Mud， mortar， plaster， stones are thrown at them， and they are severely pummeled. M. Mézières， in the Rue du Dauphin， is seized by the throat， and a woman strikes at him， which he parries. In the Rue St.
Honoré， a number of men in red caps surround M. Regnault-Beauceron， and decide to "string him up at the lantern"； a man in his jacket had already grabbed him from behind and raised him up， when the grenadiers of Sainte-Opportune arrive in time to set him free. In the Rue St.
Louis， M. Deuzy， repeatedly struck on the back with stones， has a saber twice raised over his head. In the Passage des Feuillants， M.
Desbois is pummeled， and a "snuff-box， his pocket-book， and cane" are stolen from him. In the lobbies of the Assembly， M. Girardin is on the point of being assassinated.[58] Eight deputies besides these are pursued， and take refuge in the guard-room of the Palais Royal. AFederate enters along with them， and "there， his eyes sparkling with rage and thumping on the table like a madman，" he exclaims to M.
Dumolard， who is the best known：" "If you are unlucky enough to put your feet in the Assembly again， I'll cut off your head with my sword！" As to the principal defender of Lafayette， M. Vaublanc， he is assailed three times， but he is wary enough not to return home； a number of infuriates， however， invest his house， yelling out that "eighty citizens are to perish by their hands， and he is one of the first"； a dozen of the gang ascend to his apartments， rummage them in every corner， make another effort to find him in the adjoining houses， and， not being able to secure him， try to find his family； he is notified that， if he returns to his house， he will be massacred. -- In the evening， on the Feuillants terrace， other deputies are subjected to the same outrages； the gendarmerie tries in vain to protect them， while the 'commandant of the National Guard， on leaving his post， is attacked and cut down."[59] -- Meanwhile， some of the Jacobins in the lobbies "doom the majority of the Assembly to destruction"； one orator declares that "the people have a right to form lists of proscription，"and the club accordingly decides on printing and publishing the names of all the deputies who acquitted Lafayette. -- Never was physical constraint displayed and applied with such open shamelessness.[60]
On the following day， August 9， armed men gather around the approaches to the Assembly， and sabers are seen even in the corridors.[61] The galleries， more imperious than ever， cheer， and break out in ironic shouts of triumph and approval every time the attacks of the previous evening are denounced in the tribune. The president calls the offenders to order more than twenty times， but his voice and his bell are drowned in the uproar. It is impossible to express an opinion.
Most of the representatives who were maltreated the evening before， write that they will not return， while others， who are present， declare that they will not vote again "if they cannot be secure of freedom of conscience in their deliberations." At this utterance， which expresses the secret sentiment of "nearly the whole of the Assembly，"[62] "all the members of the 'Right'， and many of the 'Left' arise simultaneously and exclaim： 'Yes， yes； we will debate no longer unless we are free！" -- As usual， however， the majority gives away the moment effective measures are to be adopted； its heart sinks， as it always has done， on being called upon to act in self-defense， while these official declarations， one on top of the other， in hiding from it the gravity of the danger， sink it deeper in its own timidity.