John Brown Cutting to John Adams, July 24, 1789

Bordeaux 24 th July 1789

My Dear Sir

By a vessel that departs from hence in half an hour bound for the
Potowmack I send you some authentic papers which contain details of the late revolution
in the government of France. 1 M r Jefferson’s last letter to me is
dated on the 16 th. He confirms most of the facts contained
in the printed letter of M. Nairac and in the “Extrait d’une lettre de Paris”—and
concludes by remarking that tho’ the people of Paris are still in such a heat in
consequence of the late bloodshed that they distrust the royal word and continue
arming—yet that he (M r Jefferson) believes that the king is
now perfectly sincere in his surrender at discretion to the states general and will do
whatsoever they desire him. 2 All the
troops that were lately assembled in the vicinity of Versailles and Paris are actually
on their march to the frontier towns of the kingdom

The Queen, it is whisperd, has retired into a Convent of which she
is foundress—for the present—near Versailles. Madam De Polinac has escaped to England.
Count D’Artois has fled to his brother in law the King of Sardinia. The Condee’s,
Conte’s Marschal de Broglio and those ministers and instruments of the court cabal who
had the temerity to assemble forty thousand troops to overawe, or dissolve the states
general and crush every hope of a thorough national reform have been most egregiously
out-general’d and miserably defeated. 3 A
number of those capital culprits will be impeach’d. The soldiers the subaltern officers,
the inferior clergy the lower middling and opulent classes in the cities and many patent
nobles and great land holders in the country are so united in sentiment upon this great
occasion and the spirit of the nation is so hot for the measure that nothing can prevent
it but a miraculous mitigation of the public temper. M. Neckar on the contrary and Count
Montmorrin, the two honest ministers whose dismission from office of late exile was the
signal of conflict between the Court and Country—will doubtless be re-instated 4

On the 17 th of July the King entered
Paris guarded by the burgers only and the late President of the Commons, M. Bailly, now
Mayor of Paris delivered to him the keys of that capital with a speech which I am told
was to the following effect. “These keys that Henry the fourth restored to the City
which he had conquer’d; in the name of the City are now restored to his descendent whom
we have conquer’d.” 5

The Marquis La Fayette being nominated by the armed Burgers of
Paris commander in chief of their forces the states general approved the appointment and
the king countersigning his commission has confirmed it. At this moment it is
unquestionably the first command in the nation. The most moderate accounts state the
number of armed people in Paris at two hundred thousand.

The french troops for refusing to butcher their fellow citizens
when that blind old bigot De Brolio, 6 instigated by a corrupt junto of courtesans and courtiers, not only commanded but
endeavoured to seduce them to do it by an offer of the whole pillage of Paris—it is said
have not only in general acquir’d credit but a part of them in particular have obtain’d
renown and the universal applause of the country for their gallant deeds in behalf of
their bleeding brethren the burgers, in whose ranks they fought till the mercenary
germans were repuls’d and then led on the same city band to attack the arsenal and storm
the bastile. In the display of this honourable generous and manly spirit which guided,
emulated and guarded those neighbours whom they were commanded to slaughter the corps of
french guards was greatly distinguish’d—especially in that daring assault of the bastile
the success of which dismayed their enemies and still astonishes the nation. This same
bastile is now level’d in the dust and razed to its lowest foundations. Most of the
french guards I understand and many soldiers also of other royal regiments are now
incorporated with the armd burgers of Paris who with reason love & cherish them and
from whose associations they are never again to seperate. Perhaps this single
circumstance may partly account for the immense number of parisians in arms—now under
command of the Marquis. The same soul and spirit pervades the provinces—nor does it
appear that in any quarter of the kingdom there exists the shadow of an opposition to
the measures of the states general nor one murmur of sympathy in favour of the court or
king.

In a word the monarch & his ministers mistook the temper of the
times and grossly miscalculated both in despising the intrepidity of citizens and
disbelieving the patriotism of soldiers. I rejoice that their error is as irretrievable
as it is conspicuous. I rejoice that the people are triumphant—that the rights of man
are asserted—that freedom prospers—that tyranny withers—and that despotism is dying—in
France.

Will M rs Adams and yourself have the
goodness thus abruptly to accept my best compliments and believe me always to be / with
unalterable affection / and respect / Your Most Obed Serv t.

John Brown Cutting