ached ▁his ▁officers ▁and ▁administr ators ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁only ▁feel ▁safe ▁by ▁his ▁condem n ation ▁and ▁death . ▁▁ ▁When ▁Louis ▁XVI ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 4 ▁there ▁was ▁more ▁incl ination ▁towards ▁cle men cy . ▁Still , ▁it ▁took ▁ ▁discussion ▁in ▁thirty - two ▁sessions ▁before , ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁the ▁Royal ▁Council ▁agreed ▁to ▁ann ul ▁the ▁proceed ings ▁against ▁L ally , ▁though ▁the ▁case ▁still ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁Par lement ▁of ▁Rou en ▁for ▁formal ▁over turn ing . ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁week ▁before ▁he ▁died , ▁Vol taire ▁learned ▁that ▁G ér ard ▁de ▁L ally - T oll end al ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁leave ▁to ▁appeal . ▁ ▁Deep ly ▁moved , ▁Vol taire ▁wrote ▁to ▁him : ▁" The ▁dying ▁man ▁has ▁been ▁rev ived ▁by ▁learning ▁this ▁great ▁news ; ▁he ▁em bra ces ▁M . ▁de ▁L ally ▁very ▁tender ly ; ▁he ▁sees ▁that ▁the ▁king ▁is ▁the ▁def ender ▁of ▁justice . ▁He ▁will ▁die ▁content ." ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁letter ▁he ▁wrote . ▁ ▁The ▁sentence ▁was ▁not ▁over turn ed ▁until ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁conv iction ▁itself ▁was ▁never ▁cleared . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁case ▁was ▁considered ▁by ▁the ▁Par lement ▁de ▁Paris , ▁the ▁or ator ▁d ' E pr ém es