Armand Gensonné

Girondin Party
The French National Convention, 1792

The French National Convention stands today at a historic crossroads as it considers the fate of
King Louis XVI and the future of la patrie. It is imperative that we, as the chosen representatives
of the people, work together to address the problems plaguing the country to prevent its descent
into chaos and division. France must be ready to face the threat to liberty posed by the Hapsburg
ruler Francis II and the rest of Europe. It must unite to solidify its borders and prove the
legitimacy of the Republic. Some of the most important goals of the Girondin Party are to
endow the French citizen with the inalienable rights he has long been deprived of and to create a
system of governance impervious to despotism and tyranny.1
I urge the National Convention to decide on the actions to be taken regarding King Louis XVI
and war with the Hapsburg empire. Some members of the opposing parties believe that King
Louis XVI, having been stripped of his monarchial status and made a citizen, can be judged by
the National Convention.2 I implore them to see the inaccuracy in their beliefs as French citizens
are tried in court and not by the National Convention. As it would be ill fit to leave the fate of
King Louis XVI in the hands of a few judges, I argue that King Louis XVI, neither monarch nor
citizen, must be tried by the people in the truest show of democracy.3 To protect the French
Republic from external disruptive forces, the National Convention must send a strong message to
the Hapsburg ruler Francis II. We must show Europe that we are not an uprising that can be
crushed, but a mammoth movement that cannot be contained.
Rural land reform needs to be initiated to bridge the income inequality that plagues the nation.
The large estates controlled by the church and nobility must be nationalized and assigned to
farmers for agricultural purposes. Moreover, the tithes and feudal dues owed by peasants to the
church and nobility too must be abolished. An open market economy should be established free
from the restrictions posed by the guild system and the inefficiency caused by corruption and
partiality to ensure the economic prosperity of the French people and the resolution of France’s
national debt.4 Fair taxation legislation needs to be passed such that citizens agree to the taxes
imposed on them through the decisions of their representatives and they are aware of the use of
such tax revenue. To ensure the economic welfare of all French people, taxes should be imposed

1
Maury, Jean-Pierre. Constitution De 1875, 3e République, France, MJP, Université De Perpignan. Accessed
January 27, 2019. http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/france/co1793pr.htm#d.
2
Lee, Guy Carton. The World's Orators: Comprising the Great Orations of the World's History with Introductory
Essays, Biographical Sketches and Critical Notes. Vol. 5. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1905.
3
Lee, Guy Carton. The World's Orators: Comprising the Great Orations of the World's History with Introductory
Essays, Biographical Sketches and Critical Notes. Vol. 5. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1905.
4
White, Eugene Nelson. "The French Revolution and the Politics of Government Finance, 1770-
1815." The Journal of Economic History 55, no. 2 (1995): 227-55.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2123552.
only on income additional to that required for sustenance and ought to be charged as a proportion
of income.
Furthermore, the government must spend on social security to assure food and lodging for all.
The revenue for such ventures can be derived from the additional tax income from the former
nobility and clergy as well as the nationalization of land. In addition to guaranteeing economic
justice, the Republic must also extend political rights to all men regardless of their wealth and
land holdings. It is the essential duty of the Republic to ensure that the actions of the government
always represent the national will.5 Therefore, political rights should include not only the right to
vote but also the right to censure proposed resolutions. Representatives of the National
Convention, the future of France is currently a blank slate. Let us paint it such that da Vinci be
put to shame.

5
Maury, Jean-Pierre. Constitution De 1875, 3e République, France, MJP, Université De Perpignan. Accessed
January 27, 2019. http://mjp.univ-perp.fr/france/co1793pr.htm#d.