MIRABEAU Honoré-Gabriel de Riquetti, comte de (1749-1791) le grand orateur des débuts de la Révolution

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MIRABEAU Honoré-Gabriel de Riquetti, comte de (1749-1791) le grand orateur des débuts de la Révolution
MANUSCRIPT with autograph additions and corrections, the 2nd fragment signed "Le Cte de Mirabeau" and dated 18 May 1790; 15 pages in-4 (notarial inventory notes). Speech on the law of war and peace, and draft decree. Fragments of Mirabeau's speeches in the discussion of the constitutional question of whether the Nation should delegate to the King the exercise of the law of peace and war. An important 12-page fragment (on 3 double leaves, numbered 2, 8 and the conclusion), signed and dated 18 May 1790, comes from the draft of his speech delivered on 20 May 1790 in the National Assembly, dictated to two different secretaries, and heavily corrected by Mirabeau; three pages are the draft of the draft decree presented on 22 May, after a new speech. The texts have been collected in Mirabeau's Works. Les Discours (Fasquelle, 1921, pp. 35-83). In his discourse, Mirabeau crossed out some passages, and intervened to modify his writing and insert additions that were sometimes important. Let us quote this one: "Is it, then, only a defensive war; or the enemy has committed hostilities, that is war, or without hostilities, the enemy's preparations announce its purpose and already by this alone peace no longer exists. The war has begun. There is a third case; it is when it must be decided whether a right that has been established or usurped will be taken back or maintained by force of arms, and I shall not forget to mention it. But so far I do not see that there can be any question of the Legislature deliberating. The moment will come when the preparations for defence, which exceed the ordinary funds, will be denounced to him, and I will make known what his rights are then" . The conclusion of the speech is complete; Mirabeau adds in particular with his hand: "And then I propose to decree as constitutional articles 1° that the exercise of the right to make peace or war will be delegated concurrently to the legislative power and to the executive power in the following manner"... In the draft decree, of which only the first three articles are missing (the end of the 4th has been crossed out, and the other articles (5° to 11°) renumbered from 4° to 10°, Mirabeau intervened in particular to remove the right of the Legislature to require the Executive to take the means to negotiate peace, and to refine the clause on the possible improbation of the Legislature from war, obliging the Executive to stop it, "the ministers remaining responsible for the delays".
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