按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
deputies： Desmoulins； Hebert； Danton； and many another。 The
brilliant Girondists melted away before him。 He attacked even
the terrible Commune； guillotined its leaders； and replaced it by
a new Commune obedient to his orders。
In order to rid himself more quickly of the men who displeased
him he induced the Convention to enact the law of Prairial； which
permitted the execution of mere suspects； and by means of which
he had 1；373 heads cut off in Paris in forty…nine days。 His
colleagues； the victims of an insane terror； no longer slept at
home； scarcely a hundred deputies were present at sessions。
David said： ‘‘I do not believe twenty of us members of the
Mountain will be left。''
It was his very excess of confidence in his own powers and in the
cowardice of the Convention that lost Robespierre his life。
Having attempted to make them vote a measure which would permit
deputies to be sent before the Revolutionary Tribunal； which
meant the scaffold； without the authorisation of the Assembly； on
an order from the governing Committee； several Montagnards
conspired with some members of the Plain to overthrow him。
Tallien； knowing himself marked down for early execution； and
having therefore nothing to lose； accused him loudly of tyranny。
Robespierre wished to defend himself by reading a speech which he
had long had in hand； but he learned to his cost that although it
is possible to destroy men in the name of logic it is not
possible to lead an assembly by means of logic。 The
shouts of the conspirators drowned his voice； the cry ‘‘Down with
the tyrant！'' quickly repeated； thanks to mental contagion； by
many of the members present； was enough to complete his downfall。
Without losing a moment the Assembly decreed his accusation。
The Commune having wished to save him； the Assembly outlawed him。
Struck by this magic formula； he was definitely lost。
‘‘This cry of outlawry；'' writes Williams； ‘‘at this period
produced the same effect on a Frenchman as the cry of pestilence；
the outlaw became civilly excommunicated； and it was as though
men believed that they would be contaminated passing through the
air which he had breathed。 Such was the effect it produced upon
the gunners who had trained their cannon against the Convention。
Without receiving further orders； merely on hearing that the
Commune was ‘outside the law；' they immediately turned their
batteries about。''
Robespierre and all his bandSaint…Just； the president of the
Revolutionary Tribunal； the mayor of the Commune； &c。；were
guillotined on the 10th of Thermidor to the number of twenty…one。
Their execution was followed on the morrow by a fresh batch of
seventy Jacobins； and on the next day by thirteen。 The Terror；
which had lasted ten months； was at an end。
The downfall of the Jacobin edifice in Thermidor is one of the
most curious psychological events of the revolutionary period。
None of the Montagnards who had worked for the downfall of
Robespierre had for a moment dreamed that it would mark the end
of the Terror。
Tallien； Barras； Fouche； &c。； overthrew Robespierre as he had
overthrown Hebert； Danton； the Girondists； and many others。
But when the acclamations of the crowd told them that the death
of Robespierre was regarded as having put an end to the Terror
they acted as though such had been their intention。 They were
the more obliged to do so in that the Plainthat is； the great
majority of the Assemblywhich had allowed itself to be
decimated by Robespierre； now rebelled furiously against the
system it had so long acclaimed even while it abhorred it。
Nothing is more terrible than a body of men who have been afraid
and are afraid no longer。 The Plain revenged itself for being
terrorised by the Mountain； and terrorised that body in turn。
The servility of the colleagues of Robespierre in the Convention
was by no means based upon any feeling of sympathy for him。 The
dictator filled them with an unspeakable alarm； but beneath the
marks of admiration and enthusiasm which they lavished on him out
of fear was concealed an intense hatred。 We can gather as much
by reading the reports of various deputies inserted in the
Moniteur of August 11； 15； and 29； 1794； and notably that on
‘‘the conspiracy of the triumvirs； Robespierre； Couthon； and
Saint…Just。'' Never did slaves heap such invectives on a fallen
master。
We learn that ‘‘these monsters had for some time been renewing
the most horrible prescriptions of Marius and Sulla。''
Robespierre is represented as a most frightful scoundrel； we are
assured that ‘‘like Caligula； he would soon have asked the French
people to worship his horse 。 。 。 He sought security in
the execution of all who aroused his slightest suspicion。''
These reports forget to add that the power of Robespierre
obtained no support； as did that of the Marius and Sulla to whom
they allude； from a powerful army； but merely from the repeated
adhesion of the members of the Convention。 Without their
extreme timidity the power of the dictator could not have lasted
a single day。
Robespierre was one of the most odious tyrants of history； but he
is distinguished from all others in that he made himself a tyrant
without soldiers。
We may sum up his doctrines by saying that he was the most
perfect incarnation； save perhaps Saint…Just； of the Jacobin
faith； in all its narrow logic； its intense mysticism； and its
inflexible rigidity。 He has admirers even to…day。 M。 Hamel
describes him as ‘‘the martyr of Thermidor。'' There has been
some talk of erecting a monument to him。 I would willingly
subscribe to such a purpose； feeling that it is useful to
preserve proofs of the blindness of the crowd； and of the
extraordinary docility of which an assembly is capable when the
leader knows how to handle it。 His statue would recall the
passionate cries of admiration and enthusiasm with which the
Convention acclaimed the most threatening measures of the
dictator； on the very eve of the day when it was about to cast
him down。
4。 Fouquier…Tinville； Marat； Billaud…Varenne； &c。
I shall devote a paragraph to certain revolutionists who were
famous for the development of their most sanguinary instincts。
Their ferocity was complicated by other sentiments； by
fear and hatred； which could but fortify it。
Fouquier…Tinville； the public prosecutor of the Revolutionary
Tribunal； was one of those who have left the most sinister
memories。 This magistrate； formerly reputed for his kindness；
and who became the bloodthirsty creature whose memory evokes such
repulsion； has already served me as an example in other works；
when I have wished to show the transformation of certain natures
in time of revolution。
Needy in the extreme at the moment of the fall of the monarchy；
he had everything to hope from a social upheaval and nothing to
lose。 He was one of those men whom a period of disorder will
always find ready to sustain it。
The Convention abandoned its powers to him。 He had to pronounce
upon the fate of nearly two thousand accused； among whom were
Marie…Antoinette； the Girondists； Danton； Hebert； &c。 He had
all the suspects brought before him executed； and did not scruple
to betray his former protectors。 As soon as one of them fell
into his powerCamille Desmoulins； Danton； or anotherhe would
plead against him。
Fouquier…Tinville had a very inferior mind； which the Revolution
brought to the top。 Under normal conditions； hedged about by
professional rules； his destiny would have been that of a
peaceable and obscure magistrate。 This was precisely the lot of
his deputy； or substitute； at the Tribunal； Gilbert…Liendon。
‘‘He should；'' writes M。 Durel； ‘‘have inspired the same horror
as his colleague； yet he completed his career in the upper ranks
of the Imperial magistracy。''
One of the great benefits of an organised society is that it does
restrain these dangerous characters； whom nothing but social
restraints can hold。
Fouquier…Tinville died without understanding why he was
condemned； and from the revolutionary point of view his
condemnation was not justifiable。 Had he not merely zealously
executed the orders of his superiors？ It is impossible to class
him with the representatives who were sent into the provinces；
who could not be supervised。 The delegates of the Convention
examined all his sentences and approved of them up to the last。
If his cruelty and his summary fashion of trying the prisoners
before him had not been encouraged by his chiefs； he could not
have remained in power。 In condemning Fouquier…Tinville； the
Convention condemned its own frightful system of government。 It
understood this fact； and sent to the scaffold a number of
Terrorists whom Fouquier…Tinville had merely served as a faithful
agent。
Beside Fouquier…Tinville we may set Dumas； who pres