cence, Robespierre had not the courage to defend Mademoiselle St Amaranthe and her family in the Convention, where a word from him might have averted their fate. Such is the slavery in democratic times under which statesmen lie to public opinion. But this pusillanimity led to its own punishment, for it caused the people to ascribe all the executions to Robespierre, when in reality he had come to disapprove of them, and thus prepared the public mind to rejoice at his fall. XV. 1794. 26. against giv and verians. The Committee of Public Salvation took advantage of the sensation produced by this unsuccessful attempt, to Decree bring forward a proposal for the refusing of quarter to ing quarter the British and Hanoverian troops. On 29th May, Barère to the Britread in the Convention the report of that ruling Com- Hanomittee, which recounted all the hostilities of Great Britain, and accused that power as being the instigator of these conspiracies. "Too long," said he, "we have slept on conspiracies; the plots of Danton and Hébert have not awakened us. Yet a few days of impunity to the English and Austrians, and the country will become only a heap of ruins and ashes, covered with the crimes and vengeance of despotism. Let us, then, declare war to the death with the English and Hanoverians. Soldiers of liberty! when the chances of war shall throw an English or Hanoverian into your hands, think of the ashes of Toulon and of la Vendée. Strike! None should return to the liberticide shores of Britain, nor enter the free realms of France. Let the English slaves perish, and Europe will be free." On this report the Convention decreed unanimously, "No prisoner shall be taken from the English or Hanoverians."* Robespierre spoke with singular satisfaction of this bloody resolution: "It will," said he, "be a noble subject of contemplation to posterity-it is already a spectacle worthy of the attention of earth and heaven, to see the Representative Assembly of the French people, * "Il ne sera aucun prisonnier Anglais ou Hanovrien."-Décret, 7 Prairial, 1794, (29th May)-Moniteur, 29 Mai 1794. XV. 1794. CHAP. placed on the inexhaustible volcano of conspiracies-with the one hand bear to the Eternal Author of all things the homage of a great people, and with the other launch the thunderbolt against the tyrants, and recall to the world the flying footsteps of liberty, justice, and virtue. They shall perish, the tyrants leagued against the French people: they shall perish, all the factions which are leagued 1 Moniteur, with them for the destruction of our liberties. You will 29th May not make peace, but you will give it to the world, you will take it from crime." (Loud applause.)1 1794. 27. Fête in honour of June 7. Meanwhile, a magnificent fête was prepared by the Convention in honour of the Supreme Being. Two days the Supreme before it took place, Robespierre was appointed President, Being, and speech of and intrusted with the duty of Supreme Pontiff on the Robespierre. occasion. He marched fifteen feet in advance of his colleagues, in a brilliant costume, bearing flowers and fruits in his hands. His address to the people, which followed, was both powerful and eloquent. "God," said he, "has not created kings to devour the human race; He has not created priests to harness them like vile animals to the chariots of kings, and to exhibit to the world examples of perfidy, avarice, and baseness; but He has created the universe to attest His power, and man to aid Him in the glorious undertaking-to love his fellows, and arrive at happiness by the path of virtue. It is He who placed in the bosom of the triumphant oppressor remorse and terror, and in the heart of the oppressed innocent calmness and resolution; it is He who compels the just man to hate the wicked, and the wicked to respect the just; it is He who makes the mother's womb leap with tenderness and joy, and bathes with delicious tears the eyes of a son pressed against his mother's bosom; it is He who causes the most imperious passions to yield to the love of country; it is He who has covered nature with charms, with riches, and majesty. All that is good flows from Him, or rather is a part of Himself. Evil springs from depraved man who oppresses, or permits the oppression XV. 1794. of his fellow-creatures. The Author of Nature, in engrav- CHAP. ing, with His immortal hand, on the heart of man the code of justice and equality, has traced the sentence of death against tyrants. He has bound together all mortals by the chain of love-perish the tyrants who would xxxiii. 179. venture to break it !"1 1 Hist. Parl. 28. awakened These eloquent words excited, as well they might, the warmest hopes in all present that Robespierre was about The hopes it to put his principles in practice, and at length bring the are all dereign of blood to a close. But they were speedily dashed his concludto the earth by the words which closed his addressing words. "People! to-day let us give ourselves up to the transports of pure happiness; to-morrow we shall with increased energy combat vice and the tyrants!" The ceremony on this occasion, which was arranged under the direction of the painter David, was very magnificent. An amphitheatre was placed in the gardens of the Tuileries, opposite to which were statues representing Atheism, Discord, and Selfishness, which were destined to be burned by the hand of Robespierre. Beautiful music opened the ceremony, and the president, after an eloquent speech, seized a torch, and set fire to the figures, which were soon consumed; and when the smoke cleared away, an effigy of Wisdom was seen in their place, but it was remarked Deux that it was blackened by the conflagration of those that Amis, xii. had been consumed. Thence they proceeded to the Hist. Parl. Champ de Mars, where patriotic songs were sung, oaths Th. vi. 340, 342. Mig. taken by the young, and homage offered to the Supreme ii. 322. Being.2 2 309, 310. xxxiii. 179. 29. pression steps in These measures and declarations on the part of Robespierre produced a great impression in Europe. Foreign Great imnations, who had been horrified by the awful catastrophes produced of the Reign of Terror, had seen with undisguised satis- by these faction the execution of Danton and his party, who had Europe. commenced the Revolution, and brought the King to the scaffold; and of Hébert and the Anarchists, who had carried its atrocities and impiety to their most dreadful XV. 1794. CHAP. length. When, therefore, they beheld the government which had effected their destruction expressing such humane sentiments, in such beautiful language, the hope became general that a reaction had at length set in : that Robespierre had acquired the mastery of the Revolution, and that out of the excess of anarchy had arisen the power which could coerce it. Foreign powers, accordingly, began to entertain sanguine hopes that the Revolution 452. Hist. had reached its limit, and that a government had at last arisen with which it might be practicable to negotiate, and possibly conclude a durable peace.1 1 Hard. ii. 391. 30. Great power now enjoyed pierre. The effect of these steps was not less remarkable in France itself. At the fête of the Supreme Being, on 7th by Robes June, the power of Robespierre appeared to have reached such a point, that, far beyond that of any king, it more nearly resembled that of a god upon earth. Never," says an eye-witness, "had the sun shone with a brighter radiance never was a more joyous and enthusiastic concourse of spectators assembled. Robespierre himself was astonished at the immense crowd of people who filled the gardens of the Tuileries. Hope and gaiety beamed from every countenance; the smiling looks and elegant costume of the women diffused a universal enchantment. As he marched along, overshadowed by his plumes, adorned with his tricolor scarf, the air resounded with cries of Vive Robespierre!' and his countenance was radiant with joyfulness. Alexander, when declared the son of Jupiter by the oracle of Ammon, was not more proud. 6 6 See how they applaud him!' said his colleagues. 'He would become a god! he is no longer the high-priest of the Supreme Being."" The Committee of Public Salvation being now avowedly in possession of supreme power, their adulators in the Convention and Jacobin Club offered them the ensigns of sovereignty. But they had the good sense to perceive that the people were not yet prepared for this change, and that the sight of guards or a throne might shake a power against which two hundred thousand XV. 1794. 1 Vilate, captives in chains could not arouse resistance. "The CHAP. members of the Committee," said Couthon, "have no desire to be assimilated to despots; they have no need of guards for their defence; their own virtue, the love of the people, Providence, watch over their days; they have no occasion for any other protection. When necessary, they will know how to die at their post in defence of freedom." Causes, &c. Even as it was, the jealousy of the people was aroused du 9 by the undisguised supremacy assigned to Robespierre at Senart, 188, the ceremony whispers were heard, that "he would be a 189. Hist. god."* "He is only teaching the Republic to adore 176, 178. another, that its members may one day adore himself," said Lam. Hist. "He has invented God, because he is the supreme 209. tyrant,” said another; "he would be his high-priest."1 one. de la Rév. Therm. 196. Parl. xxxiii. Th. vi. 329. des Gir. viii. powers con Revolution ary Tribu June 10th. But the retreat from crime is not to nations, any more 31. than individuals, on a path strewed with flowers; and Additional many and woful were the calamities through which France ferred on the had to pass, before it regained the peace and security of a settled government. This was speedily demonstrated. nal The bloody intentions announced by Robespierre were 22d Prairial. too effectually carried into execution on the third day following the fête of the Supreme Being, by the decree of the 22d Prairial, for increasing the powers of the Revolutionary Tribunal, passed on the motion of Couthon. By this sanguinary law, every form, privilege, or usage, calculated to protect the accused, were swept away. "Every postponement of justice," said Couthon, "is a crime; every formality indulgent to the accused is a crime: the delay in punishing the enemies of the country should not be greater than the time requisite for identifying them." The right of prosecution was extended to the Convention, the Committee of Public Salvation, the Committee of General Safety, the commissioners of the Convention, and the public accuser; no distinction was to be made between * "Je tiens d'une personne qui l'a entendu aux Tuileries le jour de la fête ce mot énergique d'un vrai Sans-culotte- Voyez ce b- -là ! ce n'est pas assez d'être le maître: il faut encore qu'il soit un dieu.'”—VILATE, Mystères de la Mère de Dieu Dévoilées, 32. |