question; and on account of that fact the whole system fails."[22]

The nation at large now began to take part in the debate; thoughtful
men saw that here was the turning Point between good and evil, that
the nation stood at the parting of the ways. Most of the great
commercial cities bestirred themselves and sent up remonstrances
against the new emission,--twenty-five being opposed and seven in
favor of it.

But eloquent theorists arose to glorify paper and among these, Royer,
who on September 14, 1790, put forth a pamphlet entitled "Reflections
of a patriotic Citizen on the issue of _Assignats_," in which he gave
many specious reasons of the why the _assignats_ could not be
depressed, and spoke of the argument against them as "vile clamors of
people bribed to affect public opinion." He said to the National
Assembly, "If it is necessary to create five thousand millions, and
more, of the paper, decree such a creation gladly." He, too,
predicted, as many others had done, a time when gold was to lose all
its value, since all exchanges would be made with this admirable,
guaranteed paper, and therefore that coin would come out from the
places where it was hoarded. He foretold prosperous times to France
in case these great issues of paper were continued and declared these
"the only means to insure happiness, glory and liberty to the French
nation." Speeches like this gave courage to a new swarm of
theorists,--it began to be especially noted that men who had never
shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded
in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country
at large.

Greatest force of all, on September 27, 1790, came Mirabeau's final