按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
expulsion of the Girondists who had provoked the measure。 Upon
the Convention refusing the Commune besieged it on June 2； 1798；
by means of its revolutionary army； which was under the orders of
Hanriot。 Terrified； the Assembly gave up twenty…seven of its
members。 The Commune immediately sent a delegation ironically to
felicitate it upon its obedience。
After the fall of the Girondists the Convention submitted itself
completely to the injunctions of the omnipotent Commune。 The
latter decreed the levy of a revolutionary army； to be
accompanied by a tribunal and a guillotine； which was to traverse
the whole of France in order to execute suspects。
Only towards the end of its existence； after the fall of
Robespierre； did the Convention contrive to escape from the yoke
of the Jacobins and the Commune。 It closed the Jacobin club and
guillotined its leading members。
Despite such sanctions the leaders still continued to excite the
populace and hurl it against the Convention。 In Germinal and
Prairial it underwent regular sieges。 Armed delegations even
succeeded in forcing the Convention to vote the re…establishment
of the Commune and the convocation of a new Assembly； a measure
which the Convention hastened to annul the moment the insurgents
had withdrawn。 Ashamed of its fear； it sent for regiments which
disarmed the faubourgs and made nearly ten thousand arrests。
Twenty…six leaders of the movement were put to death； and six
deputies who were concerned in the riot were guillotined。
But the Convention did not resist to any purpose。 When it was no
longer led by the clubs and the Commune it obeyed the Committee
of Public Safety and voted its decrees without discussion。
‘‘The Convention；'' writes H。 Williams； ‘‘which spoke of nothing
less than having all the princes and kings of Europe brought to
its feet loaded with chains； was made prisoner in its own
sanctuary by a handful of mercenaries。''
2。 The Government of France during the ConventionThe Terror。
As soon as it assembled in 1792 the Convention began by decreeing
the abolition of royalty； and in spite of the hesitation of a
great number of its members； who knew that the provinces were
royalist； it proclaimed the Republic。
Intimately persuaded that such a proclamation would transform the
civilised world； it instituted a new era and a new calendar。 The
year I。 of this era marked the dawn of a world in which reason
alone was to reign。 It was inaugurated by the trial of Louis
XVI。； a measure which was ordered by the Commune； but which the
majority of the Convention did not desire。
At its outset； in fact； the Convention was governed by its
relatively moderate elements； the Girondists。 The president and
the secretaries had been chosen among the best known of this
party。 Robespierre； who was later to become the absolute master
of the Convention； possessed so little influence at this time
that he obtained only six votes for the presidency； while
Petion received two hundred and thirty…five。
The Montagnards had at first only a very slight influence。 Their
power was of later growth。 When they were in power there was no
longer room in the Convention for moderate members。
Despite their minority the Montagnards found a way to force the
Assembly to bring Louis to trial。 This was at once a victory
over the Girondists； the condemnation of all kings； and a final
divorce between the old order and the new。
To bring about the trial they manoeuvred very skilfully；
bombarding the Convention with petitions from the provinces； and
sending a deputation from the insurrectional Commune of Paris；
which demanded a trial。
According to a characteristic common to the Assemblies of the
Revolution； that of yielding to threats and always doing the
contrary of what they wished； the men of the Convention dared not
resist。 The trial was decided upon。
The Girondists； who individually would not have wished for the
death of the king； voted for it out of fear once they were
assembled。 Hoping to save his own head； the Duc d'Orleans；
Louis' cousin； voted with them。 If； on mounting the scaffold on
January 21； 1793； Louis had had that vision of the future which
we attribute to the gods； he would have seen following him； one
by one； the greater number of the Girondists whose weakness had
been unable to defend him。
Regarded only from the purely utilitarian point of view； the
execution of the king was one of the mistakes of the Revolution。
It engendered civil war and armed Europe against France。 In the
Convention itself his death gave rise to intestine struggles；
which finally led to the triumph of the Montagnards and the
expulsion of the Girondists。
The measures passed under the influence of the Montagnards
finally became so despotic that sixty departments； comprising the
West and the South； revolted。 The insurrection； which was headed
by many of the expelled deputies； would perhaps have succeeded
had not the compromising assistance of the royalists caused men
to fear the return of the ancien regime。 At Toulon； in fact； the
insurgents acclaimed Louis XVII。
The civil war thus begun lasted during the greater part of the
life of the Revolution。 It was fought with the utmost savagery。
Old men； women； children； all were massacred； and villages and
crops were burned。 In the Vendee alone the number of the killed
was reckoned at something between half a million and a million。
Civil war was soon followed by foreign war。 The Jacobins thought
to remedy all these ills by creating a new Constitution。 It was
always a tradition with all the revolutionary assemblies to
believe in the magic virtues of formula。 In France this
conviction has never been affected by the failure of experiments。
‘‘A robust faith；'' writes one of the great admirers of the
Revolution； M。 Rambaud； ‘‘sustained the Convention in this
labour； it believed firmly that when it had formulated in a law
the principles of the Revolution its enemies would be confounded；
or； still better； converted； and that the advent of justice would
disarm the insurgents。''
During its lifetime the Convention drafted two Constitutions
that of 1793； or the year I。； and that of 1795； or the year III。
The first was never applied； an absolute dictatorship very soon
replacing it； the second created the Directory。
The Convention contained a large number of lawyers and men of
affairs； who promptly comprehended the impossibility of
government by means of a large Assembly。 They soon divided the
Convention into small committees； each of which had an
independent existencebusiness committees； committees of
legislation； finance； agriculture； arts； &c。 These committees
prepared the laws which the Assembly usually voted with its eyes
closed。
Thanks to them； the work of the Convention was not purely
destructive。 They drafted many very useful measures； c