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too plain that France； for fourteen months； has been devastated by a
gang of bandits。 All that can be said in favor of the least perverted
and the least vile is that they were born so； or had become crazy。＇6＇
… The majority of the Convention cannot evade this growing testimony
and the Montagnards excite its horror； and all the more； because it
bears them a grudge： the 73 who were imprisoned and the sixteen who
were proscribed have resumed their seats； the 400 silent who have for
so long held their seats under the knife； remember the oppression to
which they have been subject。 They now recover and turn first against
the most tainted scoundrels； and then against the members of the old
committees。 … Whereupon the 〃Mountain；〃 as was its custom； launches
its customary supporters； the starved populace； the Jacobin rabble； in
the riots of Germinal and Prairial； in year III。； and proclaims anew
the reign of Terror； the Convention again sees the knife over its
head。 Saved by young men； by the National Guard； it becomes
courageous through fear； and； in its turn； it terrorizes the
terrorists。 The Faubourg Saint…Antoine is disarmed； ten thousand
Jacobins are arrested；＇7＇ and more than sixty Montagnards are decreed
under indictment； Collot； Billaud； Barère and Vadier are to be
deported； nine other members of former committees are to be
imprisoned。 The last of the veritable fanatics； Romme； Goujon；
Soubrany； Duquesnoy； Bourbotte and Duroy are condemned to death；
Immediately after the sentence five of them stab themselves on the
stairs of the tribunal； two of the wounded who survive are borne；
along with the sixth； to the scaffold and guillotined。 Two
Montagnards of the same stamp； Rhul and Maure； kill themselves before
their sentence。 … Henceforth the purged Convention regards itself
as pure； its final rigor has expiated its former baseness； the guilty
blood which it spills washing away the stains of the innocent blood it
had shed before。
Unfortunately； in condemning the terrorists； it pronounced its own
condemnation； for it has authorized and sanctioned all their crimes。
On its benches； in its committees； often in the president's chair； at
the head of the ruling coterie； still figure the members of the
revolutionary government； many of the avowed terrorists like Bourdon
de l'Oise； Bentabolle； Delmas； and Reubell； presidents of the
September commune like Marie Chénier； those who carried out 〃the 31st
of May；〃 like Legendre and Merlin de Douai； author of the decree which
created six hundred thousand suspects in France； provincial
executioners of the most brutal and most ferocious sort； the greatest
and most cynical robbers like André Dumont； Fréron； Tallien and
Barras。 Under Robespierre； the four hundred mutes 〃du ventre〃 were
the reporters； the voters； the claqueurs； and the agents of the worst
decrees against religion； property and persons。 The foundations of
Terror were all laid by the seventy…three in confinement before they
were imprisoned； and by the sixteen who were proscribed before their
proscription。 Excepting ten or a dozen who stayed away； the
Convention； in a mass； pronounced judgment against the King and
declared him guilty； more than one…half of the Convention； the
Girondists at the head of them； voted his death。 The hall does not
contain fifty honorable men in whom character sustains conscience； and
who had a right to carry their heads erect。＇8＇ In no law they
passed； good or bad； did the other seven hundred have in view the
interests of their constituents。 In all their laws； good or bad； they
solely regarded their own interests。 So long as the attacks of the
〃Mountain〃 and of the rabble affected the public only； they lauded
them； decreed them and had them executed。 If they finally rebelled
against the 〃Mountain；〃 and against the rabble； it was at the last
moment； and solely to save their lives。 Before； as after the 9th of
Thermidor； before； as after the 1st of Prairial； the incentives of the
conduct of these pusillanimous oppressors or involuntary liberators
were baseness and egoism。 Hence； 〃the contempt and horror universally
poured out against them； only Jacobins could be still more odious！〃＇9＇
If further support is given to these faithless mandatories； it is
because they are soon to be put out。 On the premature report that the
Convention is going to break up； people accost each other in the
street； exclaiming； 〃We are rid of these brigands； they are going at
last 。 。 。 People caper and dance about as if they could not
repress their joy； they talk of nothing but the boy； （Louis XVIII。
confined in the Temple）； and the new elections。 Everybody agrees on
excluding the present deputies 。 。 。 。 There is less discussion on
the crimes which each has committed than on the insignificance of the
entire assemblage； while the epithets of vicious； used up and corrupt
have almost wholly given way to thieves and scoundrels。〃＇10＇ Even in
Paris； during the closing months of their rule； they hardly dare
appear in public： 〃in the dirtiest and most careless costume which the
tricolor scarf and gold fringe makes more apparent； they try to escape
notice in the crowd＇11＇ and； in spite of their modesty； do not always
avoid insult and still less the maledictions of those who pass them。〃
… In the provinces； at home； it would be worse for them； their lives
would be in danger； in any event； they would be dragged through the
gutter； and this they know。 Save about 〃twenty of them；〃 all who are
not to succeed in entering the new Corps Legislatif； will intrigue for
offices in Paris and become 〃state messengers； employees in bureaux；
and ushers to ministers；〃 in default of other places they would accept
those of 〃hall…sweeps。〃 Any refuge for them is good against the
reprobation of the public； which is already rising and submerging them
under its tide。
II。 Re…election of the Two…thirds。
Decrees for the re…election of the Two…thirds。 … Small number of
Voters。 … Maneuvers for preventing electors from voting on the
decrees。 … Frauds in the returns of votes。 … Maintenance of the
decrees by force。 … Recruiting of the Roughs。 … The military
employed。 … The 13th of Vendémaire。
There is no other refuge for them except in supreme power； and no
other means for maintaining this but in the excesses of despotism；
dishonesty； mendacity and violence。 In the Constitution they
manufacture； they desire to remain the sovereigns of France and they
decree＇12＇ at once that； willingly or not； France must select two…
thirds of its new representatives from amongst them； and； that she may
make a good selection； it is prudent to impose the selection upon her。
There is a show； indeed； of consulting her in the special decrees
which deprive her of two…thirds of her elective rights but； as in 1792
and in 1793； it is so contrived that she consents； or seems to
consent； to this arrangement。＇13＇ … In the first place； they