XIII. 1793. CHAP. addressed by Fouché and Collot d'Herbois to the clubs of Lyons the day after their arrival explains their principles : "Every thing is permitted to those who support the Revolution. The thirst for a legitimate vengeance becomes an imperious necessity. Citizens, it is indispensable that all those who have directly or indirectly contributed to the rebellion should be sent to the scaffold. If you are patriots, you will know your friends: imprison all the others. Let no consideration arrest you-neither age, nor sex, nor relationship. Take by a forced tax all that any citizen has of superfluity; every man who possesses what is beyond his necessities is sure to abuse it. There are many who have stores of clothes, linen, dresses, and shoes, seize them all-what right has a man to keep in his possession superfluous goods or clothing? Let all the 1 Prudhom, gold and silver that is found be poured into the national teur, p. 18. treasury. Extirpate every species of worship: the Republican has no other God than his country. All the Communes of the Republic will soon follow the example of Lam. Hist. that of Paris, which on the ruins of Gothic superstition has just raised the altar of Reason. Aid us to strike great blows, or we shall strike yourselves."1 vi.39. Moni Oct. 18. des Gir. vii. 186. Proceeding on these atrocious principles, the first step of Collot d'Herbois and Fouché was to institute a fête in honour of Chalier, the Republican governor of Lyons, a man of the most execrable character, who had been put to death for innumerable crimes on the first insurrection against the rule of the Convention. The churches were accordingly closed, divine worship abolished, the decade established, and every vestige of religion extinguished. The bust of Chalier was then carried through the streets, followed by an immense crowd of assassins and prostitutes, exclaiming—" A bas les aristocrates! Vive la guillotine !" After them came an ass, bearing the gospel, the monsters, who no longer belong to humanity, be for ever buried under the ocean. Adieu! my friend; Tears of joy flow from my eyes: we send this evening two hundred and thirteen rebels to be shot."-FOUCHE to COLLOT D'HERBOIS. Moniteur, 25th Dec. 1793. XIII. 1793. cross, the communion vases, and all the most sacred CHAP. emblems of the Christian worship; the procession came to the Place des Terreaux, where an altar was prepared amidst the ruins of that once splendid square. Fouché then exclaimed-" The blood of the wicked can alone appease thy manes ! We swear before thy sacred image to avenge thy death; the blood of the aristocrats shall serve for its incense." At the same time a fire was lighted on the altar, and the crucifix and the gospel were committed to the flames; the consecrated bread was trampled under the feet of the mob, and the ass com- Crimes de la pelled to drink out of the communion cup the consecrated Révolution, wine. After this, the procession, singing indecent songs, traversed the streets, followed by an ambulatory guillotine.1 1 Prudhom. vi. 34, 35. Guillon, ii. 346, 348. Lac. xi. 118. 98. of the Revo Lyons. The Convention, to expedite the work of destruction, sent a number of the most violent Jacobins from Paris, Proceedings under the direction of Ronsin and Parrein-the one a lutionary starving advocate, and the other a popular orator from tribunal at the Faubourg St Antoine. They commenced their operations by distributing large sums of money, remitted from the capital for that purpose, among the most violent of the Jacobins.* Under their direction, a Revolutionary tribunal, consisting of seven members, was established, with Parrein for its president. This commission soon gave proofs of its efficiency, by condemning daily eight or ten persons to death, who were executed immediately on leaving the court on a scaffold erected at its doors. A few questions constituted, in general, the whole trial of the accused :-"What is your name and profession? What did you do during the siege? Are you denounced?" The slightest confusion, a gesture, a blush, a fit of trem * "J'ai reçu plusieurs fois de tes nouvelles, et notamment la somme de quatorze cents livres en assignats; j'en ferai le plus digne emploi-celui de soutenir avec courage les principes d'une société républicaine. Nous sommes une vingtaine de bons bougres qui ont pris cette résolution, et elle sera constante.”—ACHARD à GRAVIER; Lyon, 15 Ventose, Ann. 2. Papiers Inédits trouvés chez ROBESPIERRE, ii. 235. 1793. CHAP. bling, a sudden paleness at answering these questions, XIII. were sufficient, without any witnesses, to send the accused to the guillotine. Yet, even in these terrible moments, the heroism of the persons brought before the tribunal was often such, that the judges had no small difficulty in finding a pretext for their condemnation. Marie Adrian, a girl of sixteen, had served a cannon during the siege. "How could you," said the president, "brave the fire, and point the gun against the country?" "I did so to defend it," replied the young heroine. She was instantly condemned. Another girl of seventeen was brought before the tribunal, because she would not wear the tricolor cockade. "It is not," said she, "that I hate the cockade; but, as you bear it, it would dishonour my forehead." She persisted in her refusal, and was sent to the scaffold. "Do you believe in God?" said they to a priest. "A little,” replied he, hoping to soften their fury. "Die, and you will discover," was the answer, and he was condemned on the spot. Two brothers of the name of Bruyset were imprisoned, both of the very highest character. The elder had signed some bills to raise funds during the siege for the defence, and the younger was brought to trial by mistake for his brother. They showed him the bill, and asked him if he knew the signature, and if so, if it was "The signature," said he, "is that of Bruyset!" vi. 42, 47. his own. 1 Prudhom. On this generous answer he was sent to death, instead of Lam. Hist. his brother, who had really signed the instrument. He les Gir. vii. died cheerfully, recommending his wife and children to 189. 99. inscriptions of the pri sons. the relative whom he had saved.1 The vast accumulation of prisoners soon exceeded all Mournful the means of confinement which Lyons could afford. on the walls Their numbers, before many weeks had elapsed, amounted to six thousand. Great numbers of the captives were in consequence shut up in two large vaults, formerly used for storing wine, called La Mauvaise and La Bonne Cave. Those confined in the former were such as were destined for immediate and certain death; in the latter, those who had chance of escape. This distinction was so well CHAP. XIII. 1793. Prudhom. 54. Lam. Gir.vii. 192. vi. 46, 48, Hist. des measures of bunal. The Revolutionary Tribunal, established under such 100. auspices, was not slow in consummating the work of Dreadful destruction; but, rapid as they were, they were far from the Revolucoming up to the expectations and desires of the commis- tionary Trisioners of the Convention. The scaffold opposite the Hôtel de Ville, where the trials were conducted, was kept in ceaseless employment. Around its bloody foundations large quantities of water were daily poured; but they were inadequate to wash away the ensanguined stains, or remove the fetid odour. So noxious did they become, that Dorfeuille, the functionary intrusted with the executions, was obliged to remove it to another situation; where it was placed directly above an open sewer, ten feet deep, which bore the gore away to the Rhone. The XIII. 1793. CHAP. washerwomen there were obliged to change their station from the quantity of blood which became mingled with its waters. At length, when the executions had risen to thirty or forty a day, the guillotine was placed in the middle of the bridge at Morand in the centre of the Rhone, into which the stream of blood at once fell, and into which the headless trunks and severed heads were precipitated. Yet even this terrible slaughter, which went on without intermission for three months, appeared insufficient to the Jacobins.* "Convinced, as we are," said Fouché, "that there is not an innocent soul in the whole city, except such as were loaded with chains by the enemies of the people, we are steeled against every sentiment of mercy; we are resolved that the blood of the patriots shall be revenged in a manner at once prompt and terrible. The decree of the Convention for the destruction of Lyons has been passed, but hardly any thing has been done for its execution. The work of demolition goes on too slowly; more rapid destruction is required by Republican impatience. The explosion of the mine, or the ravages of fire, can alone express its omnipotence; its will can admit of no control, like the mandates of tyrants; it should resemble the lightning of heaven. We must annihilate at once the enemies of the Republic; that mode of revenging the outraged sovereignty of the people will be 1 Lam. Hist. infinitely more appalling than the trifling and insufficient des Gir. vii. work of the guillotine. Often twenty wretches on the lon, ii. 402, same day have undergone punishment, but my impatience is teur, Nov. insatiable till all the conspirators have disappeared; popular vengeance calls for the destruction of our whole enemies at one blow; we are preparing the thunder."1+ In pur 190. Guil 405. Moni 24. Th. v. 356. * "Le Tribunal Révolutionnaire poursuit avantageusement sa carrière; il aurait certainement besoin de bons renseignemens: mais il ne se donne pas la peine de les rechercher ou d'en demander à ceux en qui il peut se confier : néanmoins hier 17 mirent la tête à la guillotine, åt aujourd'hui 8 y passent et 21 reçoivent le feu de la foudre."- ACHARD à GRAVIER, juré du Tribunal Révolutionnaire; Lyon, 28 Nivôse, Ann. 2. Papiers trouvés chez ROBESPIERRE, ii. 231. + FOUCHE au Comité du Salut Public. Papiers trouvés chez ROBESPIERRE, ii. 207; Moniteur, 24th Nov. 1793. |