"You will tremble when you see in what
hands you are," continued Billaud; "the armed force is confided to
parricidal hands. The chief of the National Guard is an infamous
conspirator, the accomplice of Hebert; Lavalette was a noble, driven out
of the Army of the North and saved by Robespierre, whom he obeys. The
Revolutionary Tribunal is in his hands; everywhere he has made his will
supreme, and has sought to render himself absolute master; he has
dismissed the best Revolutionary Committee of Paris, he has ceased to
frequent the Committee of Public Safety since the day after the decree
of the 22d Prairial, which has been so disastrous to patriots. He
excites the Jacobins against the Assembly." A few feeble protestations
were now heard. "There is some murmuring, I think," said the speaker,
insolently.

He was about to continue the course of his accusations; but beside him
in the tribune Robespierre had replaced Saint-Just. His natural pallor
had become livid, rage sparkled in his glance. "I demand liberty to
speak," he cried. A single shout echoed through the hall. "Down with the
tyrant! Down with the tyrant!" "I demand liberty to speak," Robespierre
violently repeated. Tallien dashed into the tribune. "I demand that the
veil be torn away immediately," he cried; "the work is accomplished,
the conspirators are unmasked. Yesterday, at the Jacobins, I saw the
army of the new Cromwell formed, and I have come here armed with a
poignard to pierce his heart if the Assembly has not the courage to
decree his accusation. I demand the arrest of Henriot and his staff.
There will be no May 31st, no proscription; national justice alone will
strike the miscreants."

"I demand that Dumas be arrested," added Billaud-Varennes, "as well as
Boulanger [formerly lieutenant of Ronsin in the Vendee]; he was the most
ardent yesterday night at the Jacobins."

Meanwhile Robespierre was still in the tribune. Several times he strove
to begin speaking, but the same cry drowned his voice, "Down with the
tyrant!" The little group of those who were faithful to him, close
pressed together, followed him with their eyes without speaking, without
seconding his efforts; the mass of the Assembly, so docile a few days
before, was agitated with a violence that became more and more hostile.
Barere hesitated no longer. It is said that he had prepared two
statements; one favorable to and the other hostile to Robespierre. He
proposed to abolish the grade of comm