[p. 548]
The sixth article is freedom of movement in the old sense of the word. – The King conceded it, even before the lapse of a year after the declaration of intent of one who wished to emigrate, as had formerly been determined, even in the case of serfdom, without having to buy oneself out of it. But since emigration at the same time concerns a relation to other states, he insisted on the principle of reciprocity with regard to the tax on removal of property.
The negotiating commissioners of the estates had laid these articles before him with the peremptory declaration that without their recognition by treaty no happy result of the negotiations was to be hoped for, and the co-operation of the estates, even in the present distress, was absolutely impossible; that they must therefore request that the King should now already, and before further action was taken, give a satisfactory declaration, and indeed not only for the quieting of the assembly but also of the public at home and even abroad. – The King, who overlooked even the glaring feature that the assembly made its co-operation in the exertions of the state then required dependent on the submission of the King to its will, to take place at once and before further action was taken, as well as such a form of negotiation, to begin by laying down disconnected, indeterminate, in part meagre preliminary articles, and who met the estates with great compliance in respect of the material side, added, for the rest, that his resolutions rest on unalterable principles, that on this basis the negotiation with the deputies of the estates of the realm should be continued and an attempt made to bring about an agreement.
The estates, however, did not continue these negotiations. Their hitherto customary way of remaining standing at the demand for what is merely formal could have appeared justified by the important concessions which they had obtained from the King on this path, if they had now entered into the
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