Reflections on the Revolution in France

vous proposez; c’est ce qui doit en être le fruit. Mais le peuple qui vous y intéressez, quel avantage peut-il y trouver? En vous servant sans cesse de lui, que faites-vous pour lui? Rien, absolument rien; et, au contraire, vous faites ce qui ne conduit qu’à l’accabler de nouvelles charges. Vous avez rejeté, à son préjudice, une offre de 400 millions, dont l’acceptation pouvoit devenir un moyen de soulagement en sa faveur; et à cette ressource, aussi profitable que légitime, vous avez substitué une injustice ruineuse, qui, de votre propre aveu, charge le trésor public, et par consequent le peuple, d’un surcroît de dépense annuelle de 50 millions an moins, et d’un remboursement de 150 millions.

“Malheureux peuple! voilà ce que vous vaut en dernier résultat l’expropriation de l’Église, et la dureté des décrets taxateurs du traitement des ministres d’une religion bienfaisante; et désormais ils scront à votre charge: leurs charités soulageoient les pauvres; et vous allez être imposés pour subvenir à leur entretien!”⁠—De l’État de la France, p. 81. See also p. 92, and the following pages. ↩

N.B.⁠—M. Mounier was then speaker of the National Assembly. He has since been obliged to live in exile, though one of the firmest assertors of liberty. ↩

Colophon

Reflections on the Revolution in France
was published in 1790 by
Edmund Burke.

This ebook was produced for
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Weijia Cheng,
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The cover page is adapted from
Death of the Princess de Lamballe,
a painting completed in 1908 by
Maxime Faivre.
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Uncopyright

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