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the semblance of an election； they have extorted or obtained by trick
the suffrages through which they act。 They are so familiar with fraud
and violence that； in their own Assembly； the ruling minority has
seized and held on to power by violence and fraud； putting down the
majority by riots； and the departments by force of arms。 To give
their brutalities the semblance of right； they improvise two pompous
demonstrations； first； the sudden manufacture of a paper constitution；
which molders away in their archives； and next； the scandalous farce
of a hollow and compulsory plebiscite。 … A dozen leaders of the party
concentrate unlimited authority in their own hands； but； as admitted
by them； their authority is derivative； it is the Convention which
makes them its delegates； their precarious title has to be renewed
monthly； a turn of the majority may sweep them and their work away to…
morrow； an insurrection of the people； whom they have familiarized
with insurrection； may to…morrow sweep them away； their work and their
majority。 … They maintain only a disputed； limited and transient
ascendancy over their adherents。 They are not military chieftains
like Cromwell and Napoleon； generals of an army obeyed without a
murmur； but common stump…speakers at the mercy of an audience that
sits in judgment on them。 There is no discipline in this public；
every Jacobin remains independent by virtue of his principles； if he
accepts leaders； it is with a reservation of their worth to him；
selecting them as he pleases； he is free to change them when he
pleases； his trust in them is intermittent； his loyalty provisional；
and； as his adhesion depends on a mere preference； he always reserves
the right to discard the favorite of to…day as he has discarded the
favorite of yesterday。 In this audience； there is no such thing as
subordination； the lowest demagogue； any noisy subaltern； a Hébert or
Jacques Roux； aspiring to step out of the ranks； overbidding the
charlatans in office in order to obtain their places。 Even with a
complete and lasting ascendancy over an organized band of docile
supporters； the Jacobin leaders would be feeble for lack of reliable
and competent instruments； for they have but very few partisans other
than those of doubtful probity and of notorious incapacity。 …
Cromwell had around him； to carry out the puritan program； the moral
élite of the nation； an army of rigorists； with narrow consciences；
but much more strict towards themselves than towards others； men who
never drank and who never swore； who never indulged for a moment in
sensuality or idleness； who forbade themselves every act of omission
or commission about which they held any scruples； the most honest； the
most temperate； the most laborious and the most persevering of
mankind；＇22＇ the only ones capable of laying the foundations of that
practical morality on which England and the United States still
subsist at the present day。 … Around Peter the Great； in carrying out
his European program； stood the intellectual élite of the country； an
imported staff of men of ability associated with natives of moderate
ability； every well…taught resident foreigner and indigenous Russian；
the only ones able to organize schools and public institutions； to set
up a vast central and regular system of administration； to assign rank
according to service and merit； in short； to erect on the snow and mud
of a shapeless barbarism a conservatory of civilization which；
transplanted like an exotic tree； grows and gradually becomes
acclimated。 … Around Couthon； Saint…Just； Billaud； Collot； and
Robespierre； with the exception of certain men devoted； not to
Utopianism but the country； and who； like Carnot； conform to the
system in order to save France； there are but a few sectarians to
carry out the Jacobin program。 These are men so short…sighted as not
to clearly comprehend its fallacies； or sufficiently fanatical to
accept its horrors； a lot of social outcasts and self…constituted
statesmen； infatuated through incommensurate faculties with the parts
they play； unsound in mind and superficially educated； wholly
incompetent； boundless in ambition； their consciences perverted；
callous or deadened by sophistry； hardened through arrogance or killed
by crime； by impunity and by success。
Thus； whilst other despots raise a moderate weight； calling around
them either the majority or the flower of the nation； employing the
best strength of the country and lengthening their lever （of
despotism） as much as possible； the Jacobins attempt to raise an
incalculable weight； repel the majority as well as the flower of the
nation； discard the best strength of the country； and shorten their
lever to the utmost。 They hold on only to the shorter end； the rough；
clumsy； iron…bound； creaking and grinding extremity； that is to say；
to physical force； … the means for physical constraint； the heavy hand
of the gendarme on the shoulder of the suspect； the jailer's bolts and
keys turned on the prisoner； the club used by the sans…culottes on the
back of the bourgeois to quicken his pace； and； better still； the
Septembriseur's pike thrust into the aristocrat's belly； and the blade
falling on the neck held fast in the clutches of the guillotine。 …
Such； henceforth； is the only machinery they posses for governing the
country； for they have deprived themselves of all other。 Their engine
has to be exhibited； for it works only on condition that its bloody
image be stamped indelibly on every body's imagination； if the Negro
monarch or the pasha desires to see heads bowing as he passes along；
he must be escorted by executioners。 They must abuse their engine
because fear losing its effect through habit； needs example to keep it
alive； the Negro monarch or the pasha who would keep the fear alive by
which he rules； must be stimulated every day； he must slaughter too
many to be sure of slaughtering enough； he must slaughter constantly；
in heaps； indiscriminately； haphazard； no matter for what offense； on
the slightest suspicion； the innocent along with the guilty。 He and
his are lost the moment they cease to obey this rule。 Every Jacobin；
like every African monarch or pasha； must it that he may be and remain
at the head of his band。 … That is the reason why the chiefs of the
party； its natural and pre…determined leaders； are theoreticians able
to grasp its principle and logicians capable of drawing its
consequences。 They are； however； so inept as to be unable to
understand that their enterprise exceeds both their own and all other
human resources； but shrewd enough to see that brutal force is their
only tool； inhuman enough to apply it unscrupulously and without
reserve； and perverted enough to murder at random in order to
disseminate terror。
Notes：
＇1＇ Buchez et Roux； XXXII； 354。 （Speech by Robespierre in the
Convention； Floréal 18； year II。） 〃 Sparta gleams like a flash of
lightening amidst profoun