Page:Trial of Louis XVI (1793).pdf/15

 there was no longer any contention; the part was forgotten, What had been done fubfequent to this acceptance was now to be examined.

The conflitution had not ordered the guarantee of the king for the minifters; but, on the contrary, had command- ed the refponfihility of the minifters for the king; and, even if the conftitution was forgotten, the king and his minifters could not be both accufed for the fame acts, Louis had been accuſed of delaying the execution of the decree relative to Avignon: the minifter Deleffart had been accufed of the fame thing. Louis had been accufed of not communicating intelligence of the treaty of Philintz; but was not that the province of the minifter, even if it had been a public, infread of a fecret, tranfaction? He had been reproached with the troubles of Nimes, Jales, and other places; but was the king to be answerable for all the troubles of a great revolu- tion? The account given by Narbonne was laid to the charge of Louis; but, had not the National Affembly itself declared that Narbonne carried with him the regret and the confidence of the nation? The furrender of Longwi and Verdun were imputed to him; but were not the inhabitants of thofe places the guilty perfonis? And who had appointed the commander at Verdun-who chofe rather to die than yield? Was it not Louis

M. Defeze púrfued his fpeech with much perfpicuity, contending, and fiewing, that either Louis had no know- ledge of the circumstances, with which he was charged; or that they were not criminal; or that he could not be held refponfible for them; or that, if refponfible, the punishment could not juftly, or even lawfully, be greater than depofi- tion.

With refpect to the affair of the 10th of Auguft, he dr gued, that the king had made no preparations, but for the defence of his palace; that the conftitutional magiftrates were with him, and that one of thoſe read the article of the law, which authorized the oppofition of force to force; that when he was invited to the affembly he went there, and that the battle did not commence till an hour afterwards. It had been faid by many deputies in the Convention that they had assisted