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Henri Verdier； called de la Saurinière。 。 。 。 It will not be long
before you will see that we make the guillotine a present。 。 。 。
The Committee begs you to send him sacram sanctam guillotinam； and the
republican minister of his worship。 。 。 Not an hour of the day
passes that new members do not come to us whom we desire to initiate
in its mysteries； （sic）。〃
＇164＇ Thibaudeau； 〃Histoire du Terrorisme dans le départment de la
Vienne；〃 34； 48。 … Berryat Saint…Prix； 239。
＇165＇ Archives Nationales F。7； 4435。 （Letter of Lebon； Floréal 23；
year II。） … Paris； I。 241。
＇166＇ Buchez et Roux； XXXIV。； 184； 200。 （Depositions of Chaux；
Monneron and Villemain。）
＇167＇ Register of the Revolutionary Tribunal of Nantes； copied by M。
Chevrier。 （M。 Chevrier has kindly sent me his manuscript copy。） …
Berryat Saint…Prix； 94。 … Archives Nationales； F7。 4591。 （Extract
from the acts of the Legislative Committee； session of Floréal 3； year
III。 Restitution of the confiscated property of Alexander Long to his
son。） Dartigoyte； at Auch； did what Carrier did at Nantes。 〃It
follows from the above abstract duly signed that on the 27th Germinal；
year II。； between eight and nine o'clock in the evening； Alexandre
Long； Sr。； was put to death on the public square of the commune of
Auch by the executioner of criminal sentences； without any judgment
having been rendered against the said Long。〃 … In many places an
execution becomes a spectacle for the Jacobins of the town and a party
of pleasure。 For instance； at Arras； on the square devoted to
executions； a gallery was erected for spectators with a room for the
sale of refreshments； and； during the execution of M。 de Montgon； the
〃？a ira〃 is played on the bass drum。 （Paris； II。； 158； and I。； 159。）
A certain facetious representative has rehearsals of the performance
in his own house。 〃Lejeune； to feed his bloodthirsty imagination； had
a small guillotine put up； on which he cut off the heads of all the
poultry consumed at his table。 。 。 。 Often； in the middle of the
repast； he had it brought in and set to work for the amusement of his
guests。〃 （Moniteur； XXIV。； 607； session of June I； 1795； letter from
the district of Besan？on； and with the letter； the confirmatory
document。） 〃This guillotine； says the reporter； is deposited with the
Committee of Legislation。〃
CHAPTER III。 THE RULERS。 （continued）。
I。 The Central Government Administration。
The administrative body at Paris。 … Composition of the group out of
which it was recruited。 … Deterioration of this group。 … Weeding…out
of the Section Assemblies。 … Weeding out of the popular clubs。 …
Pressure of the government。
To provide these local sovereigns with the subordinate lieutenants and
agents which they require； we have the local Jacobin population； and
we have seen the composition of the recruits；＇1＇
* the distressed and the perverted of every class and degree；
especially the lowest；
* the castaways；
* envious and resentful subordinates；
* small shopkeepers in debt；
* the migrating； high…living workers；
* barflies；
* vagrants；
* men of the gutters；
* street…walkers；
… in short； every species of 〃anti…social vermin；〃 male and
female；＇2＇ including a few honest crack…brains into which the
fashionable theory had freely found its way； the rest； and by far the
largest number； are veritable beasts of prey； speculating on the
established order of things and adopting the revolutionary faith only
because it provides food for their appetites。 … In Paris； they number
five or six thousand； and； after Thermidor； there is about the same
number； the same appetites rallying them around the same dogma；＇3＇
levelers and terrorists； 〃some because they are poor； others because
they have broken off the habit of working at their trade；〃 furious
with 〃the scoundrels who own a coach house； against the rich and the
hoarders of objects of prime necessity。〃 Many of them 〃having soiled
themselves during the Revolution； ready to do it again provided the
rich rascals； monopolists and merchants can all be killed；〃 all
〃frequenters of popular clubs who think themselves philosophers；
although most of them are unable to read；〃 at the head of them the
remnant of the most notorious political bandits；
* the famous post…master； Drouet； who； in the tribune at the
Convention； declared himself a 〃brigand；〃＇4＇
* Javogues； the robber of Montbrison and the 〃Nero of Ain；〃
* the drunkard Casset； formerly a silk…worker and later the pasha of
Thionville；
* Bertrand； the friend of Charlier； the ex…mayor and executioner of
Lyons；
* Darthé； ex…secretary of Lebon and the executioner at Arras；
* Rossignol and nine other Septembriseurs of the Abbaye and the
Carmelites； and； finally； the great apostle of despotic communism；
* Babeuf； who； sentenced to twenty years in irons for the
falsification of public contracts； and as needy as he is vicious；
rambles about Paris airing his disappointed ambitions and empty
pockets along with the swaggering crew who； if not striving to reach
the throne by a new massacre；＇5＇ tramp through the streets slipshod；
for lack of money 〃to redeem a pair of boots at the shoemakers；〃 or to
sell some snuff…box their last resource； for a morning dram。＇6＇
In this class we see the governing rabble fully and distinctly。
Separated from its forced adherents and the official robots who serve
it as they would any other power； it stands out pure and unalloyed by
any neutral influx； we recognize here the permanent residue； the deep；
settled slime of the social sewer。 It is to this sink of vice and
ignorance that the revolutionary government betakes itself for its
staff…officers and its administrative bodies。
Nowhere else could they be found。 For the daily task imposed upon
them； and which must be done by them； is robbery and murder； excepting
the pure fanatics； who are few in number； only brutes and blackguards
have the aptitudes and tastes for such business。 In Paris； as in the
provinces； it is from the clubs or popular associations in which they
congregate； that they are sought for。 … Each section of Paris
contains one of these clubs； in all forty…eight； rallied around the
central club in the Rue St。 Honoré； forty…eight district alliances of
professional rioters and brawlers； the rebels and blackguards of the
social army； all the men and women incapable of devoting themselves to
a regular life and useful labor；＇7＇ especially those who； on the 31st
of May and 2nd of June； had aided the Paris Commune and the 〃Mountain〃
in violating the Convention。 They recognize each other by this sign
that； 〃each would be hung in case of a counter…revolution；〃＇8＇ laying
it down 〃as an incontestable fact that； should a single aristocrat be
spared； all of them would mount the scaffold。〃＇9＇ They are naturally
wary and they stick together： in their clique 〃everything is done on
the basis of good fellowship；〃＇10＇ no one is admitted except on the
condition of having proved his qualifications 〃on the 10th of August
and 31st of May。〃＇11＇ And； as they have made their way into the
Commune and into the revolutionary committees behind victorious
leaders； they are able； through the certificates of civism which these
arbitrarily grant or refuse； to exclude； not only from political life
but； again； from civil life； whoever is not of their party。
〃See；〃 writes one of Danton's correspondents；＇12＇ 〃the sort of persons
who easily obtain these certificates； … the Ronsins； the Jourdans； the
Maillards； the Vincents； all bankrupts； keepers of gambling…hells and
cut…throats。 Ask these individuals whether they have paid the
patriotic contribution； whether they regularly pay the usual taxes；
whether they give to the poor of their sections； to the volunteer
soldiers； etc。； whether they mount guard or see it regularly done；
whether they have made a loyal declaration for the forced loan。 You
will find that they have not。 。 。 。 The Commune issues
certificates of civism to its satellites and refuses them to the best
citizens。〃
The monopoly is obvious； they make no attempt to conceal it； six weeks
later；＇13＇ it becomes official： several revolutionary committees
decide not to grant certificates of civism to citizens who are not
members of a popular club。〃 And strict exclusion goes on increasing
from month to month。 Old certificates are canceled and new ones
imposed； which new certificates have new formalities added to them； a
larger number of endorsers being required and certain kinds of
guarantees being rejected； there is greater strictness in relation to
the requisite securities and qualifications； the candidate is put off
until fuller information can be obtained about him； he is rejected at
the slightest suspicion：＇14＇ he is only too fortunate if he is
tolerated in the Republic as a passive subject； if he is content to be
t