The influence of the diet, and his duties as head of the empire, led him on to steps to which his personal feelings would never have urged him.

By his letter of 3d December, 1791, he announced to the cabinet of the Tuileries the formal resolution on his part "of giving aid to the princes holding lands in France, if he did not obtain their perfect restoration to all the rights which belonged to them by treaty." XVIII.
This threatening letter, secretly communicated in Paris, (before it was officially sent,) by the French ambassador in Vienna, was received by the king with much alarm, and with joy by certain of his ministers, and the political party of the Assembly.

War cuts through every thing.

They hailed it as a solution to the difficulties which they felt were crushing them.

When there is no longer any hope in the regular order of events, there is in what is unknown.