But
to balance it, he brought forward savings and improvements of
revenue (considered as entirely certain) to rather more than the
amount of that deficiency; and he concludes with these emphatical
words (p. 39), "Quel pays, Messieurs, que celui, ou, sans impots et
avec de simples objets inappercus, on peut faire disparoitre un
deficit qui a fait tant de bruit en Europe". As to the
reimbursement, the sinking of debt, and the other great objects of
public credit and political arrangement indicated in Mons. Necker's
speech, no doubt could be entertained but that a very moderate and
proportioned assessment on the citizens without distinction would have
provided for all of them to the fullest extent of their demand.
If this representation of Mons. Necker was false, then the
Assembly are in the highest degree culpable for having forced the king
to accept as his minister and, since the king's deposition, for having
employed as their minister a man who had been capable of abusing so
notoriously the confidence of his master and their own, in a matter,
too, of the highest moment and directly appertaining to his particular
office. But if the representation was exact (as having always, along
with you, conceived a high degree of respect for M. Necker, I make
no doubt it was), then what can be said in favor of those who, instead
of moderate, reasonable, and general contribution, have in cold blood,
and impelled by no necessity, had recourse to a partial and cruel
confiscation?
Was that contribution refused on a pretext of privilege, either on
the part of the clergy or on that of the nobility? No, certainly.
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