FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  
g.--It is true, the revolutionary Committees are diminished in number, the prisons are disencumbered, and a man is not liable to be arrested because a Jacobin suspects his features: yet there is a wide difference between such toleration and freedom and security; and it is a circumstance not favourable to those who look beyond the moment, that the tyrannical laws which authorized all the late enormities are still unrepealed. The Revolutionary Tribunal continues to sentence people to death, on pretexts as frivolous as those which were employed in the time of Robespierre; they have only the advantage of being tried more formally, and of forfeiting their lives upon proof, instead of without it, for actions that a strictly administered justice would not punish by a month's imprisonment.* * For instance, a young monk, for writing fanatic letters, and signing resolutions in favour of foederalism--a hosier, for facilitating the return of an emigrant--a man of ninety, for speaking against the revolution, and discrediting the assignats--a contractor, for embezzling forage--people of various descriptions, for obstructing the recruitment, or insulting the tree of liberty. These, and many similar condemnations, will be found in the proceedings of the Revolutionary Tribunal, long after the death of Robespierre, and when justice and humanity were said to be restored. A ceremony has lately taken place, the object of which was to deposit the ashes of Marat in the Pantheon, and to dislodge the bust of Mirabeau-- who, notwithstanding two years notice to quit this mansion of immortality, still remained there. The ashes of Marat being escorted to the Convention by a detachment of Jacobins, and the President having properly descanted on the virtues which once animated the said ashes, they were conveyed to the place destined for their reception; and the excommunicated Mirabeau being delivered over to the secular arm of a beadle, these remains of the divine Marat were placed among the rest of the republican deities. To have obliged the Convention in a body to attend and consecrate the crimes of this monster, though it could not degrade them, was a momentary triumph for the Jacobins, nor could the royalists behold without satisfaction the same men deploring the death of Marat, who, a month before, had celebrated the fall of Louis the Sixteenth! To have been so deplored, and so celebrated, are,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Revolutionary

 

Tribunal

 

people

 

Mirabeau

 

Convention

 

Jacobins

 

Robespierre

 

justice

 
celebrated
 

notwithstanding


Pantheon
 

dislodge

 

escorted

 
deploring
 

remained

 
mansion
 
immortality
 

notice

 

humanity

 

proceedings


similar

 

condemnations

 
deplored
 

restored

 
object
 

detachment

 

deposit

 

ceremony

 
Sixteenth
 

beadle


monster

 

crimes

 

degrade

 

secular

 

consecrate

 

remains

 

republican

 

deities

 
attend
 
divine

descanted

 

virtues

 

behold

 

properly

 

President

 

obliged

 

satisfaction

 

animated

 

conveyed

 

triumph