Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Trial of the Ministers. ? Expectations of all parties excited.? Distress of the Palais-Royal. ? The whole hope of the Court in Lafayette. ? Flattery and Promises resorted to. ? Lafayette proposes the Abolition of Capital Punishment. ? State of the Public Mind. ? Lafayette endeavors to save the Lives of the accused. ? Compromises his Popularity. ? Result of the Trial. ? The Court's Ingratitude. The difference iu opinions and political views, which separated Lafayette from the men of the 7th of August had gone on continually increasing, when the approaching trial of the ministers, induced the Court to exhibit a more conciliatory disposition towards the Chief of the National Guards of the kingdom. The unmerited suspicion, absurd jealousy and low sarcasm, with which the noble general had hitherto been treated, all at once gave placeto marks of the most unlimited confidence and respect, and a display of almost filial affection. Lafayette did not attach to those attentions, greater value than they deserved. He pitied the feeling which dictated them, and though he foresaw that they would soon have an end, he did not, on that account, allow himself to be moved from his resolution of performing his duty in every particular; and, if necessary, of sacrificing his popularity, to preserve the honor of the revolution of July. His attachment to this revolution approached almost to fanaticism; and the object of all his thoughts was to make it descend to posterity as the beau ideal of popular omnipotence. To any other than Lafayette, the design of saving the lives of men, whose hands were still red with theblood of thousands of patriots, slain but a few days ago, would have presented insurmountable difficulties. The popularity of any one but himself would inevitably have...