ThePresidentoftheNationalAssemblydoesnotasktheKingtogranttotheAssemblylibertyofspeech,asisthecasewiththeEnglishHouseofCommons。TheconstitutionaldignityoftheNationalAssemblycannotdebaseitself。Speechis,inthefirstplace,oneofthenaturalrightsofmanalwaysretained;andwithrespecttotheNationalAssemblytheuseofitistheirduty,andthenationistheirauthority。TheywereelectedbythegreatestbodyofmenexercisingtherightofelectiontheEuropeanworldeversaw。Theysprungnotfromthefilthofrottenboroughs,noraretheythevassalrepresentativesofaristocraticalones。Feelingtheproperdignityoftheircharactertheysupportit。TheirParliamentarylanguage,whetherfororagainstaquestion,isfree,boldandmanly,andextendstoallthepartsandcircumstancesofthecase。Ifanymatterorsubjectrespectingtheexecutivedepartmentorthepersonwhopresidesinit（theking）comesbeforethemitisdebatedonwiththespiritofmen,andinthelanguageofgentlemen;andtheiranswerortheiraddressisreturnedinthesamestyle。Theystandnotaloofwiththegapingvacuityofvulgarignorance,norbendwiththecringeofsycophanticinsignificance。
Thegracefulprideoftruthknowsnoextremes,andpreserves,ineverylatitudeoflife,theright—angledcharacterofman。
Letusnowlooktotheothersideofthequestion。IntheaddressesoftheEnglishParliamentstotheirkingsweseeneithertheintrepidspiritoftheoldParliamentsofFrance,northeserenedignityofthepresentNationalAssembly;neitherdoweseeinthemanythingofthestyleofEnglishmanners,whichbordersomewhatonbluntness。Sincethentheyareneitherofforeignextraction,nornaturallyofEnglishproduction,theiroriginmustbesoughtforelsewhere,andthatoriginistheNormanConquest。Theyareevidentlyofthevassalageclassofmanners,andemphaticallymarktheprostratedistancethatexistsinnootherconditionofmenthanbetweentheconquerorandtheconquered。ThatthisvassalageideaandstyleofspeakingwasnotgotridofevenattheRevolutionof1688,isevidentfromthedeclarationofParliamenttoWilliamandMaryinthesewords:
\"Wedomosthumblyandfaithfullysubmitourselves,ourheirsandposterities,forever。\"Submissioniswhollyavassalageterm,repugnanttothedignityoffreedom,andanechoofthelanguageusedattheConquest。
Astheestimationofallthingsisgivenbycomparison,theRevolutionof1688,howeverfromcircumstancesitmayhavebeenexaltedbeyonditsvalue,willfinditslevel。Itisalreadyonthewane,eclipsedbytheenlargingorbofreason,andtheluminousrevolutionsofAmericaandFrance。