Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 7.djvu/133



a deliberating, but an acting body; it would be, in fact, the governing power.

You will, therefore, allow the initiative to the king.

Let us now proceed to the second case.

If you allow the king the initiative, either you suppose that it is to consist in a mere notification, or you suppose that the king will declare which side it is his inclination to take.

If the king's initiative must be confined to simple notification, the king, in fact, will have no concurrence in the declaration of war.

If, on the contrary, the king's initiative consists in a declaration of the course which he thinks ought to be taken, you have here a double hypothesis, upon which I request that we may argue.

Do you mean that, when the king shall have given his vote for war, the legislative body may deliberate upon peace? I find no inconvenience here. Do you mean, on the other hand, that, when the king is inclined to peace, it shall be lawful for the legislative body to order war, and to cause it to be carried on in spite of him? I can not adopt your system, because here arise inconveniences which it is not possible to remedy.

From this war, determined on in spite of the king, would ere long result a war of opinion against the king, against all his agents. The most turbulent superintendency would preside over all the operations; the desire of seconding those operations, and distrust of the ministry,