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with tables； inkstands； paper and registers； promenade about Paris
preceded by drums and a body of militia。〃 From time to time； they make
〃a solemn halt；〃 and declaim against Brissot； Vergniaud； Guadet； and
then 〃demand and obtain signatures。〃＇108＇ Thus extorted and borne to
the Convention by the mayor； in the name of the council…general of the
Commune and of the thirty…five sections； the imperious petition
denounces twenty…two Girondists as traitors； and insolently demands
their expulsion。 Another day it is found that a similar summons and
similarly presented； in the name of the forty…eight sections； is
authorized only by thirteen or fourteen。＇109＇ Sometimes the
political parade is still more incautious。 Pretended deputies of the
Faubourg St。 Antoine appear before the Convention and assert the
revolutionary program。 〃If you do not adopt it；〃 they say； 〃we will
declare ourselves in a state of insurrection； there are 40；000 men at
the door。〃＇110＇ The truth is； 〃about fifty bandits； scarcely known in
the Faubourg；〃 and led by a former upholsterer； now a commissary of
police； 〃have gathered together on their route〃 all they could find in
the workshops 〃and in the stores；〃 the multitude packed into the Place
Vend？me not knowing what was demanded in their name。＇111＇ These
dummy tumults are； however； useful； they show the Convention its
master； and prepare the way for a more efficient invasion。 The day
Marat was acquitted； the whole of his sewer； male and female； came
along with him； under pretext of parading before the Convention； they
invaded the hall； scattered themselves over the benches and steps；
and； supported by the galleries； installed anew in the tribune； amidst
a tempest of applause and of tumult； the usual promoter of
insurrection； pillage and assassination。＇112＇ … And yet； however
energetic and however persistent the pressure； the Convention； which
has yielded on so many points； will not consent to mutilate itself。 It
pronounces the petition presented against the Twenty…two calumnious；
it institutes a special commission of twelve members to search the
papers of the Commune and the sections for legal proofs of the plot
openly and steadily maintained by the Jacobins against the national
representation； Mayor Pache is summoned to the bar of the house；
warrants of arrest are issued against Hébert； Dobsen and Varlet。
Since popular manifestations have not answered the purpose； and the
Convention； instead of obeying； is rebellious； nothing is left but to
employ force。
〃Since the 10th of March；〃 says Vergniaud； in the tribune；＇113＇
〃murder is openly and unceasingly fomented against you。〃 〃It is a
terrible time；〃 says an observer； 〃strongly resembling that preceding
the 2nd of September。〃＇114＇ That same evening； at the Jacobin club；
a member proposes to 〃exterminate the scoundrels before leaving。 〃I
have studied the Convention；〃 he says＇115＇ 〃it is composed in part of
scoundrels who ought to be punished。 All the supporters of Dumouriez
and the other conspirators should be put out of the way； fire the
alarm gun and close the barriers！〃 The following forenoon； 〃all the
walls in Paris are covered with posters；〃 calling on the Parisians to
〃hurry up and slit the throats of the statesmen。〃＇116＇ 〃 We must do
something to put an end to this！〃 is the slogan of the sans…culottes。
The following week； at the Jacobin club； as elsewhere； 〃immediate
insurrection is the order of the day。 。 。 。 What we formerly called
the sacred enthusiasm of freedom and patriotism； is now metamorphosed
into the fury of an excited populace； which can no longer be regulated
or disciplined except by force。 There is not one of these scoundrels
who would not accept a counter…revolution； provided they could be
allowed to crush and stamp on the most noted conservatives。＇117＇ 。 。
。 The conclusion is that the day； the hour； the minute that the
faction believes that it can usefully and without risk bring into play
all the brigands in Paris；＇118＇ then the insurrection will undoubtedly
take place。〃 Already the plan of the massacre is under consideration
by the lowest class of fanatics at the mayoralty； the Evêché； and the
Jacobin club。＇119＇
Some isolated house is to be selected； with a suite of three rooms on
the ground floor； and a small court in the rear； the twenty…two
Girondists are to be caught in the night and brought to this
slaughter…house arranged beforehand； each in turn is to be passed
along to the last room； where he is to be killed and his body tumbled
into a hole dug in the middle of the court； and then the whole covered
over with quick…lime； it will be supposed that they have emigrated；
and； to establish the fact； false correspondence will be printed。＇120＇
A member of the Committee on the Municipal Police declares that the
plan is feasible：
〃We will Septemberize（kill） them not we ourselves； but men who are
ready； and who will be well paid for it。〃
The Montagnards present Léonard Bourdon and Legendre； make no
objection。 The latter simply remarks that the Girondists should not
be seized in the Convention； outside the Convention 〃they are
scoundrels whose death would save the Republic；〃 and the act is
lawful； he would like to see 〃with them every rascal on the 'black'
side perish without interfering。〃 Several； instead of 22 deputies；
demand 30 or 32； and some 300； the suspected of each district may be
added； while ten or a dozen proscription lists are already made out。
Through a clean sweep； executed the same night； at the same hour； they
may be conducted to the Carmelites； near the Luxembourg； and； 〃if
there is not room enough there；〃 to Bicêtre； here； 〃they will
disappear from the surface of the globe。〃＇121＇ Certain leaders desired
to entrust the purification of Paris to the sagacity of popular
instinct。 〃In loose and disconnected phrases〃 they address the people：
〃Rouse yourselves； and act according to your inclinations； as my
indications might only startle those you should strike down and
thereby allow them to escape！〃 Varlet proposes； on the contrary； a
plan of public safety； very full and explicit； in fifteen articles：
〃Sweep away the deputies of the 'Plain；' and other deputies of the
Constituent and Legislative Assemblies； all nobles； priests；
pettifoggers； etc。； exterminate the whole of that race； and the
Bourbons； too； with entire suppression of the Ministers。〃
Hébert； for his part； alluding to the Girondists； writes in his
gazette that 〃the last hour of their death is going to strike；〃 and
that； 〃when their foul blood shall have been spilled； aristocratic
brawlers will return to their holes； the same as on the 10th of
August。 〃Naturally； the professional slaughterers are notified。 A
certain Laforet； an old…clothes dealer on the Quai…du…Louvre； who；
with his wife； had already distinguished themselves on the 2nd of
September； reckons that 〃there are in Paris 6；000 sans…culottes ready
to massacre at the first sign all dangerous deputies； and eight
thousand petitioners；〃 undoubtedly those who； in the several sections；
signed the addresses to the Convention against the Commune。 Another
〃Septemberizer；〃＇122＇ commanding the battalion of the Jardin des
Plantes； Henriot； on meeting a gang of men working on the wharves；
exclaims in his rough voice：
〃Good morning； my good fellows； we shall need you soon； and at better
work。 You won't have wood to carry in your carts you'll have to
carry dead bodies。〃
〃All right；〃 replies one of the hands； half tipsy； 〃we'll do it as we
did the 2nd of September。 We'll turn a penny by it。〃 …
Cheynard； a locksmith and machinist at the mint； is manufacturing
daggers； and the women of the tribunes are already supplied with two
hundred of them。〃 …
Finally； on the 29th of May； Hébert proposes； in the Jacobin
club；＇123＇ 〃to pounce down on the Commission of Twelve；〃 and another
Jacobin declares that 〃those who have usu