Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-01-15
ROBESPIERRE.
By JOHN S. c. ABBOTT.

By JOHN S. c. ABBOTT.
Among the most remarkable mel
developed by the French n1-0IusI0.
there are few who stand more prom
Bent than Robespierre. His first a.
pearance was in the Assembly of th
States General. The mobiles and bist
ops refused to meet with the common,
They resolved to meet in separate vote
; the lords and bishops having two vote:
and the commoner but one, the com
mons might thus be out-voted thoug
10 the immense majority. Were the
to meet in one assembly. the common
could, Of course, carry their measures
The poor were in a state Of terrible dis
tress. The mobiles sent the Archbishop
OF AK with a very pathetic appeal
urging the commons in behalf Of th'
mistress of the people. to proceed t.
business. by consenting to the separa
tioB of the three chambers.
Robespierre, one of the deputies o
the commons, then an unknown young
man, pale and slender, rose and said
"Go tell your colleagues that we are
waiting for them here to aid US in as
suaging the sorrows Of the people. Tel
them no longer to retaTd our work
Tell them that our resolution is not Ia
be shaken by such strategem as this
II they have sympathy for the poor. lei
them in imitation Of their master, re-
nounce that luxury which consumes the
funds of indigence. dismiss those inso-
lent lackeys who attend them, sell their
gorgeous equipages, and with these
superfuities relieve the perishing. We
wait for them here!"
We next hear of him advocating the
abolition of the death penalty. DR..
GuillotiD had introduced a new ma
chine. called from the inventor, the
gullotine, for the infection of capital
punishment, without inficting pain. A
general burst of laughter was excited
in the assembly as the doctor said:
"With my machine | can cut off your
head in the twinkling of an eye, with
uut -yuuT feeE-s ;I.O- Il -
marked. in passing, that many who
then smiled were soon beheaded by the
keen axe.
A party arose in France called the
Girondists-so so called because their lea
ders we're from the department Of the
Gironde. They at first were in favor
of constitutional monarchy, like that
of England But finding from the per-
6dv of the king and the court, this to
be impossible, they then advocated a
republic. There was another party
advocating the extreme democratic Ii.
cense, called the Jacobins. Robespierre
was one OF the leaders of the late party
He brought an exceedingly envenomed
bill of accusation against the Giron'
dists, overwhelmed them in their trial
and they we're all sent to the guillotine
Robespirrre, Danton and Marat, the
heads Of the Jacobin party, were nov
the idols OF France. Charlotte Cor
day soon plunged her dagger into th'
bosom of Marat. Herbert, at the heaC
of the atheists Of Paris, organized
formidable party. Robespierre, at th
peril of his life, threw himself in tn
breach to oppose them. "There ar
men," he said. "who, under the pre-
text of destroying superstition, woul'
make a religion Of atheists. The legis
lature, who would adopt the system @
atheism, is insane. The national con
r vention abhors such a system. Atheisn
, is oristocratic. The idea OF great be
, ing who watches over oppressed limo
r cence, and who punishes triumphan
. guilt, is quite popular. The people
the unfortunate applauded men. If Go
: did not exist, IL tOOull behOoUs men
inUenf hun.
: The conflict was short and desperate
e Each party knew that the guillotine wa
: the doom of the Vanquished. Herbel
r and his coadjulors. nineteen in number
: were on the I7lh of March. 1894.
? FIVE carts, conducted to the scaffold.
! Danton and Robespierrr now quarre
led Robespierre again conquered j
F. the death struggle, and Danton ws
{ doomed to die. Before the dawnin
! of the morning. gems d'0ruaes entere
t his chamber and tore him from the arm
e of his wife.
}. As be entered his prison, in th
/. vaults Of the Luxemburg, he said, sac
ly:
It cat length 1 perceive that in revolt
: tons the supreme power ultimatel
), rests with the most abandoned. W
= are sacrificed to the ambition Of fe
'f dastardly brigands. But they will NJ
e long enjoy the fruits Of their villain,
d l drag Robespierre after me. Roi
r espierre follows me to the grave"
h As Danton, with Camille Desmo,
l. Inns and others who were 10 be exec,
e ted with him, alighted from the carts
the scaffold, Herault de Secbelles, wi
l. was to suffer first, endeavored to tai
is leave Of Danton in parting embrac
n The brutal executioner interposed.
IT WRETCH" said Dsnton. "you W
not at least. prevent our heads fro
'e kissing presently in the best" As
= was bound to the fatal plank. he sal
ID 30 my wife, my dear wife, shall