Our only gatherings were national festivals, moving ceremonies which nourished in us the love of our country. In the streets our eyes filled with tears when we saw an inscription in honor of the young drummer, Barra. . . This sentiment was the only religion we had."[190]
But it was a religion. When the heart of a nation is so high it will deliver itself, in spite of its rulers, whatever their excesses may be, whatever their crimes; for the nation atones for their follies by its courage; it hides their crimes beneath its great achievements.
_______________________________________________________________________Notes:
[1] "Archives Nationales," AF II, 45, May 6, 1793 (in English).
[2] Moore, II. 185 (October 20). "It is evident that all the departments of France are in theory allowed to have an equal share in the government; yet in fact the single department of Paris has the whole power of the government." Through the pressure of the mob Paris makes the law for the Convention and for all France. - Ibid., II. 534(during the king's trial). "All the departments of France, including that of Paris, are in reality often obliged to submit to the clamorous tyranny of a set of hired ruffians in the tribunes who usurp the name and functions of the sovereign people, and, secretly direct by a few demagogues, govern this unhappy nation." Cf. Ibid., II. (Nov. 13).
[3] Schmidt, I. 96. Letter of Lauchou to the president of the Convention, Oct. 11, 1792: "The section of 1792 on its own authority decreed on the 5th of this month that all persons in a menial service could be allowed to vote in our primary assemblies . . . It would be well for the National Convention to convince the inhabitants of Paris that they alone do not constitute the entire republic. However absurd this idea may be, it is gaining ground every day." - Ibid., Letter of Damour, vice-president of the Pantheon section, Oct. 29: "The citizen Paris . . . has said that when the law is in conflict with general opinion no attention must be paid to it. . . These disturbers of the public peace who desire to monopolize all places, either in the municipality or elsewhere, are themselves the cause of the greatest tumult."[4] Schmidt, I. 223 (report by Dutard, May 14).
[5] Mortimer-Ternaux, VI. 117; VII. 59 (balloting of Dec. 2 and 4). In most of these and the following elections the number of voters is but one-twentieth of those registered. Chaumette is elected in his section by 53 votes; Hébert by 56; Gency, a master-cooper, by 34; Lechenard, a tailor, by 39; Douce, a building-hand, by 24. -- Pache is elected mayor Feb. 15, 1793, by 11,881 votes, out of 160,000 registered.
[6] Buchez et Roux, XVII. 101. (Decree of Aug. 19, 1792). - Mortimer-Ternaux, IV. 223. - Beaulieu, "Essais," III. 454. "The National Guard ceased to exist after the 10th of August." -- Buzot, 454. -- Schmidt, I. 533 (Dutard, May 29). "It is certain that the armed forces of Paris is nonexistent."[7] Beaulieu, Ibid., IV. 6. -- "Archives Nationales," F7, 3249(Oise). -- Letters of the Oise administrators, Aug. 24, Sept. 12 and 20, 1792. Letters of the administrators of the district of Clermont, Sept. 14, etc.
[8] Cf. above, ch. IX.-"Archives Nationales," F7, 3249. Letter of the administrators of the district of Senlis, Oct. 31, 1792. Two of the administrators of the Senlis hospital were arrested by Paris commissaries and conducted "before the pretended Committee of Public Safety in Paris, with all that they possessed in money, jewels, and assignats." The same commissaries carry off two of the hospital sisters of charity, with all the silver plate in the establishment;the sisters are released, but the plate is not returned. -- Buchez et Roux, XXVI. 209 (Patriote Fran?ais). Session of April 30, 1793, the final report of the commission appointed to examine the accounts of the old Committee of Supervision: " Panis and Sergent are convicted of breaking seals." . . . "67,580 francs found in Septenil's domicile have disappeared, as well as many articles of value."[9] Schmidt, I, 270.
[10] Mortimer-Ternaux, IV. 221 to 229, 242 to 260; VI. 43 to 52.
[11] De Sybel, "Histoire de l'Europe pendant la Révolution Fran?aise,"II 76. -- Madame Roland, II.152. "It was not only impossible to make out the accounts, but to imagine where 130,000,000 had gone. . . The day he was dismissed he made sixty appointments, . . . from his son-in-law, who, a vicar, was made a director at 19,000 francs salary, to his hair-dresser, a young scapegrace of nineteen, whom he makes a commissary of war" . . "It was proved that he paid in full regiments that were actually reduced to a few men. -- Meillan, 20. "The faction became the master of Paris through hired brigands, aided by the millions placed at its disposition by the municipality, under the pretext of ensuring supplies."[12] See in the "Memoirs of Mme. Elliot," the particulars of this vote. -- Beaulieu, I.445. "I saw a placard signed by Marat posted on the corners of the streets, stating that he had demanded 15,000 francs of the Duke of Orleans as compensation for what he had done for him.
Gouverneur Morris, I. 260 (Letter of Dec. 21, 1792). The galleries force the Convention to revoke its decree against the expulsion of the Bourbons. -- On the 22nd of December the sections present a petition in the same sense, while there is a sort of riot in the suburbs in favor of Philippe-Egalité.
[13] Schmidt, I. 246 (Dutard, May 13). "The Convention cannot count in all Paris thirty persons ready to side with them.
[14] Buchez et Roux, XXV. 463. On the call of the houses, April 13, 1793, ninety-two deputies vote for Marat.
[15] Prudhomme, "Crimes de la Révolution," V. 133. Conversation with Danton, December, 1792. -- De Barante, III.123. The same conversation, probably after another verbal tradition. -- I am obliged to substitute less coarse terms for those of the quotation.