[2] He was one of the keenest French defenders of the American Revolution, befriending and translating for Benjamin Franklin - in Paris in 1783 he and Franklin published Constitutions des Treize États-Unis de l'Amérique (Constitutions of 13 United States of America).

He proposed article XI of the 1789 pro-abolitionist Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen [Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen], which was adopted.

Early July he opposed Pétion and Louis Pierre Manuel and after the events of 10 August 1792 he resigned and left Paris to escape the people's anger.

He was arrested at Gisors whilst escorting his wife and mother from Forges to the château de La Roche-Guyon, accompanied by Dolomieu.

He was killed on 4 September 1792 by volunteer troops from Sarthe and Orne who were hunting aristocrats whilst en route to fight the Prussians, who were aiming to capture Verdun.