CHAPTER XXIII.

Intrigues and duplicity of the queen and court-Projected removal of the king-mad military banquet at Versailles-Fearful insurrection of the 6th of October-Mob of women assail the palace-Lafayette resists the popular fury-Repairs to Versailles-Defends the palace-Saves the lives of the royal family-Reconciles the king and queen to the populace-The royal family remove to Paris-Guarded by Lafayette-New projects of agitation and flight -Counteracted by Lafayette-Transmits to Gen. Washington a drawing and key of the Bastile-Volunteer oath of the king to sustain the constitution-Abolition of titles-Death of FranklinEulogium of Mirabeau-Motion of Lafayette-Anniversary of the 14th July-Federation of the Champ-de-Mars-Lafayette the champion of the day-The oath-Grand review of the National Guards -Monitory address of Lafayette-Reply of the deputies.

THE sanction of the king to the decrees of the 4th of August was reluctantly given; while he withheld his assent from the Declaration of Rights proposed by Lafayette and adopted by the Assembly. With blind fatality, and guilty obstinacy, the queen and nobles of the court, endeavored by secret plots and intrigues to prevent the adoption of the free institutions and laws which were demanded by the intelligence and circumstances of the times. They sought to promote anarchy, rather than to establish order, as most congenial to their designs. The king, unfortunately for himself and the nation, yielded himself to these pernicious influences, and became a victim to the intrigue and duplicity by which he was surrounded.

The first effort of the counter-plotters of the court, was a plan for the removal of the king from the influence of the Assembly and of Paris. He was to withdraw with the court to Metz, where, amidst the army and the nobles, aided by mercenary troops and foreign powers, the Assembly and the people of Paris were to be declared rebels, and the ancient absolute government re-established. To ensure the success of this plan, under the pretext of guarding against popular commotion, the Flanders regiment and other troops were brought to Versailles, and the guards of the palace

were doubled. This military display excited suspicions among the people, and rumor soon suggested the intended flight of the king. The popular party was desirous of securing his person, and already expressed a wish for his removal to Paris. The crisis was accelerated by a banquet given at Versailles, by the king's guards to the officers of the Flanders regiment, on the 1st of October. At this festival, held in the grand saloon of the theatre of the palace, which had been hitherto devoted to the most solemn festivals of the court, the most extravagant expressions and acts of loyalty were indulged. In the midst of the riotous hilarity, the king entered the banquet hall, in a hunting dress, followed by the queen, with the dauphin in her arms.— Their healths were drank by the guests with naked swords in hand, and when they were retiring, the band struck up the air, O Richard, O mon roi, l'univers t'abandonne! The charge was sounded, and the guests scaled the boxes, as though advancing to an assault. Cockades, of a single color, white or black, were distributed, and the tri-colored cockade, that of the nation, it was said and believed at the time, was trodden under foot; and the troops repaired to the galleries of the palace, where the ladies of the court overwhelmed them with congratulations and decorated them with ribands and cockades.

This mad banquet was renewed on the 3d of October. A portion of the company, as on the former occasion, presented themselves before the queen, who, among other expressions, declared to them, that she was "enchanted by the pleasures of Thursday.'

These proceedings clearly indicated the designs of the court; and with the refusal of the king to sanction the declaration of rights, together with the sufferings of the people from the scarcity of food, wrought up the populace of Paris to a state of the greatest phrensy. It was in vain that Lafayette and the civil magistrates endeavored to allay the excitement. In the excesses of the French revolution the females of the lower classes acted a conspicuous part. Indeed, from the queen, who was at the head of the court, or counter-revolution party, through every grade of parties and factions, females exercised a formidable political influOn the 5th of October, a crowd of furious women assembled in Paris. They broke into the Hotel de Ville,

ence.

us."

"Gen

crying, "bread! bread!" rung the great bell, the tocsin of alarm, and the whole populace were soon in motion.— Armed with bludgeons, broomsticks, muskets and cutlasses, most of those furious women, headed by a citizen named Maillard, who had signalized himself at the capture of the Bastile, marched to Versailles; entered the hall of the Assembly, and by a numerous committee, penetrated the palace, to the presence of the king himself. They were followed by others, men and women, and the mob which surrounded the palace were fired upon by the guards; two of the guards were killed, and several on both sides wounded. For eight hours Lafayette resisted the desires of the national militia, to go with the populace to Versailles. eral," said one of them to him, "you do not deceive us, but you deceive yourself. Instead of turning our arms against women, let us go to Versailles to fetch the king, and make sure of his good disposition by placing him in the midst of He detained them until their passions had cooled, and by order of the commune at length set out. He halted his army by the way, exhorted them to the preservation of order, and made them swear to be faithful to the king. Arriving at Versailles about midnight, he repaired in person to the palace, and assured the king and royal family of his disposition, and that of his army, to protect them from violence. Lafayette was refused the guard of the palace, which was assigned to the Flanders regiment, the Swiss, and life-guards. The outposts alone were intrusted to him. The king retired to rest. The mob became quiet; and af. ter being up, and vigilantly employed all night, Lafayette, at five in the morning, took some refreshment, and threw himself upon a bed to obtain some rest. The people about this time began to stir, and thronged to the palace; where, a quarrel occurring, one of the life-guards fired from the windows. Enraged, the crowd rushed upon the palace; found a gate open in the rear, and ascending by a staircase, penetrated even to the apartment of the queen, who scarcely had time to escape to the king's apartments. A portion of Lafayette's guards, stationed near the palace, hastened to disperse the mob, and to aid the life-guards who were contending at the doors of the palace.

Lafayette, who had not fallen asleep, hearing the tumult, mounted the first horse he met with, and gallopped into the

midst of the fray, where he found several of the life-guards about to be slaughtered. Lafayette proceeded to rescue them, and ordered his troops to hasten to the palace. Left alone in the midst of the brigands, one of them took aim at him. With a peremptory voice, Lafayette ordered the man to be brought to him. Struck with awe and respect, the mob hastened to obey, seized the culprit, and dashed out his brains upon the paveinent. After saving the life-guards, Lafayette hastened to the palace. His troops, who were already there, surrounded him, and pledged themselves to die for the king. "At this moment, (says Thiers,) the lifeguards who had been saved from destruction, shouted “Lafayette for ever!" The whole court, seeing themselves preserved by him and his troops, acknowledged that to him they were indebted for their lives. These testimonies of gratitude were universal. Madame Adelaide, the king's aunt, run up to him, and clasped him in her arms, saying, 'General, you have saved us.'”

The mob which surrounded the palace, now cried out, "To Paris! To Paris!" It was, at length decided in a council, where Lafayette refused to be present, that the king and court should comply with the wish of the people. This decision was announced by slips of paper, thrown among the crowd. The king, accompanied by Lafayette, then showed himself upon the balcony, and was greeted with shouts of "Long live the king!" But the queen, endeavoring to appear, with some of her children, was received with threatening language, and cries of "no babies!" She had declared to Lafayette her courageous intention of accompanying the king to Paris. The general led her to the balcony, and by a delicate sign, it being impossible that his voice should be heard in the tumult, bespoke for her the conciliation of the mob; he stepped forward, took the hand of the queen, and kissed it respectfully. The mob responded to the token, and confirmed the reconciliation by shouts of

"Long live the queen!" "Long live Lafayette!"

The king and royal family set off for Paris, escorted by Lafayette and his guards, preceded and followed by portions of the fearful and triumphant mob. A band of the brigands were parading the heads of the two life-guards they had killed, on the point of their pikes. Lafayette disarmed them, and took from them these horrible trophies. The

king and his family repaired first to the Hotel de Ville, where they were received by M. Bailly, the mayor. "I return with confidence," said the king, "into the midst of my people in Paris." In repeating these words to those who could not hear the king, Bailly forgot the word confidence. "Add with confidence," said the queen. "You are happier," replied Bailly, "than if I had said it myself." Thus ended the memorable 6th of October, in the events of which Lafayette bore so important a part.

The royal family took up its residence at the palace of the Tuileries, which had been uninhabited for a century. During that period, the royal residence and the court had been at Versailles, about fourteen miles from Paris. There, millions and millions had been lavished in costly buildings, and the decorations and improvements of a position which possessed but few natural advantages. There was the seat of despotism and intrigue; and there, the utmost luxury and extravagance continued to be indulged, while the people were threatened with starvation. By the events of the 5th and 6th of October, the king, the court, and the Assembly, were restored to Paris.

The guard of the palace was confided to the corps of which Lafayette was commander, and he was thus made responsible to the nation for the person of the king. He also took, by the direction of the king, the command of the environs of Paris for twenty miles round, and, adopted prompt and efficient measures to insure order and security. The king, the queen, and the court, by an impulse of justice, acknowledged their obligations to him for their lives; and enjoying the confidence of the friends of rational liberty, his popularity was immense. He did not escape the jealousy and the calumnies of Mirabeau and others, who had personal objects to accomplish; and to these were added the reproaches of the aristocracy. In spite of these, he persevered faithfully in his duties. The Duke of Orleans, brother to the king, who had espoused the revolution, as was generally believed, from ambitious motives, was the cause of distrust and threatened disturbance. Lafayette insisted upon, and induced, his withdrawal from the kingdom. a tumult occasioned by the scarcity of food, a baker had been killed. Lafayette succeeded in arresting the culprits, and delivering them over to justice. A tribunal had been

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