No article of the Constitution, nor in the decrees,
calls upon them to do so; slight inducement is held out to them to
come, in a vague style, through an oratorical interrogation, or in a
tardy address.[17] - In addition to this, on the printed blanks sent
to them from Paris, they find but three columns, one for the number of
votes accepting the Constitution, another for the number rejecting it,
and the third for "written observations" in case there are any. There
are no special columns for marking the number of votes accepting or
rejecting the decrees. Thereupon, many illiterate or ill-informed
electors might think that they were convoked to vote solely on the
Constitution and not at all on the decrees, which is just what
happened, and especially in the remote departments, and in the rural
assemblies. Moreover, many assemblies, nearer Paris and in the towns,
comprehend that if the Convention consults them it is only for form's
sake; to give a negative answer is useless and perilous; it is better
to keep silent; as soon as the decrees are mentioned they very
prudently "unanimously" demand the order of the day.[18] Hence out of
five primary assemblies on the average which vote for or against the
Constitution, there is only one which votes for or against the
decrees.
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