Page:Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies, from the papers of Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1.djvu/94

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But the quiet of their march was soon disturbed by information that troops, and particularly the foreign troops, were advancing on Paris from various quarters. The King had probably been ad vised to this, on the pretext of preserving peace in Paris. But his advisers were believed to have other things in contemplation. The Marshal de Broglio was appointed to their command, a high flying aristocrat, cool and capable of every thing. Some of the French guards were soon arrested, under other pretexts, but really, on account of their dispositions in favor of the National cause. The people of Paris forced their prison, liberated them, and sent a deputation to the Assembly to solicit a pardon. The Assembly recommended peace and order to the people of Paris, the priso ners to the King, and asked from him the removal of the troops. His answer was negative and dry, saying they might remove them selves, if they pleased, to Noyons or Soissons. In the meantime, these troops, to the number of twenty or thirty thousand, had ar rived, and were posted in, and between Paris and Versailles. The bridges and passes were guarded. At three o clock in the after noon of the 1 1th of July, the Count de la Luzerne was sent to notify Mr. Necker of his dismission, and to enjoin him to retire instantly, without saying a word of it to any body. He went home, dined, and proposed to his wife a visit to a friend, but went in fact to his country house at St. Ouen, and at midnight set out for Brussels. This was not known till the next day (the 12th,) when the whole Ministry was changed, except Villedeuil, of the domestic depart ment, and Barenton, Garde des sceaux. The changes were as follows.

The Baron de Breteuil, President of the Council of Finance ; de la Galaisiere, Comptroller General, in the room of Mr. Necker ; the Marshal de Broglio, Minister of War, and Foulon under him, in the room of Puy-Segur ; the Duke de la Vauguyon, Mi nister of Foreign Affairs, instead of the Count de Montmorin ; de la Porte, Minister of Marine, in place of the Count de la Luzerne ; St. Priest was also removed from the Council. Lu zerne and Puy-Segur, had been strongly of the Aristocratic party in the Council, but they were not considered as equal to the work now to be done. The King was now completely in the hands of men, the principal among whom, had been noted, through their lives, for the Turkish despotism of their characters, and who were associated around the King, as proper instruments for what was to be executed. The news of this change began to be known at Paris, about one or two o clock. In the afternoon, a body of about one hundred German cavalry were advanced, and drawn up in the Place Louis XV. and about two hundred Swiss posted at