The native American., 1838-01-27
THE SIEGE OF THE TUILLERIEs.
From Theirs History of the French Revolution

Il
dred SWISS and rather more than one battalion OF
the National Guard. 1t will be recolected the
command of the National Guard, after the re-
moval of Lafayette had been transferred to SIX
commanders of Legions in rotation. Ii had iallen
on that day to the Commandant Mandat an old
.oficer, dspleasing to the Court for his constitu-
tional opinions, but possessing its entire conf
dence from his frmness, his intelligence, and his
attention to his duties. Mandat General-in-Chief
on that fatal night, had hastily made the only pos
sible dispositions. The floor Of the great gallery,
leading from the Louvre to the Tuilleres, had al
ready been cut away for certain space to pre-
vent the passage of the assailants Mandat, in
consequence, took no precautions for protecting
that wing, but directed his attention to the side
next to the courts and the garden. Notwithstand-
ing the signal by drum, few of the National
Guards had assembled. The battalions remained
incomplete. The most jealous of them proceeded
singly to the palace, where Mandat had formed
them into regiments, and posted them conJonily
with the Swiss, in the courts the garden, and the
apartments. He had placed one piece of cannon
In the court of the Swiss, three in the central
court, and three in that of the Princess These
guns were unfortunately consigned to gunners of
the National Guard, that the enemy were ac-
tually in the fortress. But the Swiss, full of zeal
and loyalty, watched them narrowly, ready at the
their guns and to drive them out of the precincts
Of the palace. Mandat had moreover placed some
advanced posts of gendarmerie at the colonade of
the Louvre and the Hotel de Ville but this gem
darmerie, as we have already shown, was com
posed of old French Guards. To these defenders
of the palace must be added great number Of old
servants, whose age and whose moderation had
prevented them from emigrating, and who, in the
moment of danger had come forward, some to abb
solve themselves for not having gone to Coblontz,
others to die generously by the side of their Prince.
They had hastily provided themselves with all
the weapons that they could procure in the palace
They were armed with swords and pistols fasten-
ed to their waists by pocket handkerchiefs. Some
had even taken tongs and shovels from the fire.
places. Thus there was not want of jokes at this
awful moment, when the court ought to have
been serious at least for once. This c0ncourse of
useless persons. instead of rendering it any SER
vice, merely obstructed the National Guard
which could not reckon upon it, and tended only
to increase the confusion, which was already too
great. All the members of the Department Di-
rectory had repaired to the palace. The virtuoils
Duke de Rouchefoucalt was there. Roderer, the
pr0careM syndic, was there too. Peon was
sent for, and he repaired thither with two muni-
cipal officers. Petion was urged to sign an order
for repelling force by force, and he did sign it,
that he might not appear to be an accomplice of
the insurgents. Considerable Joy was felt in
having him at the palace, and in holding, in his
person, a hostage so dear to the people. The
Assembly, apprised Of this intention, summoned
him to the bar by decree. The King, who was
advised to detain him, refused to do so, and he
therefore left the Tuilleries without impediment
The order to repel force by force once obtained,
various opinions were expressed relative to the
manner of using it,
In this state of excitement, more than one silly
project must necessarily have presented itself.
There was one sufficiently bold, and which pro-
badly might have succeeded; this was to prevent
the attack by dispensing the insurgents, who were
not yet very numerous, and who, with the Mar
seillais, formed at most thousand men. AT this
moment, in fact the Fauxbourg St. Marceau was
not yet formed; Sauterre hesitated in the Fau-
bourg st. Antoine; Danton alone, and the Mar
seillas had ventured to form at the Cordelers and
they were waiting with mpatience at Pont St. |
Michel, for the arrival of the other assailants.
vigorous sally might have dispersed them, and at
this moment of hesitation, movement of terror
would infallibly have prevented the insurrection.
Another course more safe and legal, that pro-
posed by Mandat, namely, to await the march of
the Fauxbourgs; but, as soon as they should be
in motion. to attack them at two decisive points.
He suggested, in the first place. that when one
party Of them should debanch upon the Place Of
the Hotel de Vile, by the arcade of st. Jean, they
should be suddenly charged; and that at the Lou
vre, those who should come by the Pont Neuf,
along the quay of the Tuilleries, should be served
in the same manner. He had actually ordered the
gendarmerie posted at the colonnade to suffer the
insurgents to file past, then to charge them in the
rear, while the gendarmerie stationed at the Car
rousel was to pour through the wickets of the
Louvre, and attack them in front. The success
of such plans was almost certain. The necessary
orders had already been given by Mandat to the
commandants of the different posts, and especially
to that of the Hotel de Ville We have already
seen that new municipality had Just been formed
there. Among the members of the former, Dan
ton and Mannel only were retained. The order
was shown to this insurrectional municipality. 1t
Immediately summoned the commandant to APP
pear at the Hotel de Vile. The summons was
carried to the palace. Mandat hesitated; but
those about him and the members of the depart
ment themselves, not knowing what had happened, |
and not deeming it right yet to infringe the law
by refusing to appear, exhorted him to comply
Mandat then decided He put into the hands ofl
his son, who was with him at the palace. the
order signed by Potion to repel force by force,
and obeyed the summons of the municipality. It'll
was about o'clock in the morning On reaching