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condemn and execute him？ No thinking person can ask such a question。
The nation is everything in itself； its power is that which the whole
human kind would have if but one nation； one single government
governed the globe。 Who would dare then dispute the power of humanity？
It is this indisputable power that a nation has； to hang even an
innocent man； felt by the ancient Greeks； which led them to exile
Aristoteles and put Phocion to death。 'Oh truth； unrecognized by our
contemporaries； what evil has arisen through forgetting it！'〃
＇23＇ Moniteur； XI。 46。 Speech by Isnard in the Assembly； Jan。 5； 1792。
〃The people are now conscious of their dignity。 They know； according
to the constitution； that every Frenchman's motto is： 'Live free； the
equal of all； and one of the common sovereignty。'〃 Guillon de
Montléon； I。 445。 Speech by Chalier； in the Lyons Central Club； March
21； 1793。 〃Know that you are kings； and more than kings。 Do you not
feel sovereignty circulating in your veins？〃
＇24＇ Moniteur； V。 136。 （Celebration of the Federation； July 14； 1790。）
＇25＇ Albert Babeau； 〃Histoire de Troyes pendant la Révolution；〃 I。 436
（April 10； 1790）。
＇26＇ Mortimer…Ternaux； 〃Histoire de la Terreur；〃 I。 353。 （Pétion's own
narrative of this journey。） This pert blockhead cannot even spell： he
writes aselle for aisselle； etc。 He is convinced that Madame
Elizabeth； the king's sister； wants to seduce him； and that she makes
advances to him： 〃If we had been alone； I believe that she would have
fallen into my arms； and let the impulses of nature have their way。〃
He makes a display of virtue however； and becomes only the more
supercilious as he talks with the king； the young dauphin； and the
ladies he is fetching back。
＇27＇ The 〃Mémoires de Madame Roland〃 is a masterpiece of that conceit
supposed to be so careflilly concealed as not to be visible and never
off its stilts。 〃I am beautiful； I am affectionate； I am sensitive； I
inspire love； I reciprocate； I remain virtuous； my mind is superior；
and my courage indomitable。 I am philosopher； statesman； and writer；
worthy of the highest success；〃 is constantly in her mind； and always
perceptible in her phraseology。 Real modesty never shows itself。 On
the contrary； many indecorous things are said and done by her from
bravado； and to set herself above her sex。 Cf。 the 〃Memoirs of Mirs。
Hutchinson；〃 which present a great contrast。 Madame Roland wrote： 〃I
see no part in society which suits me but that of Providence。〃 The
same presumption shines out in others； with less refined pretensions。
The deputy Rouyer addresses the following letter； found among the
papers of the iron wardrobe； to the king； 〃I have compared； examined；
and foreseen everything。 All I ask to carry out my noble purposes； is
that direction of forces； which the law confers on you。 I am aware of
and brave the danger； weakness defers to this； while genius overcomes
it I have turned my attention to all the courts of Europe； and am sure
that I can force peace on them。〃 Robert； an obscure pamphleteer；
asks Dumouriez to make him ambassador to Constantinople； while Louvet；
the author of 〃Faublas；〃 declares in his memoirs that liberty perished
in 1792； because he was not appointed Minister of Justice。
＇28＇ Moniteur； p。 189。 Speech by Collot d'Herbois； on the mitraillades
at Lyons。 〃We too； possess sensibility！ The Jacobins have every
virtue； they are compassionate； humane； and generous。 These virtues；
however； are reserved for patriots； who are their brethren； but never
for aristocrats。〃 Meillan； 〃Mémoires；〃 p。 4。 〃Robespierre was one
day eulogizing a man named Desfieux； well known for his lack of
integrity； and whom he finally sacrificed。 'But； I said to him； your
man Desfieux is known to be a rascal。' … 'No matter；' he replied； 'he
is a good patriot。' … 'But he is a fraudulent bankrupt。'…'He is a good
patriot。' 'But he is a thief。' …'He is a good patriot。' I could not
get more than these three words out of him。〃
CHAPTER II。
I。
Formation of the party。 Its recruits These are rare in the upper
class and amongst the masses。 They are numerous in the low
bourgeois class and in the upper stratum of the people。 The
position and education which enroll a man in the party。
PERSONALITIES like these are found in all classes of society； no
situation or position in life protects one from wild Utopia or frantic
ambition。 We find among the Jacobins a Barras and a Chateauneuf…
Randon； two nobles of the oldest families； Condorcet； a marquis；
mathematician； philosopher and member of two renowned academies；
Gobel； bishop of Lydda and suffragan to the bishop of Bale； Hérault de
Séchellles； a protégé of the Queen's and attorney…general to the Paris
parliament； Lepelletier de St。 Fargeau； chief…justice and one of the
richest land…owners in France； Charles de Hesse； major…general； born
in the royal family； and； last of all； a prince of the blood and
fourth personage in the realm； the Duke of Orleans。 But； with the
exception of these rare deserters； neither the hereditary aristocracy
nor the upper magistracy； nor the highest of the middle class； none of
the land…owners who live on their estates； or the leaders of
industrial and commercial enterprises； no one belonging to the
administration； none of those； in general； who are or deserve to be
considered social authorities； furnish the party with recruits。 All
have too much at stake in the political establishment； shattered as
it is； to wish its entire demolition。 Their political experience；
brief as it is； enables them to see at once that a habitable house is
not built by merely tracing a plan of it on paper according the
theorems of school geometry。 On the other hand； among the ordinary
rural population the ideology finds； unless it can be changed into a
legend； no listeners。 Share croppers； small holders and farmers
looking after their own plots of ground； peasants and craftsmen who
work too hard to think and whose minds never range beyond a village
horizon； busy only with that which brings in their daily bread； find
abstract doctrines unintelligible； should the dogmas of the new
catechism arrest their attention the same thing happens as with the
old one； they do not understand them； that mental faculty by which an
abstraction is reached is not yet formed in them。 On being taken to a
political club they fall asleep； they open their eyes only when some
one announces that tithes and feudal privileges are to be restored；
they can be depended on for nothing more than a brawl and a jacquerie；
later on； when their grain comes to be taxed or is taken； they prove
as unruly under the republic as under the monarchy。
The believers in this theory come from other quarters； from the two
extremes of the lower stratum of the middle class and the upper
stratum of the low class。 Again； in these two contiguous groups； which
merge into each other； those must be left out who； absorbed in their
daily occupations or professions； have no time or thought to give to
public matters； who have reached a fair position in the social
hierarchy and are not disposed to run risks； almost all of them well…
established； steady…going； mature； married folks who have sown their
wild oats and whom experience in life has rendered distrustful of
themselves and of theories。 Overweening conceit is； most of the time；
only average in the average human being； so speculative ideas will
with most people only obtain a loose； transient and feeble hold。
Moreover； in this society which； for many centuries consists of people
accustomed to being ruled； the hereditary spirit is bourgeois that is
to say； used to discipline； fond of order； peaceable and even timid。
There remains a minority； a very small one；＇1＇ innovating and
restless。 This consisted； on the one hand； of people who were
discontented with their calling or profession； because they were of
secondary or subaltern rank in it。＇2＇ Some were debutantes not fully
employed and others aspirants for careers not yet entered upon。 Then；
on the other hand； there were the men of unstable character and all
those who were uprooted by the immense upheaval of things： in the
Church； through the suppression of convents and through schism； in the
judiciary； in the administration； in the financial departments； in the
army； and in various private and public careers； through the
reorganization of institutions； through the novelty of fresh resources
and occupations； and through the disturbance caused by the changed
relationships of patrons and clients。 Many who； in ordinary times；
would otherwise remain quiet； become in this way nomadic and
extravagant in politics。 Among the foremost of these are found those
who； through a classical education； can take in an abstract
proposition and deduce its consequences； but who； for lack of special
preparation for it； and confined to the narrow circl