Having flattered itself that it could combine in itself all the powers of the State, and exercise them as Louis XVI.had done, the Assembly very soon exercised none whatever.
As its authority failed anarchy increased.The popular leaders continually stirred up the people.Riot and insurrection became the sole power.Every day the Assembly was invaded by rowdy and imperious delegations which operated by means of threats and demands.
All these popular movements, which the Assembly, under the stress of fear, invariably obeyed, had nothing spontaneous about them.
They simply represented the manifestations of new powers--the clubs and the Commune--which had been set up beside the Assembly.
The most powerful of these clubs was the Jacobin, which had quickly created more than five hundred branches in the country, all of which were under the orders of the central body.Its influence remained preponderant during the whole duration of the Revolution.It was the master of the Assembly, and then of France, its only rival the insurrectionary Commune, whose power was exercised only in Paris.
The weakness of the national Assembly and all its failures had made it extremely unpopular.It became conscious of this, and, feeling that it was every day more powerless, decided to hasten the creation of the new Constitution in order that it might dissolve.Its last action, which was tactless enough, was to decree that no member of the Constituent Assembly should be elected to the Legislative Assembly.The members of the latter were thus deprived of the experience acquired by their predecessors.
The Constitution was completed on the 3rd of September, 1791, and accepted on the 13th by the king, to whom the Assembly had restored his powers.
This Constitution organised a representative Government, delegating the legislative power to deputies elected by the people, and the executive power to the king, whose right of veto over the decrees of the Assembly was recognised.New departmental divisions were substituted for the old provinces.
The imposts were abolished, and replaced by direct and indirect taxes, which are still in force.
The Assembly, which had just altered the territorial divisions and overthrown all the old social organisation, thought itself powerful enough to transform the religious organisation of the country also.It claimed notably that the members of the clergy should be elected by the people, and should be thus withdrawn from the influence of their supreme head, the Pope.
This civil constitution of the clergy was the origin of religious struggles and persecutions which lasted until the days of the Consulate.Two-thirds of the priests refused the oath demanded of them.
During the three years which represented the life of the Constituent Assembly the Revolution had produced considerable results.The principal result was perhaps the beginning of the transference to the Third Estate of the riches of the privileged classes.In this way while interests were created to be defended fervent adherents were raised up to the new regime.ARevolution supported by the gratification of acquired appetites is bound to be powerful.The Third Estate, which had supplanted the nobles, and the peasants, who had bought the national domains, would readily understand that the restoration of the ancien regime would despoil them of all their advantages.
The energetic defence of the Revolution was merely the defence of their own fortunes.
This is why we see, during part of the Revolution, nearly half the departments vainly rising against the despotism that crushed them.The Republicans triumphed over all opposition.They were extremely powerful in that they had to defend, not only a new ideal, but new material interests.We shall see that the influence of these two factors lasted during the whole of the Revolution, and contributed powerfully to the establishment of the Empire.
