Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-02-01
Biographical.
hiarat

iiaIat
MARAT was the editor of paper which he
named The Friend ofthc people. 1t is as difficult
to write without disgust of so grotesque a being,
as to believe in the sort Of worship with which
he was regarded at Paris during the latter por.
ton Of his life, and after his death Still, it is
impossible not to admit that all we know of him
is through the traditions of bis enemies of roy
alists, who never could forgive him the twenty.
first of January, of Girondists, who could never
forgive him the twenty-seventh of May. At any
rate, his intellect, clouded as it was by con-
stitutional insanity was probably not so mean
or despicablo as they have representes it. Vol.
taire was even so struck by pamphlet of his,
OIL the respective influences of the mind and the
body, as to have reviewed it. Timon IN. Cor
menin) says Of him; Marat was not an orator.
he was not even q mob speaker But hqwss
mot wftiy5dt ABILITY as a olomic and he had
shrowdness enough to divine ambition beneath
its mask, and courage enough to tear it off,
His attacks upon the Newtonian philosophy be-
token similar hardihood and contemptuous
impotence of all received authority. As the
revolution advanced, it became developed into
the most sanguinary intolerance. AS early as
August, 1888, he declared that eight hundred
deputies ought to be hanged at the top of eight
hundred trees in the Tuileries and he had the
audaclty to place Mirabeau's name first on the
list. For this he was prosecuted by the Com
mune of Paris The National Guard of Latav-
cite broke into his house, but Danton managed
his escape. He seems at this period to have
had the most intimate understanding with the
Orleanist party. The cellars of the Cordeliers
were a constant refuge to him-the apartments
Of Legendre, or Of Desmoulns, and even the
boudors of those light actresses who enlivened
the sombre orgies of Egalite His ehrontery
increased with his impunity. The Friend Of the
People became more and more frantic, and more
and more popular, 1t is curious to remark that
his chief demand at this period was Dictator !!
When the Conventional elections began he was
named, by almost universal accamaton, me-
tropolitan member, and what was more extraor-
binary, (fcr violence is a common title to the
sufflages of capitals) the colleague of Bourbon.
He was received in the Convention, as Mimbeau
had been by the States. General, wi h insult and
disgust, He repealed the scon of his adversa-
ries with an increased ferocity. Massacre"
he said, two hundred thousand partisans of the
ancient regime, and reduce the Convention to a
fourth" They attacked him for having called
4, $500 The words of this article seem
noT'to have Something Of a prophecy "Count
not upon this or any other assembly. Fifty years
of anarchy await you, and you will only emerge
from them by means of some Dictntor.--A true
patriot and perfect statesman. Oh babbltHg
people did you but knoW hos0 to dct!" When
menaced with Imprisonment, he pulled out pis-
tol at theI Tribune, and declared that he would
shoot himself upon the spot. 1t was by such
extravagancles that he prevailed, and eXctlIed
all others in that moment of delirious agitation
1t was hard to say whether he was most cruel or
most mad Dumouriez, Vorgniaud, Brissot,
Louvet, the young Due de Charities whatsoever
became in any way distinguished, was the sure
mark Of his attrocous invectve. One man alone
contained the least control over his excesses.-
He hated feared, abused, but was ruled by,
Robespierre. The blind and vague caprces of
the one required to be led by methodical, direct,
determinate intellect of the other. Danton, in
deed, shortly before his death, again renewed
his intimacy with him. but it was rather as pro-
tege than patron. But the end of Marat was
at hand. On the 18th of July IA melancholy
anniversary in French history, for a far other
reason,) in 1893, Marut was assassinated by
Charlotte Corday. Divine honors were paid to
his memory. Prayers were addressed to him.
The most blasphemous analogles were drawn of
his sufferings. Affairs were raised, and that
nothing be wanting to combine the most solemn
portions af the Pagan system and the Christian
revelation, host of victims was inundated in
his honor. Nor was this public alteration
merely ephemeral months afterwards his ashes
were enstalled in the Pantheon-m the place Of
those of .Nrabeuu.