The Augusta chronicle and gazette of the state. (Augusta [Ga.]) 1789-1806, December 03, 1791, Image 1

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SATURDAY, December 2* THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE . A N D 5 gazette or the state. .. . - *ci - •*— ...... 4 . ‘.*7.1: ;. f 1 i . *•.. '“M * ' • ■ L ‘.' -rr=- •?. 1 —■ ' ■ —■ FREE DO M of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JU R If, (hall remain inviolate* C onjitt ut it* of Getrgim* —■ • i •• * a- V v ; AUGUSTA: Printed by JOHN E." SMITH, Printer to thi State; EJfays, Articles of Intelligence, Advertifemerhs , &c. will btgratefully received, and every kind of Printing performed. ,= • . • • —*r . 1 * ■■ -- » . ■■■■■.. . ■" NATIONAL ASSEMBLY of FRANCE;* k September 13. y 1 r: • • THE Minister of Justice arrived in the Afieinbiy, and having communicated a paper to thd President, that gentleman arofe * and observed, that it was a message from hi* JVlajefty, notifying bit acceptance of tbk Con fitution; which he read asfollows : Gentlemen , I HAVE attentively examined the consti tutional aft which you have'prefented for ms acceptance. I accppt it, and I flulV fte executed. This declaration alone might have been thought fufficient at an/ 1 other pe riod ; but'l owe it at the present moment to the interefla of the nation, and I owe if to • any (elf, to disclose my motives. From the commencement of my reign; I have been delirous to reform every kind of abufc, and in all of my government, I have been ambitious to take the public opi nion as the rule of mfconduft. Divers abuses, among the'number of which may be reckon ed the situation of the finances on my coming to the throne, < and theimmehfe expences at tendee on an honorable wat T faflained with out the increase of irnpofts, had occafionifed a considerable difpropbrtion- between the re venue and the expenditure of the date. Struck with the magnitude of the I aot only fought for the fneans of admiuiftcring a remedy, but 1 also perceived’ the necefl&y of preventing its return. I accordingly con ceived the'projeft of placing the happineft;bf the pcoplebn a constitutional and a (table basis, and of fnbjefting to invariable rules that authority of which I was the depositary. I accordingly called all the nation around Rife to execute this plan. During the course of ail the events produced by the revolution, my intentions have never varied. After having reformed the ancient institutions, you began* to replace them by the’firif effay* of your po litical labors. I waited only for the comple tion of the conflirution to give my entire as sent to it; i even favored the component parte before I-cvuld view them as one great whole; and--if the disorders which have accompanied almbft all the epochs of the revolution have often afflifted mr heart, Lftill hoped that the law (hould* regain it* proper impulse when confided to newpowefra, aqd that, as the term of your labdrs every day wbuld add to that refpeft'&f if, ‘ without which the people can neither enjoy liberty dor h-appinefs. I per filled for a long tithe in t hat hope, and sn*refolution never changed till the moment it abandoned me. Whoever recollefts the pe riod when Lleft Paris, mbft bow, although the constitution was uearly achieved, that yet the authority of the laws Was becoming every day more feeble. The molt exaggerated opi sions alone obtained a hearing; the licefn-i --oufaefs of the pref* wasf at its height j no power whatever'wss refpefted. * could no longer recognize the chaiWfter of the general will in those laws, whid> I beheld without force and without execution. I then* began to think tbic if ybu preferred the conditution w me, I (hould not be eble to believs that the inter** of- the people (the ennflant ..i«id t •nly rule of my eonduft) would permit me to aectpt it, 1 had but one fentimeu'i 1 formed but one projeft I * rtfolotd to with diawiuyieif from alh *«<!«•» Wnd to make GEORG lA myfelf acquainted wiih the rett wilh of tlie' ; -nation. , The motives which then direded me, no longer exist at this moment} ever the inconveniences and the evils I complained of, have made on you the fame'imprefiron they did,ou me."' You have maniMed your in clination to order, you have given your at tention to thf subordination of the army, and you have felt the neceility of reprelfing.the liberty of the press. The revision of your labors has placer! among the number of re gulating fevcral articles, which were at firft prefentad to me as conftitutinnal laws; You have eftablilhcd legal forms for the revision of- those articles, which you have placed among the conllitutional ones. In (hort, the voice of the people is- to me no longer dubi ous } I perceived it to shew itfelf at once, both by its adhesion to your proceedings, and by its attachment to the support of themouarchical government. I accept therefore the constitution. I undertake the engagement to maintain it within, to defend it from every attack from without, and to hive it executed bjr every means it has put jo my power. , I declard that, now informed of'the at tachment which the great majority of the peo ple has for it, I renounce the joint concur rence I had claimed in that work } and being only rcfponfible to the nation alone, no one else, when I renounce it, has a right to com plain. [The left fide of the ball and all the _ galleries here refunded with appluufes •] l I rtiould nevertheiefs be wanting to truth, did 1 fay I Had difeovered in the means of ex ecuting and admiijiftrating the constitution, .that energy which is necelTary so impress the motion and to pryfetve unity in all the parts of so vast an empire ; but, since opinions are at this day so divided in regardto these ob jeds," I content that experience alone fii'aii be come the foie arbiter. i When f have made a faithful use of all the means which have been entrusted to me, no reproach can possibly be urged against me; and the nation, whole interest alone ought to serve as a v fule, will explain itfeif by those means which the constitution has reserved for “ |ts preservation. [Reiteratedplaudits."] ' But, Gentlemen, for the support of liber ty, for the liability of the for the individual hsppinefs of at!" the French, thereare certain intereft* winch command us to reunite all our efforts. T,hrie interclls are X refped for the laws, the re-eifablilbment of order, and the re-union of ail the crizeos. Now that the* constitution is-definitively fettled, Frenchmen living tiadef the fatne laws ought to know no other'enemies than those who infringe upon them; Hifc<*rd and anarchy, these are our worst foes. I tliall com- g bat them with all my porter; it is necessary that you and your fuccetPjrs fliquld fecoud me with energy, and tyrannizing over the mind, the law Ihouid proted all those who submit their action* to its diredion, It is necelTary that all those who, from the dread of troubles and of perfection!, have absented themfelvei from their couuuy, ihou.d be certiin of finding fafety and tranquility on returning to ita bofom* , And for the e/muA* 00 ° r ,b< •oimormei, and lefteniug the evila, thata gieat revolution alwaya prvducta, and on furpoft that the .aw tmu ibie day may date iu execuuou, let ua [ Voi. VI. No. CCIXIX] consent to f.irget what is pad. [The left band fide of the bouje and tb galleries tefttfied their fatist'adion at tbit paragraph. J Let the ac dilations and prosecutions commenced iucou fcqv.ence of the revolution, now drop and be buried in a general reconciliation* Ifjjfcak not of'thofe. who have been deter* mined by their attachment to me; can you yourselves think them guilty ? *■ As for those who by excesses or by per* foual injuries have wounded tne laws in regard to me, I (hall prove to them, by my clemency, that 1 am King of all the Frepph. (Signed) . LOUte. [ Loud plauditt for Jomt fKinuitt.'] t. S. I thiuky* Gentlemen, that it if in thf place where the coaftitutiou has been formed that I ought to pronounce my foie inn accepts* tion of it; I (hall in confequence.repair to* morrow to the National Afferably. This being read amidst loud and repeated plaudits, M. de la layette arose, and said, -that it would be doing an injustice to the fen* timcnts of the National Assembly and the King, were he to delay the decree he waa ‘now about to submit to their determination.. * The National Assembly, after having heard the King's meffagc, (jgnifyiug his acceptance of the constitutional aft, in consequence of his Majefty'a wi(h to quash all profecutiont relative to the event* of the revolution, enafts ’ as follows: lit. All persons accused or under arrest, * in regard to the King's departure, (hall be im* mediately set at liberty, and all further pro* iecution (hall cease. adly. The Committees of the Conftitu*' lion and Jurtfprudcuce (ball to-morrow pre* feat the plan of a decree refpeftlng the imme diate abolition of all proceedings relative to' the events of "the revolution. 3dly. To-morrow a plan of a decree (hall also be piefented for abolishing the’ use of patfports, and for annihilating all momentary rettramts, in regard to that liberty which the couflitution allows to all citizens of entering into anddcpaiture out of the kingdom. [ Loud plaudits .] * Ou the motion of M. Goupil, resolved. That a deputation of 60 Members ihall wait upon »he King with the above decree. The Minifler of Justice then left the hall, in the midlt of unauimous and repeated plau dits. The Assembly rose at two o'clock. September 14, four o'clock ift {be afternoon. ; The King this day wcut to the National Assembly at la* o'clock, and publicly avowed bis acceptance of the constitution, in the pre* fence of an iinmcnfe multitude of fpettat'Ts; the ceremony, which wav grand and awful* was accotupanicd by a general difebarge of the aitiilery belonging to the bktioual guards. His Majeity did not appear in the Cordon Bleu, uotwitflaiiding the decree 0/ the Af feiubly, and very graciously obfefved, * that he wiflied not to be dirtingwifhed by any ex ternal mark if diguny tium the rest cf the ciuteos.* Mr. 8 MIT H, , HE (trikiug difstence in (he fentimeote of your two correspondents, Puiao* thiipo- sod A Planter, hsve been of cettjfrtwio# that »#• »• * cilltUt., aui