municipalities and also department and district administrations, these
are one-half renewable annually. Every first of May the fountain-head
of authority flows afresh, the people in its primary assemblies,
spontaneously formed, manifesting or changing at will its staff of
clerks. -- In the third place, even when installed and at work, the
people may, if it pleases, become their collaborator: means are
provided for "deliberating" with its deputies. The latter, on
incidental questions, those of slight importance, on the ordinary
business of the year, may enact laws; but on matters of general,
considerable and permanent interest, they are simply to propose the
laws, while, especially as regards a declaration of war, the people
alone must decide. The people have a suspensive veto and, finally, a
definitive veto, which they may exercise when they please. To this
end, they may assemble in extraordinary session; one-fifth of the
citizens who have the right to vote suffice for their convocation.
Once convoked, the vote is determined by a Yes or a No on the act
proposed by the legislative body. If, at the expiration of forty
days, one-tenth of the primary assemblies in one-half of the
departments vote No, there is a suspensive veto. In that event all
the primary assemblies of the Republic must be convoked and if the
majority still decides in the negative, that is a definitive veto.
The same formalities govern a revision of the established
constitution. -- In all this, the plan of the "Montagnards" is a
further advance on that of the Girondins; never was so insignificant a
part assigned to the rulers nor so extensive a part to the governed.
The Jacobins profess a respect for the popular initiative which
amounts to a scruple.[9] According to them the sovereign people should
be sovereign de facto, permanently, and without interregnum, allowed
to interfere in all serious affairs, and not only possess the right,
but the faculty, of imposing its will on its mandatories. -- All the