Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/460

 422 Readings in European History to it which it mourns, which it would have prevented and arrested by the force of its decrees, and which the here- after indissoluble union between the two powers and the irresistible action of all the national forces will doubtless check ? We have exceeded our powers. The reply is simple. We were incontestably sent to make a constitution : this was the wish and the need of the whole of France. But was it pos- sible to create a constitution and form an even imperfect body of constitutional decrees, without the plenitude of power which we have exercised ? We will say more : with- out the National Assembly France was lost ; without the recognition of the principle which has governed all our decrees, of submitting the decision of every matter to a majority of votes, freely cast, it is impossible to conceive, we will not say a constitution, but even the prospect of destroying permanently the least of the abuses. This prin- ciple embodies an eternal truth and has been recognized throughout France. It receives recognition in a thousand ways in the numerous ratifications which oppose the swarm of libels reproaching us for exceeding our powers. These addresses, felicitations, compliments, and patriotic resolu- tions, — what a conclusive confirmation do they constitute of those powers which some would contest ! These, Frenchmen, are the reproaches which have been directed against your representatives in the mass of culpable writings in which a tone of civic grief is assumed. But their authors flatter themselves in vain that we are to be discour- aged. Our courage is redoubled ; you will not long wait for the results. 1 . . . We will pursue our laborious task, devot- ing ourselves to the great work of drawing up the constitu- tion — your work as well as ours. We will complete it, aided by the wisdom of all France. 1 The reforms which the Assembly announces for the future are omitted here. The chief were an enlightened system of taxes, a reor- ganization of the Church, new codes of the criminal and civil law, and a national system of education.