Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-07-04
A Night with the JacObin Club.
PAYABLE IN ADVANCE.

fully written paper ii late number, OF
Biackwocd, entitled .'Nlarston, or the ADJ
yenturers of a Statesman The narrator
has just escaped from death by the gull
lotlne, and in dashing along through dark
lanes and alleys, suddenly encounters crowd
OF Sans Culottes, who are on their way TO the
meeting Of the Jacobins. He is compelled to
JOIN them, and in their company observes what
follows:
eve now plundged into the darkness of a
vast pile, evidently once convent, and where
the chill of the massive walls struck to the
marrow. felt as if walking through char
nal house. We hurried on; a trembling light,
toward the end of an immense and lofty aisle,
was our guide: and the crowd, long familiar
with the way, rushed through the 'intricacies
where 50 many feet of monks had trod before
them, and where, perhaps many deed that
Stunned the day had, been perpetrated. At
length spiral stair brought US to long gale
~, where our entrance was marked with
shout OF congratulation: and turnbling over the
benches and each other, we at length took our
seats in the highest part, which, in both the
club and the National Assembly, was called,
from its height, the Mountain, and from the
characters which generally held it, was a
the nave of the flames, sat the Jacobin club
! now, for the first time, saw that memorable
and terrible asseafblage. And nothing could
be more suited Ffan its aspect to its deeds
The hall was df such extent that a larye por-
ton Of it was hardly visible, and the few
sl;ghtssyvl1igtI Hug from The walls, scarcely
displayed even the remainder. The French
love of decoration had no place here; neither
statues nor pictures, neither gliding nor sculp-
ture, relieved the heaviness of the building
Nothing Of the arts was visible but their rudest
specimens; the grim efligies Of monks and mar
tyrs. or the coarse hackening carvings of
barbarous age The hall was full; for the club
contained nearly two thousand members, and
on this night all were present. Vet, except
the occasional cries of approval or anger when
any speaker had concluded, and the ,habitual
murrnur of every huge assembly, they might
have been taken for host of spectres; the area
had 50 entirely the aspectofa huge vault, the air
felt 50 thick and the gloom was so feebly dis
persed by the chandeliers. All was sepul
chral. The chair of the president even stood On
tomb, an antique structure of black marble
The elevated stand, from which the speakers
generally addressed the assembly. had the
strongest resemblance of a scaffold, and be-
".
chains and instruments of torture of every hor-
rid kind, used in the dungeons of old times;
and though placed there for the sake of con
trast with the mercies Of a more enlightened
age, yet enhancing the general idea OF scene
of death.
1t required no addition to render the hall of
the Jacobins fearful; but the meetings were
always held at night, often prolonged through
the whole night. Always stormy, and often
sanguinary, daggers We're drawn, and pistols
fired-assassinations in the street sometimes
followed bitter attacks on the benches; and at
this period, the mutual wrath and terror of the
factions had risen to such height, that every
meeting might be only prelude of exile or
the axe; and the deliberation of this especial
night must settle the question whether the
monarch or the Jacobin club was to ascend the
scaffold 1t was the debate on the execution
Of the unhappy Louis XVI.
The arrival of the crowd, amonr whom
had taking and unwilling seat, evidently gave
new Shirt to the rigcides the moment was
critical. Even in Jacobinism all were not e1ual-
w black, and the fear Of the national reyul-
sion at 50 desperate deed startled many, who
MIGHT not have been withheld by. feeIings
&c humanity. The leaders had held secret
consultation while the debate was drawing on
Its slow length; and Danton's old expedient of
- serroru was resolved on. His emissary had
been sent round Paris to summon all his ban
ditti: and the low cases, the Faubourg tavern,
and every haunt of violence, and every drunk
enness Of crime, had poured forth. The rem
nant Of the Marseilles-a gang of actual galley
slaves who had led the late massacre-the
raid assassins of the Marais, and the subreurs
af the Royal Guard who, after treason to the
king, had found profitable trade in living on
The robbery and blood of the mobiles and priests,
formed this reinforcement; and their entrance
into the gallery was recognized by clapping
o l.f hands from below, which they answered by
: roar. accompanied with significant sign Of
c,asning their knives and sabres.
Danton Immediately rushed into the Tri-
hune. had seen him before, on the fearful
n;oht which prepared the attack on the pal
ace. Int he was then in the haste and effec-
tive savageness Of the rabble He now played ,s'