Louis was now more embarrassed than ever ; and his frame and powers of mind, as well as his habits, were by no means equal to prompt and vigorous decision, or to per severing and consistent conduct ; nor does he seem to have been fully aware of the bad consequences which would re sult from the display and exercise of a stretch of authority, which interest or prudence might induce him soon to relax. His first action, after leaving the Assembly, was one of vigour and boldness. The Duke of Orleans was banished to one of his seats ; lettres de cachet were issued against two of the members of the parliament, who had been most violent in the debate. To the remonstrances of the parlia ment against those proceedings, Louis at first replied in authoritative language ; but about the beginning of 1788, he yielded, and the Duke of Orleans was recalled, and the two members liberated.
Hitherto the parliament of Paris had confined its efforts to opposing the measures of the King ; or, when they did advert to the establishment of civil and political liberty in France, it was only in general terms ; but they now di rected their invectives against &tires de cachet, which had the previous year been remonstrated against by the par liament of Grenoble. These invectives again excited the severity of Louis ; the parliament was surrounded by troops, and the obnoxious members seized. Their lan guage on this occasion was even more bold that it had ever been before ; as they did not hesitate to tell the King, that his authority could only be esteemed and supported so long as it was founded on justice. Compared with this opposition to the royal will, the measures of the Notables hail been mild and respectful ; and Louis therefore resolv ed to assemble them again. As soon as they met, the keeper of the seals explained his Majesty's pleasure, that a cour plenicre should be established; this proposition was favour ably received by the Notables, but the parliament of Pa ris protested against it. This opposition, in connection with some serious disturbances that took place in the ca pital, at length induced Louis to recal Neckar to the ad ministration.
This minister soon perceived that the royal authority was very considerably weakened since he was in power be fore, and that he had only the choice of difficult, and even hazardous expedients. But decision was absolutely ne cessary: and as it was of the utmost importance for the King to regain the confidence and loyalty of his subjects, the minister strongly recommended that the States-General should be assembled. From the opposition which the par
liament of Paris made to this measure, he augured that it would at least serve to diminish their influence.
The principal difficulty respecting the States-General, arose from the opposition of the nobility and clergy to the representatives of the Commons being equal in number to the other two orders united. The Count D'Artois headed the party, which contended that the representatives of the Commons ought to be confined to a third in number of the States-General. The opinion of the Duke of Orleans was supported by Neckar, and sanctioned by the King. The number of deputies was fixed at upwards of 1000, and the representatives of the Commons were to be returned ac cording to the population of the different districts of the kingdom.
On the 5th of May, 1789, the assembly of the States General was opened by the King at Versailles. His Ma jesty's speech was conciliating and prudent ; he did not affect to conceal the discontents of the people, while he expressed his firm conviction that the causes of these dis contents, so far as they were real and just, would be re moved by the wisdom and patriotism of the Assembly. Ile no longer used the language of a sovereign, who ex pected implicit obedience to his will ; on the contrary, he xpressly represented his power as that of a just king, in the midst of a people faithful and ever devoted to the prin ciples of the monarchy. The speech of Neckar was by no means calculated to strengthen the good effects of the speech of the King ; as he represented the assembling of the States-General, not as a constitutional'right, but as the t ffect of royal compliance. He thus excited the suspicion and ill Ns ill of the third estate, while he did not conciliate those who had all along regarded him as the enemy of the of the other branches of the Assembly.
A difficulty not unforeseen, arose in the very first meet ing ; for the nobility and clergy seemed resolved to decide every question by a majority of the orders taken separate ly, and, as a preliminary step, retired to their respective chambers to verify their votes. To this the commons strongly objected : but as their objections were not attend ed to, they proceeded to business separately ; the nobility did the same ; the clergy, however, offered their media tion between the contending parties.