According to Marat， "it is useless to measure a degree of the meridian； the Egyptians having already given this measure. The Academicians "obtained an appropriation of one thousand crowns for the expenses of this undertaking， a small cake which they have fraternally divided amongst themselves."[30] Chevremont， I.， 238-249. "L'Ami du peuple，" Nos. 419， 519， 543， 608， 641. Other falsehoods just as extravagant are nearly all grotesque. No.630， (April 15， 1792). "Simonneau， mayor of d'Etampes， is an infamous ministerial monopolizer." - No. 627， (April 12， 1792).
Delessart， the minister， "accepts gold to let a got-up decree be passed against him." No. 650， (May 10， 1792). "Louis XVI. desired war only to establish his despotism on an indestructible foundation."[31] Chevremont， I.， 106. (Draft of a declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen， 1789). - Ibid.， I.， 196.
[32] "L'Ami du peuple，" Nos. 24 and 274. - Cf. "Placard de Marat，"Sept. 18， 1792. "The National Convention should always be under the eye of the people， so that the people may stone it if it neglects its duty."[33] "L'Ami du peuple，" Nos. 108-111. (May 20-23， 1790).
[34] Ibid.， No.258. (Oct.22， 1790).
[35] Ibid.， No.286 (Nov. 20， I790).
[36] Ibid.， No. 198 (August 22， 1790).
[37] Ibid.， Nos. 523 and 524 (July 19 and 20， 1791).
[38] Ibid.， No.626 (Dec. 15， 1791).
[39] Ibid.， No.668 (July 8， 1792). - Cf. No. 649 (May 6， 1792). He approves of the murder of General Dillon by his men， and recommends the troops everywhere to do the same thing.
[40] Ibid.， No.677 (August 10， 1792). See also subsequent numbers， especially No. 680， Aug. 19th， for hastening on the massacre of the Abbaye prisoners. And Aug. 21st： "As to the officers， they deserve to be quartered like Louis Capet and his manège toadies."[41] Buchez et Roux， XXVIII.， 105. (Letter of Chevalier Saint-Dizier， member of the first committee of Surveillance， Sep.10， 1792.) -Michelet， II.， 94. (In December， 1790， he already demands twenty thousand heads).
[42] Moniteur， Oct. 26， 1792. (Session of the Convention， Oct.
24th.) "N - ： I know a member of the convention， who heard Marat say that， to ensure public tranquility， two hundred and seventy thousand heads more should fall."Vermont： "I declare that Marat made that statement in my presence."Marat： "Well， I did say so； that's my opinion and I say it again." -Up to the last he advocates surgical operations. (No. for July 12， 1793， the eve of his death.) Observe what he says on the anti-revolutionaries. "To prevent them from entering into any new military body I had proposed at that time， as an indispensable prudent measure， cutting off their ears， or rather their thumbs." He likewise had his imitators. (Buchez et Roux， XXXII.， 186， Session of the Convention， April 4， 1796.) Deputies from the popular club of Cette "regret that they had not followed his advice and cut off three hundred thousand heads."[43] Danton never wrote or printed a speech. "I am no writer，" he says. (Garat， Memoires，" 31.)[44] Garat， "Memoires，" III.： "Danton had given no serious study to those philosophers who， for a century past， had detected the principles of social art in human nature. He had not sought in his own organization for the vast and simple combinations which a great empire demands. He had that instinct for the grand which constitutes genius and that silent circumspection which constitutes judgment."[45] Garat， ibid.， 311， 312.
[46] The head of a State may be considered in the same light as the superintendent of an asylum for the sick， the demented and the infirm.
In the government of his asylum he undoubtedly does well to consult the moralist and the physiologist； but， before following out their instructions he must remember that in his asylum its inmates， including the keepers and himself， are more or less ill， demented or infirm.
[47] De Sybel： "Histoire de l'Europe pendant la Revolution Fran？aise，"(Dosquet's translation from the German) II.， 303. "It can now be stated that it was the active operations of Danton and the first committee of Public Safety which divided the coalition and gave the Republic the power of opposing Europe . . . We shall soon see， on the contrary， that the measures of the "Mountain" party， far from hastening the armaments， hindered them."[48] Ibid.， I.， 558， 562， 585. (The intermediaries were Westermann and Dumouriez.)[49] 2 Ibid.， II.， 28， 290， 291， 293.
[50] Buchez et Roux， XXV.， 445. (Session of April 13， 1793.)[51] According to a statement made by Count Theodore de Lameth， the eldest of the four brothers Lameth and a colonel and also deputy in the Legislative Assembly. During the Assembly he was well acquainted with Danton. After the September massacre he took refuge in Switzerland and was put on the list of emigrants. About a month before the King's death he was desirous of making a last effort and came to Paris. "I went straight to Danton's house， and， without giving my name， insisted on seeing him immediately. Finally， I was admitted and I found Danton in a bath-tub. "You here！ "he exclaimed.
"Do you know that I have only to say the word and send you to the guillotine？" "Danton，" I replied， "you are a great criminal， but there are some vile things you cannot do， and one of them is to denounce me." " You come to save the King？" "Yes." We then began to talk in a friendly and confidential way. "I am willing，" said Danton， "to try and save the King， but I must have a million to buy up the necessary votes and the money must be on hand in eight days. I warn you that although I may save his life I shall vote for his death； I am quite willing to save his head but not to lose mine." M. de Lameth set about raising the money； he saw the Spanish ambassador and had the matter broached to Pitt who refused. Danton， as he said he would， voted for the King's death， and then aided or allowed the return of M.