Letter of Lafayette on leaving Paris to join his army, after having
appeared at the bar of the National Assembly, and protested against their
proceedings, the last of June.


"Gentlemen--In returning to the post where brave soldiers are ready to die
for the constitution, but ought not and will not lavish their blood except
for that, I go with great and deep regret in not being able to inform the
army, that the National Assembly have yet deigned to come to any
determination on my petition. [alluding to the request in his letter to the
assembly a short time before, to suppress the Jacobin clubs.] The voice of
all the good citizens of the kingdom, which some factious clamours strive
to stifle, daily call to the elected representatives of the people, that
while there exists near them a sect who fetter all the authorities, and
menace their independence; and who, after provoking war, are endeavoring,
by changing the nature of our cause, to make it impossible to defend it;
that while there is cause to blush at the impunity of an act of treason
against the nation, which has raised just and great alarms in the minds of
all the French, and universal indignation; our liberty, laws and honor are
in danger. Truths like these, free and generous souls are not afraid of
speaking. Hostile to the factious of every kind, indignant at cowards that
can sink so low as to look for foreign interposition, and impressed with
the principle, which I glory in being the first to declare to France, _that
all illegal power is oppression, against which resistance becomes a duty_,
we are anxious to make known our fears to the legislative body. We hope
that the prudence of the representatives of the people will relieve our
minds of them. As for me, gentlemen, who will never alter my principles,
sentiments or language, I thought that the National Assembly, considering
the urgency and danger of circumstances, would permit me to add my regrets