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* it must render them omnipotent；
* it must force each rebel city to accept the rule of its rabble and
villains。
It matters little whether the Jacobins be a minority； whether at
Bordeaux； they have but four out of twenty…eight sections on their
side； at Marseilles five out of thirty…two； whether at Lyons they can
count up only fifteen hundred devoted adherents。＇83＇ Suffrages are
not reckoned； but weighed； for legality is founded； not on numbers；
but on patriotism； the sovereign people being composed wholly of sans…
culottes。 So much the worse for towns where the anti…revolutionary
majority is so great； they are only more dangerous； under the
republican demonstrations is concealed the hostility of old parties
and of the 〃suspect〃 classes； the Moderates； the Feuillants and
Royalists； merchants； men of the legal profession； property…owners and
muscadins。＇84＇ These towns are nests of reptiles and must be crushed
out。
IX。
Destruction of Rebel Cities。 Bordeaux。 Marseilles。 Lyons。…
… Toulon。
Consequently； obedient or disobedient； they are crushed out。 They are
declared traitors to the country； not merely the members of the
departmental committees； but； at Bordeaux； all who have 〃aided or
abetted the Committee of Public Safety；〃 at Lyons； all administrators；
functionaries； military or civil officers who 〃convoked or tolerated
the Rh？ne…et…Loire congress；〃 and furthermore； 〃every individual whose
son； clerk； servant； or even day…laborer； may have borne arms or
contributed the means of resistance；〃 that is to say； the entire
National Guard who took up arms； and nearly all the population which
gave its money or voted in the sections。＇85＇ By virtue of this
decree； all are 〃outlaws；〃 or； in other words subject to the
guillotine just on the establishment of their identity； and their
property confiscated。 Consequently； at Bordeaux； where not a gun had
been fired； the mayor Saige； and principal author of the submission；
is at once led to the scaffold without any form of trial；＇86＇ while
eight hundred and eighty…one others succeed him amidst the solemn
silence of a dismayed population。＇87＇ Two hundred prominent merchants
are arrested in one night； more than fifteen hundred persons are
imprisoned； all who are well off are ransomed； even those against who
no political charge could be made； nine millions of fines are levied
against 〃rich egoists。〃 One of these；＇88＇ accused of 〃indifference and
moderatism；〃 pays twenty thousand francs 〃not to be harnessed to the
car of the Revolution；〃 another 〃convicted of having shown contempt
for his section and for the poor by giving thirty livres per months；〃
is taxed at one million two hundred thousand livres； while the new
authorities； a crooked mayor and twelve knaves composing the
Revolutionary Committee； traffic in lives and property。89 At
Marseilles； says Danton；＇90＇ the object is 〃to give the commercial
aristocracy an important lesson；〃 we must 〃show ourselves as terrible
to traders as to nobles and priests；〃 consequently； twelve thousand of
them are proscribed and their possessions sold。＇91＇ From the first day
the guillotine works as fast as possible； nevertheless； it does not
work fast enough for Representative Fréron who finds the means for
making it work faster。
〃The military commission we have established in place of the
revolutionary tribunal；〃 he writes； 〃works frightfully fast against
the conspirators。 。 。 。 They fall like hail under the sword of the
law。 Fourteen have already paid for their infamous treachery with
their heads。 To…morrow； sixteen more are to be guillotined； all
chiefs of the legion； notaries； sectionists； members of the popular
tribunal； to…morrow； also； three merchants will dance the carmagnole；
and they are the ones we are after。〃＇92＇
Men and things； all must perish； he wishes to demolish the city and
proposes to fill up the harbor。 Restrained with great difficulty；
Fréron contents himself with a destruction of 〃the haunts〃 of the
aristocracy； two churches； the concert…hall； the houses around it； and
twenty…three buildings in which the rebel sections had held their
meetings。
At Lyons； to increase the booty； the representatives had taken pains
to encourage the manufacturers and merchants with vague promises；
these opened their shops and brought their valuable goods； books and
papers out of their hiding…places。 No time is lost in seizing the
plunder； 〃a list of all property belonging to the rich and to anti…
revolutionaries〃 is drawn up； which is 〃confiscated for the benefit of
the patriots of the city；〃 in addition to this a tax of six millions
is imposed； payable in eight days； by those whom the confiscation may
have still spared；＇93＇ it is proclaimed； according to principle； that
the surplus of each individual belongs by right to the sans…culottes；
and whatever may have been retained beyond the strictly necessary； is
a robbery by the individual to the detriment of the nation。＇94＇ In
conformity with this rule there is a general rounding up； prolonged
for ten months； which places the fortunes of a city of one hundred and
twenty thousand souls in the hands of its scoundrels。 Thirty…two
revolutionary committees 〃whose members are thick as thieves select
thousands of guards devoted to them。〃＇95＇ In confiscated dwellings
and warehouses； they affix seals without an inventory； they drive out
women and children 〃so that there shall be no witnesses；〃 they keep
the keys； they enter and steal when they please； or install themselves
for a revel with prostitutes。 Meanwhile； the guillotine is kept
going； and people are fired at and shot down with grape…shot。 The
revolutionary committee officially avow one thousand six hundred and
eighty…two acts of murder committed in five months；＇96＇ while a
confederate of Robespierre's privately declare that there were six
thousand。＇97＇
Blacksmiths are condemned to death for having shod the Lyonnese
cavalry； firemen for having extinguished fires kindled by republican
bombshells； a widow for having paid a war…tax during the siege； market
women for 〃having shown disrespect to patriots。〃 It is an organized
〃Septembrisade〃 made legal and lasting； its authors are so well aware
of the fact as to use the word itself in their public
correspondence。＇98＇ At Toulon it is worse； people are slaughtered
in heaps； almost haphazard。 Notwithstanding that the inhabitants the
most compromised； to the number of four thousand； take refuge on board
English vessels； the whole city； say the representatives； is guilty。
Four hundred workmen in the navy…yard having marched out to meet
Fréron； he reminds them that they kept on working during the English
occupation of the town； and he has them put to death on the spot。 An
order is issued to all 〃good citizens to assemble in the Champ de Mars
on penalty of death。〃 They come there to the number of three thousand；
Fréron； on horseback； surrounded by cannon and troops； arrives with
about a hundred Maratists； the former accomplices of Lemaille；
Sylvestre； and other well…known assassins； who form a body of local
auxiliaries and counselors； he tells them to select out of the crowd
at pleasure according to their grudge； fancy； or caprice； all who are
designated are ranged along a wall and shot。 The next morning； and on
the following days； the operation is renewed： Fréron writes on the
16th of Nivose that 〃eight hundred Toulonese have already been shot。〃
。 。 。 〃A volley of musketry；〃 says he； in another letter； and after
that； volley after volley； until 〃the traitors are all gone。〃 Then；
for three months after this； the guillotine dispatches eighteen
hundred persons； eleven young women have to mount the scaffold
together； in honor of a republican festival； an old woman of ninety…
four is borne to it in an armchair。 The population； initially of
twenty…eight thousand people； is reduced to six or seven thousand
only。
All this is not enough； the two cities that dared maintain a siege
must disappear from the French soil。 The Convention decrees that 〃the
city of Lyons shall be destroyed： every house occupied by a rich man
shall be demolished； only the dwellings of the poor shall remain； with
edifices specially devoted to industry； and monuments consecrated to
humanity and public education。〃＇99＇ The same at Toulon： 〃the houses
within the town shall be demolished； only the buildings that are
essential for army and navy purposes； for stores and munitions； shall
be preserved。〃＇100＇ Consequently； a requisition is made in Var and
the neighboring departments for twelve thousand masons to level Toulon
to the ground。 At Lyons； fourteen thousand laborers pull down the
Chateau Pierre…Encize； also the superb houses on Place Bellecour；
those of the Quai St。…Clair； those of the Rues de Flandre and de
Bourgneuf； and many others； the cost of all this amounts to four
hundre