The people of Lyons, it seems,
have refused lately to pay taxes. Why should they not? What lawful
authority is there left to exact them? The king imposed some of
them. The old states, methodized by orders, settled the more
ancient. They may say to the Assembly: who are you, that are not our
kings, nor the states we have elected, nor sit on the principles on
which we have elected you? And who are we, that when we see the
gabelles, which you have ordered to be paid, wholly shaken off, when
we see the act of disobedience afterwards ratified by yourselves-
who are we, that we are not to judge what taxes we ought or ought
not to pay, and are not to avail ourselves of the same powers, the
validity of which you have approved in others? To this the answer
is, We will send troops. The last reason of kings is always the
first with your Assembly. This military aid may serve for a time,
whilst the impression of the increase of pay remains, and the vanity
of being umpires in all disputes is flattered. But this weapon will
snap short, unfaithful to the hand that employs it. The Assembly
keep a school where, systematically, and with unremitting
perseverance, they teach principles and form regulations destructive
to all spirit of subordination, civil and military- and then they
expect that they shall hold in obedience an anarchic people by an
anarchic army.
The municipal army which, according to the new policy, is to
balance this national army, if considered in itself only, is of a
constitution much more simple, and in every respect less
exceptionable.
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