Code of Civil
Law, which was the basis of the Code Napoleon. Cambaceres, who, with
the same colleagues, afterwards completed the work, presented it in
its first form on that day. Lastly, August 24, Cambon, the financial
adviser of the Republic, achieved the conversion and unification of
the Public Debt.

These were the great measures, undertaken and accomplished by the men
who accepted the leadership of Robespierre, in the first weeks of his
government. We come to those by which he consolidated his power.

At the beginning of September, the Committee was increased by the
admission of Billaud-Varennes, and of Collot d'Herbois, of whom one
afterwards overthrew Danton, and the other, Robespierre. The
appointment of Collot was a concession to Hebert. The same party were
persuaded that the hands of government were weak, and ought to be
strengthened against its enemies. Danton himself said that every day
one aristocrat, one villain, ought to pay for his crimes with his
head. Two measures were at once devised which were well calculated to
achieve that object. September 5, the Revolutionary Tribunal was
remodelled, and instead of one Revolutionary Tribunal, there were
four. And on September 17 the Law of Suspects was passed, enabling
local authorities to arrest whom they pleased, and to detain him in
prison even when acquitted. In Paris, where there had been 1877
prisoners on September 13, there were 2975 on October 20. On September
25, the mismanagement of the Vendean War, where even the Mentz
garrison had been defeated, led to a sharp debate in the Convention.
It was carried away by the attack of the Dantonists; but Robespierre
snatched a victory, and obtained a unanimous vote of confidence. From
that date to the 26th of July 1794, we count the days of his
established reign, and the Convention makes way for the Committee of
Public Safety, which becomes a Provisional government.

The party of violence insisted on the death of those whom they
regarded as hostages, the Girondins, for the rising in the south, the
queen for the rising in the west. An attempt to save the life of Marie
Antoinette had been made by the government, with the sanction of
Danton. Maret was sent to negotiate the neutrality of minor Italian
States by offering to release her. Austria, not wishing the Italians
to be neutral, seized Maret and his companion Semonville, in the
passes of the Grisons, and sent them to a dungeon at Mantua. The queen
was sent to