Political Unrest and Instability in France - Essay Example

Cahiers De Doléances Comparison of demands Due to the growing political unrest and instability, Louis XVI summoned the E s General in 1788 to offer their grievances so the state of affairs could be improved. In response to this call, all the three estates – clergy, nobles, and peasants – prepared cahiers de doléances, or grievances in which they voiced their specific concerns over the injustice, tyranny and the prevailing lawlessness in the country. To address this state of affairs, each of the estate demanded radical changes in the constitution. The main areas of changes were the justice system, taxation and the constitution. The constitutional changes were the main focus of their grievances. However, the most interesting thing of these cahiers de doléances, or grievances is the fact that none of the estates demanded to abolish monarch, rather, they all wanted that France should remain a strong monarchy. According to the clergy of the bailliage of Blois, there was nothing wrong in the constitution and the clergy never needed reform in the constitution. However, as the opportunity was thrust upon them to express their grievances, they aspired that “France is a true monarchy, where a single man rules and is ruled by law alone”. They also acknowledged the right of the king to rule France stating that “we recognize as king him to whom the crown belongs by hereditary right according to the Salic law.” The further remarkable demand on the part of the first estate was that of acknowledgment of all the three estates as “equal in power and independent of each other, n such a manner that their unanimous consent is necessary to the expression the nation’s will.” The personal rights of individuals were also a significant demand made by the first estate which was also supported by the Nobility of Blois which placed even greater emphasis on the individual liberty stating that it is “a right equality sacred for citizens of all ranks and classes, with distinction or precedence…” Concerning the constitutional process, the clergy had demanded that “the general laws of the kingdom may be enacted only with the consent of the king and the nation”. However, the Nobility enhanced this demand by restricting the “legislative powers to reside exclusively in the assembly of the nation, under the sanction of the king” with granting the king authority to enjoy the full extent of executive powers necessary to insure the execution of the laws. The third Estate of Versailles also made their demand the same way stating that the power of making laws resides in the king and nation.1 However, they stressed that the assembly alone had the right of making laws on behalf of the nation. Though the Third Estate was the most oppressed one and overburdened with taxation, their support for monarchy seems very unrealistic when they say glory…the happiness of the nation must…depend upon that of its king, upon the stability of the monarchy, and upon the preservation of the orders which compose it and of the fundamental laws which govern it.”2 Taxation was the most important concern of all the classes as it had become excessive and overburdening especially the Third Estate. The clergy remarked upon taxation saying that, “[I]t will be necessary for the States General, in order to bring within reasonable limits the burden of taxation, which has become excessive…”3 The Second Estate, the Nobility was not much affected by the excessive taxes, rather it enjoyed the privileges inherited through ages, thus it offered to relinquish the right of not paying the taxes and surrendered its ancient privilege and asked the assembly to examine and reform the mass of taxes. The Third Estate, while embracing virtually all of the reforms proposed by the other estates, added that “all taxes are burdensome and oppressive” and that they shall be replaced with other taxes, less complicated and easier of collection. 2. Similarity of two classes After due consideration of the demands presented by all the three estates, we can conclude that the Clergy and the Nobility are the two classes more similar in their demands, their views on monarchy and their social status. Both these classes enjoyed specific privileges before the French Revolution and the Third Estate was the most oppressed one and aggrieved. Thus, their views regarding reforms and constitutional setup were similar in contrast with the Third Estate. That is why, both the classes were in support of a strong monarchy in France and offered little to change the status quo. The very first paragraph of the Cahier of 1789 presented by the Clergy of Blois and Romorantin is striking in which the Clergy say that they “never believed that constitution needed reform. Nothing is wanting to assure the welfare of the king and people. Their main concern for change was only for the sake of religious observations. Similarly, when the Second Estate spoke of constitutional changes, their main concern was the acquisition of “happiness” through individual liberty. As both the classes were financially established and were in position of gaining instead of giving away to the monarchy, their demand for taxation reform was also different from that of the Third Estate. Before the French Revolution, it was the Third Estate that had to suffer heavily because of oppressive and excessive taxation while the First and the Second Estates were ironically exempted from taxes. Thus, when they were invited by the King to make their list of grievances, they offered voluntarily to relinquish the various financial rights, sensing that there was a social upheaval just nearing. According to the Clergy Class, they “desired to sustain the Burdon of taxation in common with other subjects of the king.” Similarly, the Nobility also offered to surrender their ancient privilege of exemption from paying taxes. The second similarity in both the classes is their desire to retain their social status. For the Clergy Class, the preservation of Catholicism was more important and they demanded Catholic faith only will be taught and professed publicly and in services and teachings. Just on this pattern, the Nobility was more curious, in the wake of social upheaval, to retain their so-called “ “honorific distinctions.” Thus, we can say that the Clergy and the Nobility classes were most similar than the Third Estate which was much oppressed and aggrieved. The first two classes enjoyed specific privileges and were financially and socially well established and for them the reformation in the existing status quo was not a matter of great concern, rather they perceived reformation in their own perspectives and wanted to do it in their own advantages. References 1. Cahier of 1789, The Clergy of Blois and Romorantin available online from http://history.hanover.edu/texts/cahiers1.html 2. Cahier of 1789, The Nobility of Blois. Available online from http://history.hanover.edu/texts/cahiers2.html 3. Cahier of 1789, The Third Estate of Versaille. Available online from http://history.hanover.edu/texts/cahiers3.html Read More