Proceedings of the Quinze–Vingts Section
Annotation
In late July and early August 1792, amid ongoing rancor over the King’s role in the government and fears that he would betray the nation to the invading Prussians, various Parisian sections began petitioning for Louis to be deposed. In the text below, the radical "Section of the 300" decides to join with other sections in a demonstration being organized against the King.
Text
3 August 1792
A delegation from Saint-Marcel came to request to be allowed to march under arms to the National Assembly with their brothers from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine next Sunday, the 5th of this month. Based on the unanimous agreement of all citizens making up the sectional assembly it was decreed:
1. That they would assemble with the citizens of the Faubourg Saint-Marcel promptly at nine o'clock in the morning on the Place de la Bastille;
2. That the drums would beat general quarters in the morning;
3. That the appointed commissioners would inform the other forty-seven sections, which would be asked to send notice of their wishes to the Assembly tomorrow evening, inviting them to assemble and conduct an armed march together. Citizens Desequelle and Huguenin have been appointed this task.
4. It has tasked citizens Duclos, Carré, Menant, and Leduc to teach their brothers The Marseillais and to invite them to join with them under arms.
4 August 1792
The Assembly sensed that the views of the mayor, as well as of those officers he sent to the assembly, were fair and decided that it would rescind yesterday's decision about tomorrow. The Assembly has decided to wait patiently and peaceably, and to keep a close watch until next Thursday at eleven o'clock in the evening, when it will announce its decision. However, if the legislative body fails to be just and fair with the people prior to Thursday at eleven o'clock in the evening, then at midnight they will sound the alarm and the drums will beat general quarters and everyone will rise up as one.
9 August 1792
~
It was decided that in order to save our country we would act upon a proposal by a member of the Paris section. This consisted of naming three commissioners per section who would join the commune and notify us of ways to promptly save the State, and that we would only take orders from the assembled commissioners from a majority of the assembled sections. Rossignol, Huguenin, and Balin were appointed to represent the Quinze-Vingts section.
Then we heard the alarm sounded, and at that moment the Assembly went into permanent session.
Afterwards, a letter arrived from Rossignol, one of the commissioners in the city hall, requesting that the alarm be delayed until the commissioners who had come together from the sections had taken the steps necessitated by the circumstances.
A member proposed having the battalion assemble under arms, and the assembly, in the person of its president, ordered the second-in-command of said battalion to have it march to where our country's defenders were needed.
[signed]
Miette, secretary.
Credits
Philippe-Joseph-Benjamin Buchez and Prosper-Charles Roux, Histoire parlementaire de la Révolution Française (Paulin: Paris, 1834–38), 16:403–8.