g bread down to about 3 sous per pound.

But by virtue of what theory of government were the poor entitled to
this special protection? Was the Jacobin party prepared to advance
towards a socialist or collectivist form of government? Of that there
was no sign; and several years were yet to pass before Babeuf was to
give weight to a collectivist theory of the State. There were special
reasons of some force to explain why the Convention, however much it
might be addicted to humanitarian theories, however anxious it might be
to curry favour with the lowest class, should keep a stiff attitude on
the question of collectivism and property. The whole financial system
of the Revolution, endorsed by the {179} Convention as by its
predecessors, was based on the private proprietorship of land and on
increasing the number of small proprietors. Not only was the
Convention bound to maintain the effect of the large sales of national
lands that had already taken place, but the prejudices and temper of
its members made in the same direction. Robespierre, trying to
reconcile the narrow logic of a lawyer with the need of pleasing his
ardent supporters, based his position on a charitable and not on a
political motive: "Public assistance is a sacred debt of Society.
Society is under the obligation of securing a living for all its
members, either by procuring work for them, or by securing the
necessaries of existence to those who are past work."

Although the Convention maintained a conservative attitude in regard to
the question of real property, it was decidedly inclined towards a
confiscatory policy in all that related to personal wealth. This did
not, however, become well marked until after the conclusion of the
great struggle between the Mountain and the Gironde, which entered its
last phase in May.

On the 12th of that month the Convention voted the formation of an army
of _sans-culottes_ for the defence of Paris, a measure of more {180}
significance for the internal than for the external affairs of France.
On the 14th the Gironde made their reply by reading an address of the
city of Bordeaux offering to march to Paris to help the Convention. On
the 15th the Commune proceeded to appoint one of its nominees as
provisional general of the national guard of Paris. And on the
following day the Girondins, alarmed into an attempt at action,
proposed to the assembly that the municipal authorities of Paris should
be removed from offi