"
At last the king himself, inspired by the courage and energy of his
wife, ventured to oppose the decisions and decrees of the all-
powerful Assembly. It had put forth two new decrees. It had resolved
upon the deportation of all priests beyond the limits of France, and
also upon the establishment of a camp of twenty thousand men on the
Rhine frontier. With the latter there had been coupled a warning,
threatening with death all who should spend any time abroad, and
engage in any armed movement against their own country.
To both these decrees Louis refused his sanction; both he vetoed on
the 20th of June, 1792.
The populace, which thronged the doors of the National Assembly in
immense masses, among whom the emissaries of revolution had been
very active, received the news of the king's veto with a howl of
rage. The storm-birds of revolution flew through the streets, and
shouted into all the windows: "The country is in danger! The king
has been making alliances abroad. The Austrian woman wants to summon
the armies of her own land against France, and therefore the king
has vetoed the decree which punishes the betrayers of their country.
A curse on M. Veto! Down with Madame Veto! That is the cry to-day
for the revolutionary party. A curse on M. Veto! Down with Madame
Veto!"
The watch-cry rolled like a peal of thunder through all the streets
and into all the houses; and, while within their closed doors, and
in the stillness of their own homes, the well-disposed praised the
king for having the courage to protect the priests and the emigres,
the evil-disposed bellowed out their curses through all the streets,
and called upon the rabble to avenge themselves upon Monsieur and
Madame Veto.
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