever. The moment I

should do so my constituents would cease to acknowledge me, because I have sworn to support the constitution, and I sustain with entire confidence the public opinion. When this shall be manifested to me in a different sense, I shall be the first to acknowledge its sovereign deliberations."

There were rifts at last in the dark cloud which hung