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incriminate your worthy intentions。〃
CHAPTER VI。 The Birth of the Terrible Paris Commune。
I。
Indignation of the Constitutionalists。 Cause of their weakness。 …
The Girondins renew the attack。 Their double plan。
As the blow has missed the target； it must be repeated。 This is the
more urgent； inasmuch as the faction has thrown off the mask and
〃honest people〃＇1＇ on all sides become indignant at seeing the
Constitution subject to the arbitrariness of the lowest class。 Nearly
all the higher administrative bodies； seventy…five of the department
directories；＇2＇ give in their adhesion to Lafayette's letter； or
respond by supporting the proclamation； so noble and so moderate； in
which the King； recounting the violence done to him； maintains his
legal rights with mournful； inflexible gentleness。 Many of the towns；
large and small； thank him for his firmness； the addresses being
signed by 〃the notables of the place；〃＇3＇ chevaliers of St。 Louis；
former officials； judges and district…administrators； physicians；
notaries； lawyers； recorders； post…masters； manufacturers； merchants；
people who are settled down； in short the most prominent and the most
respected men。 At Paris； a similar petition； drawn up by two former
Constituents； contains 247 pages of signatures attested by 99
notaries。＇4＇ Even in the council…general of the commune a majority is
in favor of publicly censuring the mayor Pétion； the syndic…attorney
Manuel； and the police administrators Panis； Sergent； Viguer； and
Perron。＇5＇ On the evening of June 20th； the department council orders
an investigation； it follows this up； it urges it on； it proves by
authentic documents the willful inaction； the hypocritical connivance；
the double…dealing of the syndic…attorney and the mayor；＇6＇ it
suspends both from their functions； and cites them before the courts
as well as Santerre and his accomplices。 Lafayette； finally； adding
to the weight of his opinion the influence of his presence； appears at
the bar of the National Assembly and demands 〃effectual〃 measures
against the usurpations of the Jacobin sect； insisting that the
instigators of the riot of the 20th of June be punished 〃as guilty of
lése…nation。〃 As a last and still more significant symptom； his
proceedings are approved of in the Assembly by a majority of more than
one hundred votes。＇7＇
All this must and will be crushed out。 For on the side of the
Constitutionalists； whatever they may be； whether King； deputies；
ministers； generals； administrators； notables or national…guards； the
will to act evaporates in words； and the reason is； they are civilized
beings； long accustomed to the ways of a regular community； interested
from father to son in keeping the law； disconcerted at the thought of
consequences； upset by multifaceted ideas； unable to comprehend that；
in the state of nature to which France has reverted； but one idea is
of any account； that of the man who； in accepting a declared war；
meets the offensive with the offensive； loads his gun； descends into
the street and contends with the savage destroyers of human society。 …
… Nobody comes to the support of Lafayette； who alone has the courage
to take the lead； about one hundred men muster at the rendezvous named
by him in the Champs…élysées。 They agree to march to the Jacobin club
the following day and close it； provided the number is increased to
three hundred； but the next day only thirty turn up。 Lafayette can do
no more than leave Paris and write a letter containing another
protest。 Protestations； appeals to the Constitution； to the law； to
public interest； to common sense； well…reasoned arguments； this side
will never resort to anything else than speeches and paperwork； and；
in the coming conflict words will be of no use。 Imagine a quarrel
between two men； one ably presenting his case and the other indulging
in little more than invective； the latter； having encountered an
enormous mastiff on his road； has caressed him； enticed him； and led
him along with him as an auxiliary。 To the mastiff； clever
argumentation is only so much unmeaning sound； with his eager eyes
fixed on his temporary master he awaits only his signal to spring on
the adversaries he points out。 On the 20th of June he has almost
strangled one of them； and covered him with his slaver。 On the
21st；＇8＇ he is ready to spring again。 He continues to growl for fifty
days； at first sullenly and then with terrific energy。 On the 25th of
June； July 14 and 27； August 3 and 5； he again makes a spring and is
kept back only with great difficulty。＇9＇ Already on one occasion；
July 29th； his fangs are wet with human gore。＇10＇ At each turn of
the parliamentary debate the defenseless Constitutionalists beholds
those open jaws before him； it is not surprising that he throws to
this dog； or allows to be thrown to him； all the decrees demanded by
the Girondists as a bone for him to gnaw on。 Sure of their strength
the Girondists renew the attack； and the plan of their campaign seems
to be skillfully prepared。 They are quite willing to retain the King
on his throne； but on the condition that he shall be a mere puppet；
that he shall recall the patriot ministers； allow them to appoint the
Dauphin's tutor； and that Lafayette shall be removed；＇11＇ otherwise
the Assembly will pass the act of de…thronement and seize the
executive power。 Such is the defile with two issues in which they have
placed the Assembly and the King。 If the King balks at leaving by
the first door； the Assembly； equally nonplused； will leave through
the second； in either case； as the all…powerful ministers of the
submissive King or as executive delegates of the submissive Assembly；
the Girondists will become the masters of France。
II。
Pressure on the King。 Pétion and Manual brought to the H？tel…de…
ville。 The Ministry obliged to resign。 Jacobin agitation
against the King。 Pressure on the Assembly。 … … Petition of the
Paris Commune。 Threats of the petitioners and of the galleries。
Session of August 8th。 … Girondist strategy foiled in two ways。
With this in mind they begin by attacking the King； and try to make
him yield through fear。 They remove the suspension pronounced
against Pétion and Manuel； and restore them both to their places in
the H？tel…de…ville。 They will from now on rule Paris without
restriction or supervision； for the Directory of the department has
resigned； and no superior authority exists to prevent them from
calling upon or giving orders as they please to the armed forces； they
are exempt from all subordination； as well as from all control。
Behold the King of France in good hands； in those of the men who； on
the 20th of June； refused to nuzzle the popular brute； declaring that
it had done well； that it had right on its side； and that it may begin
again。 According to them； the palace of the monarch belongs to the
public； people may enter it as they would a coffee…house； in any
event； as the municipality is occupied with other matters； it cannot
be expected to keep people out。 〃Is there nothing else to guard in
Paris but the Tuileries and the King？〃＇12＇ Another maneuver
consists in rendering the King's instruments powerless。 Honorable and
inoffensive as the new ministers may be； they never appear in the
Assembly without being hooted at in the tribunes。 Isnard； pointing
with his finger to the principal one； exclaims： 〃That is a
traitor！〃＇13＇ Every popular outburst is imputed to them as a crime；
while Guadet declares that； 〃as royal counselors； they are answerable
for any disturbances〃 that the double veto might produce。＇14＇ Not
only does the faction declare them guilty of the violence provoked by
itself； but； again； it demands their lives for the murders which it
commits。 〃France must know；〃 says Vergniaud； 〃that hereafter ministers
are to answer with their heads for any disorders of which religion is
the pretext。〃 〃The blood just spilt at Bordeaux；〃 says Ducos； 〃may
be laid at the door of the executive power。 〃＇15＇ La Source proposes
to 〃punish with death；〃 not alone the minister who is not prompt in
ordering the execution of a decree； but； again； the clerks who do not
fulfill the minister's instructions。 Always death on every occasion；
and for every one who is not of the sect。 Under this constant terror；
the ministers resign in a body； and the King is required at once to
appoint others； meanwhile； to increase the danger of their position；
the Assembly decrees that hereafter they shall 〃be answerable for each
other。〃 It is evident that they are aiming at the King over his
minister's shoulders； while the Girondists leave nothing unturned to
render government to him impossible。 The King； again； signs this new
decree； he declines to protest； to the persecution he is forced to
undergo he opposes nothing but silence； sometimes a simple； frank；
good…hearted exp