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West and the South； revolted。 The insurrection； which was headed
by many of the expelled deputies； would perhaps have succeeded
had not the compromising assistance of the royalists caused men
to fear the return of the ancien regime。 At Toulon； in fact； the
insurgents acclaimed Louis XVII。
The civil war thus begun lasted during the greater part of the
life of the Revolution。 It was fought with the utmost savagery。
Old men； women； children； all were massacred； and villages and
crops were burned。 In the Vendee alone the number of the killed
was reckoned at something between half a million and a million。
Civil war was soon followed by foreign war。 The Jacobins thought
to remedy all these ills by creating a new Constitution。 It was
always a tradition with all the revolutionary assemblies to
believe in the magic virtues of formula。 In France this
conviction has never been affected by the failure of experiments。
‘‘A robust faith；'' writes one of the great admirers of the
Revolution； M。 Rambaud； ‘‘sustained the Convention in this
labour； it believed firmly that when it had formulated in a law
the principles of the Revolution its enemies would be confounded；
or； still better； converted； and that the advent of justice would
disarm the insurgents。''
During its lifetime the Convention drafted two Constitutions
that of 1793； or the year I。； and that of 1795； or the year III。
The first was never applied； an absolute dictatorship very soon
replacing it； the second created the Directory。
The Convention contained a large number of lawyers and men of
affairs； who promptly comprehended the impossibility of
government by means of a large Assembly。 They soon divided the
Convention into small committees； each of which had an
independent existencebusiness committees； committees of
legislation； finance； agriculture； arts； &c。 These committees
prepared the laws which the Assembly usually voted with its eyes
closed。
Thanks to them； the work of the Convention was not purely
destructive。 They drafted many very useful measures； creating
important colleges； establishing the metric system； &c。 The
majority of the members of the Assembly； as we have already seen；
took refuge in these committees in order to evade the political
conflict which would have endangered their heads。
Above the business committees； which had nothing to do with
politics； was the Committee of Public Safety； instituted in
April； 1793； and composed of nine members。 Directed at first by
Danton； and in the July of the same year by Robespierre； it
gradually absorbed all the powers of government； including that
of giving orders to ministers and generals。 Carnot directed the
operations of the war； Cambon the finances； and Saint…Just and
Collot…d'Herbois the general policy。
Although the laws voted by the technical committees were often
very wise； and constituted the lasting work of the Convention；
those which the Assembly voted in a body under the threats of the
delegations which invaded it were manifestly ridiculous。
Among these laws； which were not greatly in the interests of the
public or of the Convention itself； were the law of the maximum；
voted in September； 1793； which pretended to fix the price of
provisions； and which merely established a continual dearth； the
destruction of the royal tombs at Saint…Denis； the trial
of the queen； the systematic devastation of the Vendee by
fire； the establishment of the Revolutionary Tribunal； &c。
The Terror was the chief means of government during the
Convention。 Commencing in September； 1793； it reigned for six
monthsthat is； until the death of Robespierre。 Vainly did
certain Jacobins Danton； Camille Desmoulins； Herault de
Sechelles； &c。propose that clemency should be given a trial。
The only result of this proposition was that its authors were
sent to the scaffold。 It was merely the lassitude of the public
that finally put an end to this shameful period。
The successive struggles of the various parties in the Convention
and its tendency towards extremes eliminated one by one the men
of importance who had once played their part therein。 Finally it
fell under the exclusive domination of Robespierre。 While the
Convention was disorganising and ravaging France； the armies were
winning brilliant victories。 They had seized the left bank of
the Rhine； Belgium； and Holland。 The treaty of Basle ratified
these conquests。
We have already mentioned； and we shall return to the matter
again； that the work of the armies must be considered absolutely
apart from that of the Convention。 Contemporaries understood
this perfectly； but to…day it is often forgotten。
When the Convention was dissolved； in 1795； after lasting for
three years； it was regarded with universal distrust。 The
perpetual plaything of popular caprice； it had not succeeded in
pacifying France； but had plunged her into anarchy。 The
general opinion respecting the Convention is well summed up in a
letter written in July； 1799； by the Swedish charge
d'affaires； Baron Drinkmann： ‘‘I venture to hope that no people
will ever be governed by the will of more cruel and imbecile
scoundrels than those that have ruled France since the beginning
of her new liberty。''
3。 The End of the Convention。 The Beginnings of the Directory。
At the end of its existence； the Convention； always trusting to
the power of formulae； drafted a new Constitution； that of the
year III。； intended to replace that of 1793； which had never been
put into execution。 The legislative power was to be shared by a
so…called Council of Ancients composed of 150 members； and a
council of deputies numbering 500。 The executive power was
confided to a Directory of five members； who were appointed by
the Ancients upon nomination by the Five Hundred； and renewed
every year by the election of one of their number。 It was
specified that two…thirds of the members of the new Assembly
should be chosen from among the deputies of the Convention。 This
prudent measure was not very efficacious； as only ten departments
remained faithful to the Jacobins。
To avoid the election of royalists； the Convention had decided to
banish all emigres in perpetuity。
The announcement of this Constitution did not produce the
anticipated effect upon the public。 It had no effect upon the
popular riots； which continued。 One of the most important was
that which threatened the Convention on the 5th of October； 1795。
The leaders hurled a veritable army upon the Assembly。
Before such provocation； the Convention finally decided to defend
itself； and sent for troops； entrusting the command to Barras。
Bonaparte； who was then beginning to emerge from obscurity； was
entrusted with the task of repression。 With such a leader action
was swift and energetic。 Vigorously pounded with ball near the
church at St。 Roch； the insurgents fled； leaving some hundreds of
dead on the spot。
This action； which displayed a firmness to which the Convention
was little habituated； was only due to the celerity of the
military operations； for while these were being carried out the
insurgents had sent delegates to the Assembly； which； as usual；
showed itself quite ready to yield to them。
The repression of this riot constituted the last important act of
the Convention。 On the 26th of October； 1795； it declared its
mission terminated； and gave way to the Directory。
We have already laid stress upon some of the psychological
lessons furnished by the government of the Convention。 One of
the most striking of these is the impotence of violence to
dominate men's minds in permanence。
Never did any Government possess such formidable means of action；
yet in spite of the permanent guillotine； despite the delegates
sent with the guillotine into the provinces； despite its
Draconian laws； the Convention had to struggle perpetually
against riots； insurrections； and conspiracies。 The cities； the
departments； and the faubourgs of Paris were continually rising
in revolt； although heads were falling by the thousand。
This Assembly； which thought itself sovereign； fought against the
invincible forces which were fixed in men's minds； and which
material constraint was powerless to overcome。 Of these hidden
motive forces it never understood the power； and it struggled
against them in vain。 In the end the invisible forces triumphed。
CHAPTER V
INSTANCES OF REVOLUTIONARY VIOLENCE
1。 Psychological Causes of Revolutionary Violence。
We have shown in the course of the preceding chapters that the
revolutionary theories constituted a new faith。
Humanitarian and sentimental； they exalted liberty and
fraternity。 But； as in many religions； we can observe a complete
contradiction between doctrine and action。 In practice no
liberty was tolerated； and fraterni