tituted in order to swallow up the
National Convention; they have spoken of a dictator, and named him; it
is I who have been thus designated, and you would tremble if I told you
in what place."

A dictatorship had, in fact, been spoken of, but it was Saint-Just, on
returning from the army, who had uttered this terrible word, in a
conference of the Committees of Public Safety and General Security
expressly convoked by Robespierre. The latter had proposed the
institution of four great revolutionary tribunals, in order to forge new
weapons for himself; but the conference refused. Robespierre went out
irritated and gloomy. "Misfortune has reached a climax," cried
Saint-Just. "You are in a state of anarchy. The Convention is inundating
France with laws inoperative and often impracticable. The
representatives accompanying the armies dispose at their will of the
public fortune and our military destinies; the representatives sent as
Commissioners to the Provinces usurp all power and amass gold for which
they substitute assignats. How can such political and legislative
disorder be regulated? I declare upon my honor and my conscience, I see
only one means of safety; and that is the concentration of power in the
hands of one man who has enough genius, force, patriotism, and
generosity to become the embodiment of public authority. It is
necessary, above all, to have a man endowed with long practical
knowledge of the Revolution, its principles, its phases, its modes of
action, and its agents. Finally, he must be a man who has the general
good-will and confidence of the people in his favor, and who is at once
a virtuous and inflexible as well as an incorruptible citizen. That man
is Robespierre; it is he only who can save the State. I ask that he be
invested with the dictatorship, and that the committees make a
proposition to this effect at the Convention to-morrow."

The imprudence of the speech equalled the audacity of the act. The
members of the two councils looked at each other, hesitating to accept
the declaration of war. A few of them contended for their lives against
the vengeance of Robespierre and his friends. "This Robespierre is
insatiable," said Barere, with anger. "Let him ask for Tallien, Bourdon
de l'Oise, Thuriot, Guffroy, Rovere, Lecointre, Panis, Barras, Freron,
Legendre, Monestier, Dubois Crance, Fouche, Cambon, and all the
Dantonist remnant, well and good; but to Duval, Audouin, Leonard
Bourdon, Vadier, Vauland,