Paris with our armies? To which I answer in four words--_It is not true_."

Under the pretence that General Lafayette was meditating some plan hostile
to the cause of liberty, or designed to aid the King in another attempt to
escape from France, three commissioners were sent to counteract his
movements. But he was notified of their appointment, and ordered their
arrest before they reached his army. He knew they were deputed by a
faction, and hoped the assembly would return to more moderate and just
views. He addressed the following letter to the troops under his command.
"It is no longer time to conceal from you what is going forward. The
constitution you swore to maintain is no more; a troop of factious men
besieged the palace of the Tuilleries; the national and Swiss guards made a
brave resistance, but they were obliged to surrender, and were inhumanly
murdered. The King, Queen and all the royal family escaped to the National
Assembly; the factious ran thither, holding a sword in one hand and fire in
the other, and forced the legislative body to supersede the King, which was
done for the sake of saving his life. Citizens, you are no longer
represented; the National Assembly are in a state of slavery; Petion
reigns; the savage Danton and his satellites are masters. Thus it is for
you to determine whether you will support the hereditary representative of
the throne, or submit to the disgrace of having a Petion for your king."

The appeal was in vain. Though a momentary respond was given by the
soldiers to the sentiments of their magnanimous commander, the baleful
influence of faction had corrupted many of them; and finding himself robbed
of the confidence of the army, as well as of the assembly, and thus
deprived of all hope of being useful to his country, he quitted France,
with an intention of retiring to America, where he had just reason to
expect a grateful reception.