embers of the Convention, and they resolved
to free the country of the great tyrant who aimed at the suppression
of all power but his own. "Do not flatter yourselves," said Tallien to
the Girondists, "that he will spare you, for you have committed an
unpardonable offence in being freemen." "Do you still live?" said he
to the Jacobins; "in a few days, he will have your heads if you do not
take his." All parties in the assembly resolved to overthrow their
common enemy. Robespierre, the chief actor of the bloody tragedy,
Dumas, the president of the Revolutionary Tribunal, Henriot, the
commander of the National Guard, Couthon and St. Just, the tools of
the tyrant, were denounced, condemned, and executed. The last hours of
Robespierre were horrible beyond description. When he was led to
execution, the blood flowed from his broken jaw, his face was deadly
pale, and he uttered yells of agony, which filled all hearts with
terror. But one woman, nevertheless, penetrated the crowd which
surrounded him, exclaiming, "Murderer of my kindred! your agony fills
me with joy; descend to hell, covered with the curses of every mother
in France."

Thus terminated the Reign of Terror, during which, nearly nineteen
thousand persons were guillotined; and among these were over two
thousand nobles and one thousand priests, besides immense numbers of
other persons, by war or the axe, in other parts of France.

But vigorous measures had been adopted to carry on the war against
united Christendom. No less than two hundred and eighty thousand men
were in the field, on the part of the allies, from Basle to Dunkirk.
Toulon and Lyons had raised the standard of revolt, Mayence gave the
invaders a passage into the heart of the kingdom, while sixty thousand
insurgents in La Vendee threatened to encamp under the walls of Paris.
But under the exertions of the Committee, and especially of Carnot,
the minister of war, still greater numbers were placed under arms,
France was turned into an immense workshop of military preparations,
and the whole property of the state, by means of confiscations and
assignats, put at the disposal of the government. The immense debts of
the government were paid in paper money, while conscription filled the
ranks with all the youth of the state. Added to all this force which
the government had at its disposal, it must be remembered that the
army was burning with enthusiastic dreams of liberty, and of
patriotism, and of glory. No