“This cockade,” said La Fayette, as he presented one to the National Assembly, “will make the tour of the world.”  From the time of his acceptance of the command of the National Guard, the course of La Fayette changed its character, and the change became more and more marked as the revolution proceded.  Hitherto he had been chiefly employed in rousing the sentiment of liberty in the minds of his countrymen; but now that the flame threatened to become a dangerous conflagration, it devolved upon him to stay its ravages.  It was a task beyond human strength, but he most gallantly attempted it.  On some occasions he rescued with his own hands the victims of the popular fury, and arrested the cockaded assassins who would have destroyed them.  But even his great popularity was ineffectual to prevent the massacre of innocent citizens, and more than once, overwhelmed with grief and disgust, he threatened to throw up his command.

On that celebrated day when sixty thousand of the people of Paris poured in a tumultuous flood into the park of Versailles, and surrounded the palace of the king, La Fayette was compelled to join the throng, in order, if possible, to control its movements.  He arrived in the evening, and spent the whole night in posting the National Guard about the palace, and taking measures to secure the safety of the royal family.  At the dawn of day he threw himself upon the bed for a few minutes’ repose.  Suddenly, the alarm was sounded.  Some infuriated men had broken into the palace, killed two of the king’s body-guard, and rushed into the bed-chamber of the queen, a minute or two after she had escaped from it.  La Fayette ran to the scene, followed by some of the National Guard, and found all the royal family assembled in the king’s chamber, trembling for their lives.  Beneath the window of the apartment was a roaring sea of upturned faces, scarcely kept back by a thin line of National Guards.  La Fayette stepped out upon the balcony, and tried to address the crowd, but could not make himself heard.  He then led out upon the balcony the beautiful queen, Marie Antoinette, and kissed her hand; then seizing one of the body-guard embraced him, and placed his own cockade on the soldier’s hat.  At once the temper of the multitude was changed, and the cry burst forth: 

“Long live the general!  Long live the queen!  Long live the body-guard!”

It was immediately announced that the king would go with the people to Paris; which had the effect of completely allaying their passions.  During the long march of ten miles, La Fayette rode close to the door of the king’s carriage, and thus conducted him, in the midst of the tramping crowd, in safety to the Tuilleries.  When the royal family was once more secure within its walls, one of the ladies, the daughter of the late king, threw herself in the arms of La Fayette, exclaiming: 

“General, you have saved us.”

From this moment dates the decline of La Fayette’s popularity; and his actions, moderate and wise, continually lessened it.  He demanded, as a member of the National Assembly, that persons accused of treason should be fairly tried by a jury, and he exerted all his power, while giving a constitution to his country, to preserve the monarchy.