Morris, "to burn my
instructions from the noblesse, which engage me absolutely to favor the
vote by orders and not by persons, and, should this produce an
irrevocable rupture with my electors, boldly to take my stand with the
tiers etat. I have seen Necker to-day and he is as far as ever from a
solution of this great and first question which must come up before the
States-General. Indeed, there is but one rational solution, and I must
disregard my instructions in an endeavor to bring it about."
"I would advise you to resign your seat!" said Mr. Morris, bluntly. "You
have been elected by an order in whose principles you no longer
believe. Should you continue their representative your conscience will
be continually at war with your duty. Should you break away from your
constituency you will offer an example of insubordination and
lawlessness which may have the most deplorable results."
"I cannot agree with you, Mr. Morris," broke in Mr. Jefferson, warmly.
"In the desperate pass to which affairs are already come in this nation,
desperate remedies must be employed. Shall Monsieur de Lafayette deprive
the tiers etat of his enthusiasm, his earnest convictions, his talents,
when, by an act of courage, entirely in accord with his conscience, he
can become one of them and can lead them to victory and to that fusion
with the other orders which is so vital to the usefulness, nay, to the
very life of the States-General?"
"In my opinion there is less need that Monsieur de Lafayette should lead
the tiers etat--they will travel fast enough, I think," says Mr.
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