Trial and death of louis xvi

In June , he tried to escape Paris and flee to the Austrian Netherlands, where he could mount a resistance to the Revolution. Louis and his family very nearly made it, but they were recognized and arrested in the town of Varennes and escorted back to Paris by six thousand national guardsmen. As they made their way back to Paris, entire villages of armed men and women and children came out to meet the procession, to cheer the nation and harangue the king.

Colorized version of Jean-Louis Prieur's drawing depicting the return of the royal family from Varennes to Paris, following their attempt to flee to the Austrian Netherlands in June The flight to Varennes marked a turning point. The king had tried to abandon his people. Worse yet, Louis had left behind a letter in which he renounced the Revolution and claimed that all of his previous support for revolutionary legislation had been made under duress.

He had lied; he had broken faith with his people. The shift in public opinion was swift. Newspapers of a range of political positions critiqued and lampooned the king. Louis XVI depicted seated at table with his family demolishing a huge feast brought to him by a crowd of Frenchmen, British Royal Museum.

By the summer of , France was at war with Austria and Prussia, who were advancing swiftly into French territory. The people themselves came before him in his sacrifices. Nevertheless, it is in the name of these very people that one today demands Citizens, I cannot finish I stop myself before History.

Think how it will judge your judgement, and that the judgement of him will be judged by the centuries. In talking to you perhaps for the last time, I declare that my conscience reproaches me with nothing, and my defenders have told you the truth. I never feared the public examination of my conduct, but my heart is torn by the imputation that I would want to shed the blood of the people and especially that the misfortunes of August 10th be attributed to me. I avow that the many proofs that I have always acted from my love of the people, and the manner in which I have always conducted myself, seemed to prove that I did not fear to put myself forward in order to spare their blood, and forever prevent such an imputation.

Given overwhelming evidence of Louis' collusion with the invaders, the verdict was a foregone conclusion. Ultimately, deputies voted "yes" in favor of a verdict of guilty. Not a single deputy voted "no," though 26 attached some condition to their votes. Twenty-six deputies were absent from the vote, most on official business. I pledge myself that the statement of my counsel is true in every respect.

I feel inexpressibly hurt by one of your charges, viz. My soul is weighed down to the earth with the calumny, that I ever had any intention to cause the blood of the citizens to be spilt. The president then presented him a note, and begged to be informed whether he knew the hand-writing. I cannot say that I do. I remember some placed at the Feuillans, but I cannot say that these are the same. It was also decreed, that the defence should be signed by the king himself and counsel.

The remaining part of this day, and the two following, the Convention was occupied in hearing the opinions of the several members. Some were for passing sentence of death immediately: others were for referring the sentence to the primary assemblies: others, again, were for banishing him for ever, and making it death for him to return.

On the 5th of January, , the Convention received a letter from the king's counsel, containing some observations on a charge made againg the king by one of the members of the Convention, of having constantly kept two ministers, one ostensible, the other private; and for having, in consequence of this secret ministry, sent Hayman to Prussia. This exception was in consequence of a very extraordinary affectation in the princes, when they formed sentiments or Page 22 entered into negociations with foreign powers.

Louis could not prevent his brothers from abusing his name; and in a denunciation made to the national assembly on the 31st of March, in the king's name, by the minister Dumourier, of a treaty between the princes and Hohenloe, Dumourier was particularly charged to testify to the assembly how much the king was afflicted and distressed an account of this step.

Shall the appeal to the people take place? What punishment shall he suffer? The second question was then put, and there appeared a majority of against an appeal. The president then rose, and said, The National Convention doth decree, that the sentence which it shall pronounce upon Louis Capet shall not be referred to the appeal of the people. The executive council shall be summoned to meet at 11 o'clock to-morrow morning, and a copy of the decree which pronounces sentence against Louis shall be delivered them.

Page 23 2. The executive council shall be charged to notify this decree to Louis in the course of the day; to cause it to be executed within twenty-four hours after it has been notified to him; to take every measure of safety and police which to them shall appear necessary during the execution; to be careful that no insult be offered to his remains, and to give an account of their diligence to the Convention.

The council had called the mayor, the department, the commandant-general, and public accuser to their assistance. Having concerted with these the measures of execution, the minister of justice, president of the executive council, a member of council, the secretary, and two members of the department, went together to the temple about 2 o'clock, and being introduced to Louis, the president of the executive council told him, that they were charged to notify to him the extract from the minutes of the Convention, dated the 15th, 17th and 19th of January, which the secretary then read.

Louis presented them with a written paper, signed with his own hand. I demand a delay of three days, in order to make the necessary preparations to appear in the presence of God— I demand for that purpose to send for and see freely the person whom I shall name—the person whom I demand is, M.

Escheavaux de Formont; he lodges at No. I demand to be freed from that perpetual inspection, which the council general has established over me for some months. I demand in this interval, to be able to see my family as often as I shall request, and without witness.

Page 24 I would request, that the National Convention would immediately proceed to deliberate on the fate of my family, and permit them to retire freely, wherever they think proper. After this paper was read, the Convention decreed that there was no room to deliberate thereon, having anticipated the greater part of the requests, in the decree of the day before.

On the 21st, conformably to the arrangements made by the executive council, Louis was put to death at the Place de la Revolution, heretofore Place de Louis XV. Twenty-five citizens of known principles, well armed, acquainted with the manual exercise, and having each 16 rounds of shot, were chosen from each section to form a guard of men, who accompanied the unfortunate monarch to the place of execution.

Cannon were also distributed in every quarter, where it was thought they could be any way serviceable, had events made it necessary to have employed them. Page 25 Between eight and nine o'clock in the morning, Louis proceeded from his apartments in the Temple, and got into the Mayor's carriage, who accompanied him, as did also M. Louis was dressed in a brown great coat, white waistcoat, black breeches and stockings; his hair was dressed.

The procession commanded by M. Santerre, proceeded along the Boulevard, to the Place de la Revolution. One hundred Gendarmes on horseback formed an advanced guard to the procession. The rear guard was composed of one hundred national guards from the military school. He mounted the scaffold with firmness and dignity—and appeared desirous to address the people. Drums and trumpets gave the signal, and at twenty-two minutes past ten his head was severed from his body. The Place de la Revolution was so strongly guarded by troops, that no person was suffered to pass after the king had entered it, those however who had previously entered and got near enough to the scaffold, notwithstanding the noise of drums and trumpets, heard him plainly pronounce these words—"Citizens, I forgive my enemies, and I die innocent!

Louis, on mounting the scaffold, instantly took off his great coat and unfastened his shirt collar. His hair had been clubbed up close like an abbe, that no indignity might be offered him, or that it should occasion delay by hanging loose. The executioner went up to tie his arms, which the king recoiled at; but it was soon done—The executioner then took a large pair of scissars to cut off his hair, at which the king appeared very much mortified, and said, "I have put all right.

When the executioner shewed his head to the people, cries of "Vive la nation! Vive la Republic! Thus perished in the 40th year of his age, Louis XVI. All Digital Collections Login. Trial of Louis XVI. Translated from the French. Convention nationale. Table of contents Add to bookbag How to cite. I have been expecting you these three hours The mayor, without making any answer, invited him again to go down, which he determined at length to do.

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