[59] Fenet， "Travaux du Code civil." (Report by Cambacèrés on the Code civil， August 9， 1793). The spokesman for the committee that had framed the bill makes excuses for not having deprived the father of all the disposable portion. "The committee believed that such a clause would seriously violate our customs without being of any benefit to society or of any moral advantage. We assured ourselves， moreover， that there should always be a division of property." With respect to donations： "It is repugnant to all ideas of beneficence to allow donations to the rich. Nature is averse to the making of such gifts so long as our eyes dwell on misery and misfortune. These affecting considerations have determined us to fix a point， a sort of maximum， which prohibits gifts on the part of those who have reached that point."[60] Moniteur， XII.， 730， (June 22， 1792)， speech by Lamarque. - But this principle is encountered everywhere. "Equality， indeed， (is) the final aim of social art." (Condorcet， 'Tableau des progrès de l'esprit humain，" II.， 59. - "We desired，" writes Baudot， "to apply to politics the equality which the Gospel awards to Christians." (Quinet， "Revolution Fran？aise， II.， 407.)[61] Buchez et Roux， XXXV， 296 (The words of Saint-Just.) - Moniteur， XVIII， 505 (Ordinance of the Paris Commune， Frimaire 3， year II).
"Wealth and Poverty must alike disappear under the régime of equality."[62] Ib. XXXV， 296 ("Institutions" by Saint-Just). "A man is not made for trades， nor for a workhouse nor for an alms-house； all this is frightful." - Ibid.， XXXI.， 312. (Report of Saint-Just， Vent？se 8， year II.) "Let all Europe see that you will not allow a miserable man on French territory！ . . . Happiness is a new idea in Europe."[63] Ib. XXXV， 296 ("Institutions" by Saint-Just.)[64] Moniteur， XX， 444 ( Report by Barère， Floreal 22， year II).
"Mendicity is incompatible with popular government."[65] Ib.， XIX.， 568. (Report by Saint-Just， Vent？se 8， year II.)[66] Ib.， XX， 448 (Rapport by Barère， Floreal 22).
[67] Ibid.， XIX.， 568. (Report by Saint-Just， Vent？se 8， and decree of Vent？se 13.) "The Committee of Public Safety will report on the means of indemnifying the unfortunate with property belonging to the enemies of the Revolution."[68] Ibid.， XIX.， 484. (Report by Barère， Vent？se 21， year II.) -Ibid.， XX.， 445. (Report by Barère， Floréal 22， year II.) - Decrees on public assistance， June 28， 1793， July 25， 1793， Frimaire 2， and Floréal 22， year II.) - this principle， moreover， was set forth in the Constitution of 1793. "Public help is a sacred obligation； society owes a subsistence to unfortunate citizens， whether by providing work for them， or by ensuring the means of existence to those who are not in a condition to work." - Archives Nationales， AF. II.， 39. The character of this measure is very clearly expressed in the following circular of the Committee of Public Safety to its representatives on mission in the departments， Vent？se， year II. "A summary act was necessary to put the aristocracy down. The national Convention has struck the blow. Virtuous indigence had to recover the property which crime had encroached upon. The national Convention has proclaimed its rights. A general list of all prisoners should be sent to the Committee of General Security， charged with deciding on their fate.
The Committee of Public Safety will receive the statement of the indigent in each commune so as to regulate what is due to them. Both these proceedings demand the utmost dispatch and should go together.
It is necessary that terror and justice be brought to bear on all points at once. The Revolution is the work of the people and it is time they should have the benefit of it."[69] Moniteur， XX.， 449. (Report by Barère， Floréal 22， year II.)[70] Decree of April 2-5， 1793.
[71] Moniteur， XVIII.， 505. (Orders of Fouché and Collet d'Herbois， dated at Lyons and communicated to the commune of Paris， Frimaire 3， year II.) - De Martel， "Etude sur Fouché，" 132. Orders of Fouché on his mission in the Nievre， Sept. 19， 1793. "There shall be established in each district town a Committee of Philanthropy， authorized to levy on the rich a tax proportionate to the number of the indigent."[72] Decree of April 2-5， 1793. "There shall be organized in each large commune a guard of citizens selected from the least fortunate.
These citizens shall be armed and paid at the expense of the Republic."[73] Moniteur， XX.， 449. (Report of Barère， Floréal 22， year II.)[74] Ibid.， XIX.， 689. (Report by Saint-Just， Vent？se 23， year II.)"We spoke of happiness. It is not the happiness of Persepolis we have offered to you. It is that of Sparta or Athens in their best days， the happiness of virtue， that of comfort and moderation， the happiness which springs from the enjoyment of the necessary without the superfluous， the luxury of a cabin and of a field fertilized by your own hands. A cart， a thatched roof affording shelter from the frosts， a family safe from the lubricity of a robber - such is happiness！"[75] Buchez et Roux， XXXI.， 402. (Constitution of 1793.)[76] Ibid. XXXV.， 310. ("Institutions"， by Saint-Just.)[77] Ibid.， XXVI.， 93 and 131. (Speech by Robespierre on property， April 24， 1793， and declaration of rights adopted by the Jacobin Club.) - Mallet-Dupan， "Mémoires，" I.， 401. (Address of a deputation from Gard.) "Material wealth is no more the special property of any one member of the social body than base metal stamped as a circulating medium."[78] Moniteur， VIII.， 452. (Speech by Hébert in the Jacobin Club， Brumaire 26， year II.) "Un Séjour en France de 1792 à 1795，" p.218.
(Amiens， Oct. 4， 1794.) "While waiting this morning at a shop door Ioverheard a beggar bargaining for a slice of pumpkin. Unable to agree on the price with the woman who kept the shop he pronounced her 'corrupted with aristocracy.' 'I defy you to prove it！' she replied.