Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-07-04

commencement of his address adopted some
thing Of the decorum of public council.
Ia this there was an aFtifce; for restless as
the club was, it still retained jealousy of tbs
superior Legislative rank Of the assembly of ma
tional representatives, the Convention The
forms OF the Convention were strictly inita
! ted; and even those Jacobins who usually lee
the debate, scrupulously wore the dress Of the
| best orders. Robcspierre was ella borately
dressed whenever he appeared in the tribune.
and even Danton abandoned the cdr,ailte COS
tune for the time.
| was struck with his showry statute, his
bold forehead and his commanding attitude
as he stood waving his hand over the multi
tude below, as if he waved a sceptre. His
appearance was received with a general shout
from the gallery, which he returned with a
profound bow. and then stood erect, till al
rang through the extent Of the hall. He be-
gan with congratulating the people Oh their
having relieved the Republic from its external
dangers His language at first was moderate.
and his recapitulation of the perils which must
have befallen conquered country, was suffi-
GENTLY true and even touching, but his tone
soon changed, and / saw the true Jacobin.-
WHAT he cried, ARE those perls to the hor-
rors of domestic perfidy?' What are the rava-
ges on the frontier to the poison and dagger at
at our iresides2 What is the gallant death
in tie field, to assassination in cold blood2-
Listen, fellow citizens; there is at this hour a
plot deeper laid for your destruction, than ev-
er existed in the shallow heads, or ever could
be executed by the cowardly hearts, of their
soidiery. No. The courage of our brave pat
riots is as proof against corruption as against
war;" This was followed by shout from the
gallery. SIS it in the Tuilleries? No; there
the national sabre had cut down the tree which
cast its deadly fruit among the nation. Where,
then, is the focus of this plot--where the
gathering Of the storm that is to shake the bat
Elements of the Republic-where that terrible
deposlte of conbustibles which the noble has
gathered, the priest has piled, and the king
has prepared to kindle? Brave citizens, that
plot is -" he paused, and looking mysteri-
ously around, while silence deep as death
peryaded the multitude; then, as if suddenly
recovering himself, he ttundered out-setke
Tenple!"
No langnage can describe the shout and the
scene that followed. The daring word was
now spoken which all anticipated, but which
Danton alone had the desperate audacity to ut
ter. The gallery screamed, howled, roared,
danced, fiourished their weapons, and sung the
Marselles, and the Carmagnole. The club
below were scarcely less violent in their de-
monstrations of furious joy. Danton had now
accomplished his task; but his vanity thirsted
for additional applause, and he entered into
catalogue Of his services to republicanism. In
the midst of his detail, a low but singularlv
clear voice was heard from the extremity of
the hall
Descend, man of massacre
| saw Danton start back as if he had been
shot. At length, recovering his breath, he
said feebly-
Citizens, of what am acoused2"
''Of the three days of September" uttered
the voice again, in tone so strongly sepul-
chral, that it palpably awed the whole assem-
blage. -
<sWho is it that insults me? who dares to
maglign me? What spy of the Girondists,
what traitor Of the Bourbous, what hireling of
the gold of Pitt, is among us2" exclaimed the
bold ruffian, yet with visagc which, even at
distance, could observe had lost its usual
fiery hue, and turned clay color.
lCpllCu FUlCC. dIlu SdW Il Tall Il
CURE stalk up the length of the hall, and stand
at the foot of the tribune. :'Descend!Y. was
the word which he spoke:la and Danton, as if
under spell, to my establishment, obeyed
without word, and came down. The stran-
ger took his place; none knew his name; and
the rapidity and boldness of his assault suspen-
ded all in wonder like my own. / can give
but a most incomplete conception of the extra
ordinary eloquence of the mysterious intruder.
He openly charged Danton with having con-
structed the whole conspiracy against the I'M
Fortunate prisoners of ;September;-w hav-
ing deceived the people by imaginary alarms
of the approach Of the enemy; with having
plundered the national treasury to pay the rs
sassins; and last and most deadly charge of all
with having formed plan for National Die
tatorship, of which he himself was to be the
first professor. The charge was sufficiently
probable, and was not known for the first
time. But the keenness and fiery promptitude
with which the speaker poured the charge up
on him, gave it new aspect; and could see
in the changing physlognomies around me.
that the great Jacobin was already in danger
He obviously felt this himself, for starting up
from the bench to which he had returned, he
cried out, or rather yelled, i
| ''Citizens, this man thirts for my blood. Am
| to be sacrificed Am ! to be exposed TO the
danger of assassination" But no answering
shout now arose; dead silence reigned; all eyes
were still turned on the tribune. | saw Dan
ton after gaze of total helplessness on all
sides, throw up his hands like drowning
man, and stagger to his seat. Nothing could
be more unfortunate than this interruption for
the speaker poured the renewed invective, like
stream of molten iron, full on his personal
character and career
''Born beggar, your only hope of bread
was crime. Adopting the profession of an adj
vocate, your only conception of law was chi
canery. Coming to Paris, you took up patriot
ism as trade, and turned the trade into an i'm
posture. Trained to dependence, you always
hung on some one till he spurned you2 You
licked the dust before Mirabeau; you BETRAYED
him and he trampled on you; you took refuge
IN the cavern of Marat, until he found you too
base companionship and he too spurned you;
I