New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-08-02
From the Foreign Quarterly for July
THE REIGN OF TERROR.


satin vests, and court swords, and silk stockings
were all the last relics Of that gallant chivalry
who had rushed against the lion of England to the
CRY of Mountioie St. Denis, who had followed St
Louis to the Holy land, who mad tracked througt
the battlefield the white plume of Henri o
Navarro, who had shaken the throne under Loul'
Kill, who had met the charge of Marlborough a
Families and Blenhem, who had filled with lance
and banner that very space Of the Carrousel, when
it first received its name from the latest tourna'
ment held IN France in the gorgeous youth OF the
fourteenth Louis! There now were the ashes
and finder of that aristocracy What could a
thousand Mirabeaus do to restore the departed
glory; and what, without nobility, amidst such
national guard, with such mayoralty, invaded
by such q populace, what hope for such king
The rest is we'll known-Lous surrendered HIM
self to the Assembly. This was the last day OF
nobility and royalty the first of the unhallowed
union between the middle class and the populace
the Dantonists who had led the movement, and
the Girondns who Lad intrigued for it. In the
midst of the peans of the Marseillaise, and the
shrieks of massacre arose the dynasty OF Vergnaud
and the Takers!
Truly, says NJ. Duyal (vol. I'LL, p. 242,)
a.Scarcely had the sceptre so long coveted, de.
volved on lhem than their feeblenesS and hesitation
made their dethronement certain. The massacres
of September take place under their eyes, they are
silent, or but falter out feeble voice. From the
installation Of the Convention the rens oil govern
ment float in their hands, and they remain lmpotent
Witnesses of the crimes OF the commune the Jaco'
bins the popular societies Members OF all the
committees possessing Inajorities in every commits
sion they know neither feresee nor TO prevent Ii
sometimes they were reused into sudden energy,
it passed like lightning, 1t vanished like smoke.
Gladly in critical moment would they have adopted
some vigorous measure, but is was enough TO induce
them TO reliuouish it. if the Commune appeared an
CRY, or the roar of DAMON heard from the trl'
bune. These were not the statesmen to ntiuaidate
the hardy conspirators with whom they had to con-
tend"
Such are the hackneyed complaints against this
il-fated party: and yet it is rather just to blame
the dirondins for the trucking to the masses by
which they obtained power, than for the feeble
ness displayed when they had won it. In the
latter instance the want of vigor the proof OF
virtue. The principles most dear to them forbade
the energy which was inherent in the Democracy
of the MountaiA. They were still the Represen-
tatives Of what little was left of ORDER of law OF
decorum, of education, of the MIDDLE CLASS IN
short:-ther virtues forbade the vigor of butchers
and assassins And without u ruthless execution
of criminals, in whom the public saw only pa
triots they could not have punished crime. In a
revolutions reasonable men must always appear to
want vigor. He who shares the passions OF the
of Vergniaud and Isnard was one to make instru-
ments of populace, and TO despise the very IN
struments they used. These sages of the closet
had no moro sympathy with the mob than Faus-
tus with the fcnd he had invoked. Already the
Cordcliers and Jacobins, Danton and Robespierre,
were combined for the destruction of the Giron-
dins. Danten, aware of the sinister and jealous
hatred even at this time conceived against him by
Robesperre, indeed hesitated; but his INDIGESTION
OF all in
the unscrupulous principle which rested his
power, his popularity, his safety. with the scho
lastic formula of the Girondins. Nc" he saic
Justly, the moderates will not trust me, and
should lose myself in contiding in them" And
from that momeat, uniting with his serpent foe
Maximien the Incorruptible he planned the ruiz
of the Girondins, went blindfold to his OWE
grave.
1t was on seeing the dangers that surrounded
them, on feeling that the sole power OF the State
rapidly passing into the hands of the mob o
Paris, that the Girondins began seriously to put
into practice u theory that they had long before
discussed and approved in the saloons of Madame
Roland. With more of that a,esmanship which
belongs to thought, if less of that which developes
itself in action, than the rival parties, they had
the intelligence to foresee that France was toe
vast territory for prolonged duration to one sin
gle republic. A sound and effective central gov
ernnent IS not compatible with turbulent de
mocracy, extending through an immense territory
But if France could DO divided into districts, eaci
district republic-if out Of tho provinces of the
de!unct monarch republican federucy could be
formed--each state thus constituted could obtair
submission for the laws it enacted. The pewel
in each now that aristocracy was extinguished
must gradually and quietly settle in the middle
classes-the MOB of Paris would cease to com
Inand the destinies OF the nation-one republic
would ceunterbalance The other. No scheme
could be better for the restrain, Of pure democracy
none better suited to the domination of the middle
classes. These views were powerfully cherished
and enforced by certain Prstestants of the party
who probably foresaw the establishment of thei
faith in some of the departments over which the,
might preside. Gradually the principal leader:
OF the party were brought to the same policy; and
preparations were being made to effect It, wher
the Girondins fell: this very policy being one
main cause of their ruin, because they iorgo, one
slight reason against ever having entertained it
namely, that ii was ;meracticable; imprac,icable
because unpopular; for in popular revolution
what that Is unpopular can succeed
No sooner did Robespierre publicly arraign and
denounce this 9 phantom of federacy,' than the
whole populace became furious against the insul,
OF beng Parceled out and FILTERED away And
with justice not only as populace, but as peo
pie. AT that moment, surrounded by the armed
powers of Europe, had the integrity of France
been once iost-had the national spirit been ex-
changed for the dspar,mental--haa the legions Of
Christendom found, instead of a mighty commu.
! nifty animated by passion. nest of little re.
publics squabbling with each other, aud se,,lin.
the affairs of their several municipalities. the in.
dependence of France had been gone Tor ever.
And the sense Of this it that gave valae and
zeal to that bloody phrase now originated as a
Macy historians hive il il tine disputed Justice Of