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most of them arrested in turn； have only choice of several kinds of
death。 Cambon is killed in defending himself。 Lidon； after having
defended himself； blows out his brains； Condorcet takes poison in the
guard…room of Bourg…la…Reine。 Roland kills himself with his sword on
the highway。 Clavière stabs himself in prison。 Rébecqui is found
drowned in the harbor of Marseilles； and Pétion and Buzon half eaten
by wolves on a moor of Saint…Emilion。 Valady is executed at
Périgueux； Dechézeau at Rochefort； Grangeneuve； Guadet； Salle and
Barbaroux at Bordeaux； Coustard； Cussy； Rabout…Saint…étienne； Bernard；
Masuyer； and Lebrun at Paris。 Even those who resigned in January；
1793； Kersaint and Manuel； atone with their lives for the crime of
having sided with the 〃Right〃 and； of course； Madame Roland； who is
taken for the leader of the party； is one of the first to be
guillotined。＇109＇ … Of the one…hundred and eighty Girondins who led
the Convention； one hundred and forty have perished or are in prison；
or fled under sentence of death。 After such a curtailment and such an
example the remaining deputies cannot be otherwise than docile；＇110＇
neither in the central nor in the local government will the 〃Mountain〃
encounter resistance； its despotism is practically established； and
all that remains is to proclaim this in legal form。
XI。
Institutions of the Revolutionary Government。 … Its principle；
objects； proceedings； tools and structure。 … The Committee of Public
Safety。 … Subordination of the Convention and ministry。 … The use of
the Committee of General Security and the Revolutionary Tribunal。 …
Administrative centralization。 … Representatives on Mission； National
Agents and Revolutionary Committees。 … Law of Lése…majesty。 …
Restoration and Aggravation of the institutions of the old monarchy。
After the 2nd of August； on motion of Bazire； the Convention decrees
〃that France is in revolution until its independence is recognized。〃
which means＇111＇ that the period of hypocritical phrases has come to
an end； that the Constitution was merely a signboard for a fair； and
that the charlatans who had made use of it no longer need it； that it
is to be put away in the store containing other advertising material；
that individual； local and parliamentary liberties are abolished； that
the government is arbitrary and absolute； that no institution； law；
dogma； or precedent affords any guarantee for it against the rights of
the people； that property and lives are wholly at its mercy； that
there are no longer any rights of man。 … Six weeks later； when；
through the protest of the forty…five and the arrest of the seventy…
three； obedience to the Convention is assured； all this is boldly and
officially announced in the tribune。 〃Under the present circumstances
of the Republic；〃 says St。 Just； 〃the Constitution cannot be
implemented as this would enable attacks on liberty to take place
because it would lack the violent measures necessary to repress
these。〃 We are no longer to govern 〃according to maxims of natural
peace and justice； these maxims are only valid among the friends of
liberty；〃 but they are not applicable between patriots and the
malevolent。 The latter are 〃outside our sovereignty；〃 are lawless；
excluded from the social pact； slaves in rebellion； to be punished or
imprisoned； and； amongst the malevolent must be placed 〃the
indifferent＇112＇〃。 … 〃You are to punish whoever is passive in the
Republic and does nothing for it；〃 for his passivity is treason and
ranks him among other public enemies。 Now； between the people and its
enemies； there is nothing in common but the sword； steel must control
those who cannot be ruled 〃by justice〃； the monarchical and neutral
majority must be repressed （comprimé）；
〃The Republic will be founded only when the sans…culottes；＇113＇ the
sole representatives of the nation； the only citizens； 〃shall rule by
right of conquest。〃＇114＇
The meaning of this is more than clear。 The régime of which St。 Just
presents the plan； is that by which every oligarchy of invaders
installs and maintains itself over a subjugated nation。 Through this
régime； in Greece； ten thousand Spartans； after the Dorian invasion；
mastered three hundred thousand helots and périocques； through this
régime； in England； sixty thousand Normans； after the battle of
Hastings； mastered two million Saxons； through this régime in Ireland；
since the battle of the Boyne； two hundred thousand English
Protestants have mastered a million of Catholic Irish； through this
régime； the three hundred thousand Jacobins of France will master the
seven or eight millions of Girondins； Feuillants； Royalists or
Indifferents。
This system of government is a very simple one and consist in
maintaining the subject population in a state of extreme helplessness
and of extreme terror。 To this end； it is disarmed；＇115＇ it is kept
under surveillance ； all action in common is prohibited ； its eyes
should always be directed to the up…lifted ax and to the prison doors
always open ； it is ruined and decimated。 … For the past six months
all these rigors are decreed and applied； disarmament of
〃suspects；〃 taxes on the rich； the maximum against traders；
requisitions on land…owners； wholesale arrests； rapid executions of
sentences； arbitrary penalties of death； and publicized； multiplied
tortures。 For the past six months； all sorts of executive instruments
are set up and put into operation： The Committee of Public Safety； the
Committee of General Security； ambulating proconsuls with full power；
local committees authorized to tax and imprison at will； a
revolutionary army； a revolutionary tribunal。 But； for lack of
internal harmony and of central impulsion； the machine only half
works； the power not being sufficient and its action not sufficiently
sweeping and universal。
〃You are too remote from the conspiracies against you；〃 says St。
Just；＇116＇ 〃it is essential that the sword of the law should
everywhere be rapidly brandished and your arm be everywhere present to
arrest crime。。。。。 The ministers confess that； beyond their first and
second subordinates； they find nothing but inertia and indifference。〃
〃A similar apathy is found in all the government agents；〃 adds
Billaud…Varennes；＇117＇ 〃the secondary authorities which are the strong
points of the Revolution serve only to impede it。〃 Decrees；
transmitted through administrative channels； arrive slowly and are
indolently applied。 〃You are missing that co…active force which is
the principle of being； of action； of execution。 。 。 。 Every good
government should possess a center of willpower and the levers
connected with it。 。 。 。 Every government activity should
exclusively originate from the central source。〃 …
〃In ordinary governments；〃 says Couthon； finally；＇118＇ 〃the right of
electing belongs to the people； you cannot take it away from them。 In
extraordinary governments all impulsion must come from the center； it
is from the convention that elections must issue。 。 。 。 You would
injure the people by confiding the election of officials to them；
because you would expose them to electing men that would betray them。〃
The result is that the constitutional maxims of 1789 give way to
radically opposed maxims ； instead of subjecting the government to the
people； the people is made subject to the government。 The hierarchy
of the ancient régime is re…established under revolutionary terms； and
henceforth all powers； much more formidable than those of the ancient
régime； cease to be delegated from the depths to the summit and will
henceforth instead be delegated from the summit to the bottom。
At the summit； a committee of twelve members； similar to the former
royal council； exercises collective royalty ； nominally； authority is
divided amongst the twelve； it is； in practice； concentrated in a few
hands。 Several members occupy only a subaltern position； and amongst
these； Barère； who； official secretary and mouthpiece； is always ready
to make a speech or draft an editorial； others； with special
functions； Jean Bon St。 André； Lindet； and above all； Prieur de la
C？te d'Or and Carnot； confine themselves each to his particular
department； navy； war； supplies； with blank signatures； for which they
give in return their signatures to the political leaders； the latter；
called 〃the statesmen；〃 Robespierre； Couthon； Saint…Just； Collot
d'Herbois； Billaud…Varennes； are the real rulers providing overall
direction。 It is true that their mandate has to be renewed monthly；
but this is a certainty； for； in the present state of the Convention；
its vote； required beforehand； becomes an almost vain formality。 More
submissive than the parliament of Louis XIV。； the Convention adopts；
without discussion； the decrees which the Committee of Public Safety
present to it ready made。 It is no