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upon himself only； the willingness to help one another and of saving
himself。 Inevitably； when anarchy brings a nation back to the state
of nature； the tame animals will be eaten by the savage ones； these
are now let loose and immediately they show their true nature。
VIII。 The Reasons for the Terror。
The last local resistance。 Political orthodoxy of the insurgent
towns。 They stipulate but one condition。 Reasons of State for
granting this。 Party arguments against it。
If the men of the 〃Mountain〃 had been statesmen； or even sensible men；
they would have shown themselves humane； if not for the sake of
humanity； at least through calculation； for in this France； so little
republican； all the republican strength is not too great for the
founding of the Republic； while； through their principles； their
culture； their social position and their number； the Girondins form
the élite and the force； the flower and the sap of the party。 The
death…cry of the 〃Mountain〃 against the insurgents of Lozére＇69＇ and
Vendée can be understood： they had raised the king's white flag； they
accepted leaders and instructions from Coblentz and London。 But
neither Bordeaux； Marseilles nor Lyons are royalist； or in alliance
with the foreigner。
〃We； rebels！〃 write the Lyonnese；＇70＇ 〃Why we see no other than the
tri…color flag waving； the white cockade； the symbol of rebellion； has
never been raised within our walls。 We； royalists！ Why； shouts of
'Long live the Republic' are heard on all sides； and； spontaneously
（in the session of July 2nd） we have all sworn to fall upon whoever
should propose a king。 。 。 。 Your representatives tell you that we
are anti…revolutionaries； we who have accepted the Constitution。 They
tell you that we protect émigrés when we have offered to surrender all
those that you might indicate。 They tell you that our streets are
filled with refractory priests； when we have not even opened the doors
of Pierre…en…Cize （prison） to the thirty…two priests confined there by
the old municipality； without indictment； without any charge whatever
against them； solely because they were priests。〃
Thus； at Lyons； the pretended aristocrats were； then； not only
republicans but democrats and radicals； loyal to the established
régime； and submissive to the worst of the revolutionary laws； while
the same state of things prevailed at Bordeaux； at Marseilles and even
at Toulon。＇71＇ And furthermore； they accepted the outrages of May 31
and June 2；＇72＇ they stopped contesting the usurpations of Paris； they
no longer insisted on the return of the excluded deputies。 On the 2nd
of August at Bordeaux； and the 30th of July at Lyons； the Committee…
Extraordinary of Public Safety resigned； there no longer existed any
rival assembly opposed to the Convention。 After the 24th of July；＇73＇
Lyons solemnly recognized the supreme and central authority； reserving
nothing but its municipal franchises。 … And better still； in striking
testimony of political orthodoxy； the Council…General of the
department prescribed a civic festival for the 10th of August
analogous to that of Paris。 The Lyonnese； already blockaded； indulged
in no hostile manifestation； on the 7th of August they marched out of
their advanced positions to fraternize with the first body of troops
sent against them。＇74＇ They conceded everything； save on one point；
which they could not yield without destruction； namely； the assurance
that they should not be given up defenseless to the arbitrary judgment
of their local tyrants； to the spoliation； proscriptions and revenge
of the Jacobin rabble。 In sum； at Marseilles and Bordeaux； especially
at Lyons and Toulon； the sections had revolted only on that account；
acting promptly and spontaneously； the people had thrust aside the
knife which a few ruffians aimed at their throats； they had not been；
and were not now； willing to be 〃Septemberised；〃 that was their sole
concern。 Provided they were not handed over to the butchers bound
hand and foot； they would open their gates。 On these minimum terms
the 〃Mountain〃 could terminate the civil war before the end of July。
It had only to follow the example of Robert Lindet who； at Evreux the
home of Buzot； at Caen the home of Charlotte Corday and the central
seat of the fugitive Girondins； established permanent obedience
through the moderation he had shown and the promises he had kept。＇75＇
The measures that had pacified the most compromised province would
have brought back the others； and through this policy； Paris； without
striking a blow； would have secured the three largest cities in
France； the capital of the South…west； that of the South； and the
capital of the Center。
On the contrary； should Paris persist in imposing on them the
domination of its local Jacobins there was a risk of their being
thrown into the arms of the enemy。 Rather than fall back into the
hands of the bandits who had ransomed and decimated them； Toulon；
starved out； was about to receive the English within its walls and
surrender to them the great arsenal of the South。 Not less famished；
Bordeaux might be tempted to demand aid from another English fleet； a
few marches would brings the Piedmontese army to Lyons； France would
then b cut in two； while the plan of stirring up the South against the
North was proposed to the allies by the most clear…sighted of their
councilors。＇76＇ Had this plan been carried out it is probably that the
country would have been lost。 In any event； there was danger in
driving the insurgents to despair： for； between the unbridled
dictatorship of their victorious assassins and the musketry of the
besieging army； there could be no hesitation by men of any feeling； it
was better to be beaten on the ramparts than allow themselves to be
bound for the guillotine； brought to a stand under the scaffold； their
sole resource was to depend on themselves to the last。 Thus；
through its unreasonableness； the 〃Mountain〃 condemns itself to a
number of sieges or blockades which lasted several months；＇77＇ to
leaving Var and Savoy unprotected； to exhausting the arsenals； to
employing against Frenchmen＇78＇ troops and munitions needed against
foreigners； and all this at the moment the foreigner was taking
Valenciennes＇79＇ and Mayence； when thirty thousand royalist were
organizing in Lozére； when the great Vendean army was laying siege to
Nantes； when each new outbreak of fighting was threatening to connect
the flaming frontier with the conflagration in the Catholic
countries。＇80＇ With a jet of cold water aptly directed； the
〃Mountain〃 could extinguish the fires it had kindled in the great
republican towns； otherwise； nothing remained but to let them increase
at the risk of consuming the whole country； with no other hope than
that they might at last die out under a mass of ruins； and with no
other object but to rule over captives and the dead。
But this is precisely the Jacobin a