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during these sad days 〃September； 1792）； never missed going。 as
usual； to copy and add up his registers。 Ministerial correspondence
with the armies and the provinces followed its regular course in
regular forms。 The Paris police looked after supplies and kept its eye
on sharpers； while blood ran in the streets。〃 Cf。 on this
mechanical need and inveterate habit of receiving orders from the
central authority； Mallet du Pan； 〃Mémoires；〃 490： 〃Dumouriez'
soldiers said to him： 'F； papa general； get the Convention to order
us to march on Paris and you'll see how we will make mince…meat of
those b in the Assembly！'〃
＇51＇ With want great interest did any aspiring radical politicians
read these lines； whether the German socialist from Hitler learned so
much or Lenin during his long stay in Paris around 1906。 Taine maybe
thought that he was arming decent men to better understand and defend
the republic against a new Jacobin onslaught while； in fact； he
provided them with an accurate recipe for repeating the revolution。
（SR）。
＇52＇ At。 Matthew； 17：20。 （SR。）
＇53＇ Buchez et Roux； XXVIII 55。 Letter by Brun…Lafond； a grenadier in
the national guard； July 14； 1793； to a friend in the provinces； in
justification of the 31st of May。 The whole of this letter requires to
be read。 In it are found the ordinary ideas of a Jacobin in relation
to history： 〃Can we ignore； that it is ever the people of Paris which；
through its murmurings and righteous insurrections against the
oppressive system of many of our kings； has forced them to entertain
milder sentiments regarding the relief of the French people； and
principally of the tiller of the soil？ 。 。 Without the energy of
Paris； Paris and France would now be inhabited solely by slaves； while
this beautiful soil would present an aspect as wild and deserted as
that of the Turkish empire or that of Germany；〃 which has led us 〃to
confer still greater lustre on this Revolution； by re…establishing on
earth the ancient Athenian and other Grecian republics in all their
purity。 Distinctions among the early people of the earth did not
exist； early family ties bound people together who had no ancient
founders or origin； they had no other laws in their republics but
those which； so to say； inspired them with those sentiments of
fraternity experienced by them in the cradle of primitive
populations。〃
＇54＇ Barbaroux； 〃Mémoires〃 （Ed。 Dauban）； 336。 Grégoire； 〃Mémoires；〃
I。 410。
＇55＇ 〃La Révolution Fran？aise；〃 by Quinet （extracts from the
unpublished 〃Mémoires〃 of Baudot）； II。 209； 211； 421； 620。 Guillon
de Montléon I。 445 （speech by Chalier； in the Lyons Central Club；
March 23； 1793）。 〃They say that the sans…culottes will go on spilling
their blood。 This is only the talk of aristocrats。 Can a sans…culotte
be reached in that quarter？ Is he not invulnerable； like the gods whom
he replaces on this earth？〃 Speech by David； in the Convention； on
Barra and Viala： 〃Under so fine a government woman will bring forth
without pain。〃 Mercier 〃Le Nouveau Paris；〃 I。 13。 〃I heard （an
orator） exclaim in one of the sections； to which I bear witness： 'Yes；
I would take my own head by the hair； cut it off； and； presenting it
to the despot； I would say to him： Tyrant； behold the act of a free
man！'〃
＇56＇ Now； one hundred years later； I consider the tens of thousands
of western intellectuals； who； in their old age； seem unable to
understand their longtime fascination with Lenin； Stalin and Mao； I
cannot help to think that history might be holding similar future
surprises in store for us。 （SR）。
＇57＇ And my lifetime； our Jacobins the communists； have including in
their register the distortion； the lie and slander as a regular tool
of their trade。 （SR）。
＇58＇ Lafayette； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。467 （on the Jacobins of August 10；
1792）。 〃This sect； the destruction of which was desired by nineteen…
twentieths of France。〃 Durand…Maillan； 49。 The aversion to the
Jacobins after June 20； 1792； was general。 〃The communes of France；
everywhere wearied and dissatisfied with popular clubs； would gladly
have got rid of them； that they might no longer be under their
control。〃
＇59＇ The words of Leclerc； a deputy of the Lyons committee in the
Jacobin Club at Paris May 12； 1793。 〃Popular machiavelianism must be
established 。 。 。 Everything impure must disappear off the French
soil。 。 。 I shall doubtless be regarded as a brigand； but there is one
way to get ahead of calumny； and that is to exterminate the
calumniators。〃
＇60＇ Buchez et Roux； XXXIV。 204 （testimony of Fran？ois Lameyrie）。
〃Collection of authentic documents for the History of the Revolution
at Strasbourg；〃 II。 210 （speech by Baudot； Frimaire 19； year II。； in
the Jacobin club at Strasbourg）。 〃Egoists； the heedless； the enemies
of liberty； the enemies of all nature should not be regarded as her
children。 Are not all who oppose the public good； or who do not share
it； in the same case？ Let us； then； utterly destroy them。 。 。 Were
they a million； would not one sacrifice the twenty…fourth part of
one's self to get rid of a gangrene which might infect the rest of the
body？。。〃 For these reasons； the orator thinks that every man who is
not wholly devoted to the Republic must be put to death。 He states
that the Republic should at one blow cause the instant disappearance
of every friend to kings and feudalism。Beaulieu； 〃Essai；〃 V。 200。 M。
d'Antonelle thought； 〃like most of the revolutionary clubs； that； to
constitute a republic； an approximate equality of property should be
established； and to do this； a third of the population should be
suppressed。〃 〃 This was the general idea among the fanatics of the
Revolution。 〃 Larevellière…Lépaux； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。150 〃Jean Bon St。
André 。 。 。 suggested that for the solid foundation of the Republic in
France； the population should be reduced one…half。〃 He is violently
interrupted by Larevellière…Lépeaux； but continues and insists on
this。 … Guffroy； deputy of the Pas…de…Calais； proposed in his journal
a still larger amputation； he wanted to reduce France to five millions
of inhabitants。
BOOK SECOND。 THE FIRST STAGE OF THE CONQUEST。
CHAPTER I。
THE JACOBINS COME INTO IN POWER。 … THE ELECTIONS OF 1791。 … PROPORTION
OF PLACES GAINED BY THEM。
In June； 1791； and during the five following months； the class of
active citizens＇1＇ are convoked to elect their representatives； which；
as we know； according to the law； are of every kind and degree。 In the
first place； there are 40；000 members of electoral colleges of the
second degree and 745 deputies。 Next； there are one…half of the
administrators of 83 departments； one…half of the administrators of
544 districts； one…half of the administrators of 41；000 communes； and
finally； in each municipality； the mayor and syndic…attorney。 Then in
each department they have to elect the president of the criminal court
and the prosecuting…attorney； and； throughout France； officers of the
National Guard； in short； almost the entire body of the agents and
depositories of legal authority。 The garrison of the public citadel is
to be renewed； which is the second and even the third time since 1789。
At each time the Jacobins have crept into the place； in small
bands； but this time they enter in large bodies。 Pétion becomes mayor
of Paris； Manual； syndic…attorney； and Danton the deputy of Manuel。
Robespierre is elected prosecuting…attorney in criminal cases。 The
very first week；＇2＇ 136 new deputies enter their names on the club's
register。 In the Assembly the party numbers about 250 members。 On
passing all the posts of the fortress in review； we may estimate the
besiegers as occupying one…third of them； and perhaps more。 Their
siege for two years has been carried on with unerring instinct； the
extraordinary spectacle presenting itself of an entire nation legally
overcome by a troop of insurgents。＇3＇
I。
Their siege operations。 Means used by them to discourage the
majority of electors and conservative candidates。 Frequency of
elections。 … Obligation to take the oath。
First of all； they clear the ground； and through the decrees forced
out of the Constituent Assembly； they keep most of the majority away
from the polls。 On the one hand； under the pretext of better
ensuring popular sovereignty； the elections are so multiplied； and
held so near together； as to demand of each active citizen one…sixth
of his time； such an exaction is very great for hard…working people
who have a trade or any occupation；＇4＇ which is the case with the
great mass； at all events； with the useful and sane portion of the
population。 Accordingly； as we have seen； it stays away from the
polls； leaving the field open to idlers or fanatics。＇5＇ On the
other hand； by virtue of the constitution； the civic oath； which
includes the ecclesiastical oath； is imposed on all electors； for