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back into them。 We can only rule through fear！〃＇53＇ 〃The Parisians are
so many j 。 。 。 f 。 。 。 ； a river of blood must flow between them and
the émigrés。〃＇54＇ The tocsin about to be rung is not a signal of
alarm； but a charge on the enemies of the country。 。 。 What is
necessary to overcome them？ Boldness； boldness； always boldness！＇55＇
I have brought my mother here； seventy years of age； I have sent for
my children； and they came last night。 Before the Prussians enter
Paris； I want my family to die with me。 Let twenty thousand torches be
applied； and Paris instantly reduced to ashes！〃＇56＇ 〃We must maintain
ourselves in Paris at all hazards。 Republicans are in an extreme
minority； and； for fighting； we can rely only on them。 The rest of
France is devoted to royalty。 The royalists must be terrified！〃＇57＇
It is he who； on the 28th of August； obtains from the Assembly the
great domiciliary visit； by which the Commune fills the prisons。 It is
he who； on the 2d of September； to paralyze the resistance of honest
people； causes the penalty of death to be decreed against whoever；
〃directly or indirectly shall； in any manner whatsoever； refuse to
execute； or who shall interfere with the orders issued； or with the
measures of the executive power。〃 It is he who； on that day； informs
the journalist Prudhomme of the pretended prison plot； and who； the
second day after； sends his secretary； Camille Desmoulins； to falsify
the report of the massacres；＇58＇ It is he who； on the 3rd of
September； at the office of the Minister of Justice； before the
battalion officers and the heads of the service； before Lacroix；
president of the Assembly； and Pétion； mayor of Paris； before
Clavières； Servan； Monge； Lebrun； and the entire Executive Council；
except Roland； reduces at one stroke the head men of the government to
the position of passive accomplices； replying to a man of feeling； who
rises to stay the slaughter； 〃Sit down it was necessary！〃＇59＇ It
is he who； the same day； dispatches the circular； countersigned by
him； by which the Committee of Supervision announces the massacre； and
invites 〃their brethren of the departments〃 to follow the example of
Paris。＇60＇ It is he who； on the 10th of September； 〃not as Minister
of Justice； but as Minister of the People；〃 is to congratulate and
thank the slaughterers of Versailles。＇61＇ After the 10th of August；
through Billaud…Varennes； his former secretary； through Fabre
d'Eglantine； his Keeper of the Seals； through Tallien； secretary of
the Commune and his most trusty henchman； he is present at all
deliberations in the H？tel…de…ville； and； at the last hour； is careful
to put on the Committee of Supervision one of his own men； the head
clerk； Desforges。＇62＇ Not only was the reaping…machine constructed
under his own eye； and with his assent； but； again； when it is put in
motion； he holds the handle； so as to guide the scythe。
He is right； if he did not sometimes put on the brake； it would go to
pieces through its own action。 Introduced into the Committee as
professor of political blood…letting； Marat； stubbornly following out
a fixed idea； cuts down deep； much below the designated line； warrants
of arrest were already out against thirty deputies； Brissot's papers
were rummaged； Roland's house was surrounded； while Duport； seized in
a neighboring department； is deposed in the slaughterhouse。 The
latter is saved with the utmost difficulty； many a blow is necessary
before he can be wrested from the maniac who had seized him。 With a
surgeon like Marat； and medics like the four or five hundred leaders
of the Commune and of the sections； it is not essential to guide the
knife； it is a foregone conclusion that the amputation will be
extensive。 Their names speak for themselves： in the Commune； Manuel；
the syndic…attorney； and his two deputies Hébert and Billaud…
Varennes； Huguenin； Lhuillier； M。…J。 Chénier； Audoin； Léonard Bourdon；
Boula and Truchon； presidents in succession。 In the Commune and the
sections； Panis； Sergent； Tallien； Rossignol； Chaumette； Fabre
d'Eglantine； Pache； Hassenfratz； the cobbler Simon； and the printer
Momoro。 From the National Guard； the commanding…general； Santerre；
and the battalion commander Henriot； and； lower down； the common herd
of district demagogues； Danton's； Hébert's； or Robespierre's side
kicks； guillotined later on with their file…leaders； in brief； the
flower of the future terrorists。＇63＇ … Today they are taking their
first steps in blood； each with their own attitude and motives：
* Chénier denounced as a member of the Sainte…Chapelle club； in danger
because he is among the suspected；＇64＇
* Manuel； poor； excitable； bewildered； carried away； and afterwards
shuddering at the sight of his own work；
* Santerre； a fine circumspect figure…head； who； on the 2nd of
September； under pretense of watching the baggage； climbs on the seat
of a landau standing on the street； where he remains a couple of
hours； to avoid doing his duty as commanding…general；＇65＇
* Panis； president of the Committee of Supervision； a good
subordinate； his born disciple and bootlicker； an admirer of
Robespierre's whom he proposes for the dictatorship； as well as of
Marat； whom he extols as a prophet；＇66＇
* Henriot； Hébert； and Rossignol； simple evil…doers in uniform or in
their scarves；
* Collot d'Herbois； a stage poetaster； whose theatrical imagination
delights in a combination of melodramatic horrors；＇67＇
* Billaud…Varennes； a former oratorian monk； irascible and gloomy； as
cool before a murder as an inquisitor at an auto…da…fé；
finally； the wily Robespierre； pushing others without committing
himself； never signing his name； giving no orders； haranguing a great
deal； always advising； showing himself everywhere； getting ready to
reign； and suddenly； at the last moment； pouncing like a cat on his
prey； and trying to slaughter his rivals； the Girondists。＇68＇
Up to this time； in slaughtering or having it done； it was always as
insurrectionists in the street； now； it is in places of imprisonment；
as magistrates and functionaries； according to the registers of a
lock…up； after proofs of identity and on snap judgments； by paid
executioners； in the name of public security； methodically； and in
cool blood； almost with the same regularity as subsequently under 〃the
revolutionary government。〃 September； indeed； is the beginning of it；
a summary and a model； they will not do it differently or better than
during the best days of the guillotine。 Only； as they are as yet
poorly supplied with tools； they are obliged to use pikes instead of
the guillotine； and； as decency has not entirely disappeared； the
chiefs conceal themselves behind maneuvers。 Nevertheless； we can
track them； take them in the act； and we have their signatures； they
planned commanded； and conducted the operation。 On the 30th of
August； the Commune decided that the sections should try accused
persons； and； on the 2nd of September； five trusted sections reply to
it by resolving that the accused shall be murdered。69 The same day；
September 2； Marat takes his place on the Committee of Supervision。
The same day； September 2； Panis and Sergent sign the commissions of
〃their comrades；〃 Maillard and associates； for the Abbaye； and 〃order
them to judge；〃 that is to say； kill the prisoners。＇70＇ The same and
the following days； at La Force； three members of the Commune； Hébert；
Monneuse； and Rossignol； preside in turn over the assassin court。＇71＇
The same day； a commissar of the Committee of Supervision comes and
demands a dozen men of the Sans…Culottes section to help massacre the
priests of Saint Firmin。＇72＇ The same day； a commissar of the Commune
visits the different prisons during the slaughter； and finds that
〃things are going on well in all of them。〃＇73＇ The same day； at five
o'clock in the afternoon； BillaudVarennes； deputy…attorney for the
C