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level； conceit may drink the theory to the bottom； however revolting
the dregs and however fatal its poison even to those defy its nausea
for the sake of swallowing it。 And； since it is virtue； no one may
refuse it without committing a crime。 Thus construed； the theory
divides Frenchmen into two groups： one consisting of aristocrats；
fanatics； egoists； the corrupt； bad citizens in short； and the other
patriots； philosophers； and the virtuous； that is to say； those
belonging to the sect。＇28＇ Thanks to this reduction； the vast moral
and social world with which they deal finds its definition；
expression； and representation in a ready…made antithesis。 The aim of
the government is now clear： the wicked must submit to the good； or；
which is briefer； the wicked must be suppressed。 To this end let us
employ confiscation； imprisonment； exile； drowning and the guillotine
and a large scale。 All means are justifiable and meritorious against
these traitors； now that the Jacobin has canonized his slaughter； he
slays through philanthropy。 Thus is the forming of his personality
completed like that of a theologian who becomes inquisitor。
Extraordinary contrasts are gathered to construct it： … a lunatic that
is logical； and a monster that pretends to have a conscience。 Under
the pressure of his faith and egotism； he has developed two
deformities； one of the head and the other of the heart； his common
sense is gone； and his moral sense is utterly perverted。 In fixing his
mind on abstract formulas； he is no longer able to see men as they
are。 His self…admiration makes him consider his adversaries； and even
his rivals； as miscreants deserving of death。 On this downhill road
nothing stops him； for； in qualifying things inversely to their true
meaning； he has violated within himself the precious concepts which
brings us back to truth and justice。 No light reaches eyes which
regard blindness as clear…sightedness； no remorse affects a soul which
erects barbarism into patriotism； and which sanctions murder with
duty。
__________________________________________________________________
NOTES：
＇1＇ Cf。 〃The Ancient Régime；〃 p。 242。 Citations from the 〃Contrat
Social。〃 … Buchez et Roux； 〃Histoire Parlementaire；〃 XXVI。 96。
Declaration of rights read by Robespierre in the Jacobin club； April
21； 1793； and adopted by the club as its own。 〃The people is
sovereign； the government is its work and its property； and public
functionaries are its clerks。 The people can displace its mandatories
and change its government when it pleases。
＇2＇ Lenin； Stalin； Mao； Pol Pot； and other dictators that like that
also organized elections and saw themselves as being the people；
speaking and acting on their behalf and therefore entitled to do
anything they pleased。（SR）。
＇3＇ Rightly so； might Lenin have thought when he first read this text。
Later； under his and Stalin's leadership the Party； guided by the
first secretary of its central committee； aided by the secret police；
should penetrate all affairs slowly extending their power or influence
to the entire world through their secret party members； mutually
ensuring their promotion into the highest posts； the party will
eventually come to govern the world。 （SR）。
＇4＇ Buchez and Roux； III； 324。 。 （An article by Loustalot； Sept。 8；
1789）。 Ibid。 331 Motion of the District of Cordéliers； presided over
by Danton。 …Ibid 239。。 Denunciation of the municipality by Marat。 …V。；
128； Vi。 24…41 （March； 1790）。 The majority of the districts demand the
permanent authority of the districts； that is to say； of the sovereign
political assemblies
＇5＇ Buchez et Roux。 IV。 458。 Meeting of Feb。 24； 1790； an article by
Loustalot。 … III 202。 Speech by Robespierre； meeting of Oct。 21； 1789。
Ibid。 219。 Resolution of the district of St。 Martin declaring that
martial law shall not be enforced。 Ibid。 222。 Article by Loustalot。
＇6＇ Buchez et Roux； X。 124； an article by Marat。 … X。 1…22； speech by
Robespierre at the meeting of May 9； 1791。…III。 an article by
Loustalot。 III。 217； speech by Robespierre； meeting of Oct。22； 1789。
Ibid。 431； article by Loustalot and Desmoulins； Nov。； 1789。VI。 336；
articles by Loustalot and Marat； July； 1790。
＇7＇ Ernest Hamel； 〃Histoire de Robespierre〃； passim； （I。436）。
Robespierre proposed to confer political rights on the blacks。 …
Buchez et Roux； IX。 264 （March； 1791）。
＇8＇ Buchez et Roux； V。 146 （March； 1790） ； VI。 436 （July 26； 1790） ；
VIII。 247 （Dec 1790） ； X。 224 （June； 1791）。
＇9＇ Gustave Flaubert。 〃Tout notaire a rêvé des sultanes。〃 （All
barristers have dreams of being sultans！） （Madame Bovary〃）。
〃Frédéric trouvait que le bonheur mérité par 1'excellence de son ame
tardait à venir。〃 （Frédéric found that the happiness he deserved due
to his brilliancy was a long time coming。） （〃L'Education
sentimentale。）
＇10＇ Such has also been the effect of similar declarations set forth
in the Constitutions of the United Nations； the European Community； as
well as many individual nations。 All that was required for the
international Communist movement was then to await the slow promotion
of the secret party members directed to seek a career inside the
various legal administrations for； one day； to see all superior courts
staffed by their men。 （SR）。
＇11＇ Mallet du Pan； 〃Correspondance politique。〃 1796。
＇12＇ 〃Entretiens du Père Gérard；〃 by Collot d'Herbois。 〃Les
Etrennes au Peuple；〃 by Barrère。…〃La Constitution fran？aise pour les
habitants des campagnes；〃 etc。 … Later 〃L'Alphabet des Sans…Culottes；
le Nouveau Catéchisme républicain； les Commandements de la Patrie et
de la République （in verse）； etc。
＇13＇ Mercure de France； an article by Mallet du Pan； April 7； 1792。
（Summing up of the year 1791。）
＇14＇ Mercure de France； see the numbers of Dec。 30； 1791； and April 7；
1792。 （Note the phrase； it is close to Marx statement in 1850 'that
the class struggle necessarily leads to the dictatorship of the
proletariat。' SR。）
＇15＇ Fox； before deciding on any measure； consulted a Mr。 H。…； one
of the most uninfluential； and even narrow…minded members of the House
of Commons。 Some astonishment being expressed at this； he replied that
he regarded Mr。 H。 as a perfect type of the faculties and
prejudices of a country gentleman； and he used him as a thermometer。
Napoleon likewise stated that before framing an important law； he
imagined to himself the impression it would make on the mind of a
burly peasant。
＇16＇ Just like the strong influence which the current fashionable
principles and buzz…words introduced by the media have over today's
audiences。 （SR）。
＇17＇ Alas！ This phenomenon should be repeated with the interminable
speeches held by Lenin； Stalin； Hitler； Castro； Mao and all the other
inheritors of the Jacobin creed。 （SR）。
＇18＇ Tableaux de la Révolution Fran？aise；〃 by Schmidt （especially the
reports by Dutard）； 3 vols。
＇19＇ 〃Correspondence of Gouverneur Morris；〃 〃Memoirs of Mallet du
Pan；〃 John Moore'
＇20＇ See； in 〃Progrès de l'esprit humaine；〃 the superiority awarded
to the republican constitution of 1793。 （Book IX。） 〃The principles
from which the constitution and laws of France have been combined are
purer； more exact； and deeper than those which governed the Americans：
they have more completely escaped the influence of every sort of
prejudice； etc。〃
＇21＇ Camille Desmoulins； the enfant terrible of the Revolution；
confesses this； as well as other truths。 After citing the Revolutions
of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries； 〃which derived their
virtue from and had their roots in conscience； which were sustained by
fanaticism and the hopes of another world；〃 he thus concludes： 〃Our
Revolution； purely political； is wholly rooted in egotism； in
everybody's amour propre； in the combinations of which is found the
common interest。〃 （〃Brissot dévoilé；〃 by Camille Desmoulins； January；
1792） Bouchez et Roux； XIII； 207。）
＇22＇ Rousseau's idea of the omnipotence of the State is also that of
Louis XIV and Napoleon。。。 It is curious to see the development of the
same idea in the mind of a contemporary bourgeois； like Rétif de la
Bretonne； half literary and half one of the people （〃Nuits de Paris；〃
XVe nuit； 377； on the September Massacres） 〃No； I do not pity those
fanatical priests； they have done the country too much mischief。
Whatever a society； or a majority of it； desires； that is right。 He
who opposes this； who calls down war and vengeance on the Nation； is a
monster。 Order is always found in the agreement of the majority。 The
minority is always guilty； I repeat it； even if it is morally right。
Nothing but common sense is needed to see that truth。〃 Ibid。 （On
the execution of Louis XVI。）； p。 447。 〃Had the nation the right to
condemn and execute him？ No thinking person can ask such a question。
The nation is everything in