Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-03-13

Iurouhu her. LAY uiter uuy tne Hoiio'
sounds of the tumbrils bearing prisoner
to execution echoed through the cells
Tallien was either powerless or had fol
gotten her. She would not die withou
telling him that she held him for COW
ard and renegade. What was he do
ingy Did he not know-he the head of
powerful party,-that each hour NIGH
be her lastY She waited until the I'll
Thermidor, when the jailor told her sh,
need not make her bed, for her turn wa
come for execution. Yet Tallien gave ne
sign. On the 4th Thermidor Tallien re
ceived dagger. He knew it WE'LL III,
had often seen it in the hands of Tereza
Cabarrus. On the 7th, two days after,
the following letter reached him, dated
from La Force: "The Superintendent
of Police has Just left. He came to an
nounce that | shall be called to the tri-
bunal-that is to say the scaifold-- to-
morrow. This news but little comedies
with dream | had last night. Robes
sphere was dead, and the prisons open /;
but, thanks TO your incredible cowardice,
no one will soon be found in France able
to realize this"
The same day Tallien replied to her
BE as prudent as am courageous, but
calm yourself" No one could be calm
at such a moment the sword hung over
her head. Spite of Terezia's singing re-
proach of cowardice, Tallien was boldly
heading conspiracy against Robespi-
erre's life. He knew that his name stood
first in that tyrant's list for execution.
He waited but an opportune moment
openly to attack him in the Convention.
True, that in the meantime Terezia might
have been ordered to execution; but Tai
lien acted not alone, and however ready
he was to sacrifice his own life for hers
he was powerless without his colleagues,
On the 9TH Thermidor, at the moment
that Tallien received Terezia's letter, Ro-
bespierre passed the entire day alone at
the Hermitage in the depths of the for
est Of Montmorency. For hours he sat
deep in thought leaning against the pal
ing of the little garden once cultivated
by Rousseau, his face paler and more liv-
id than usual. Did he despair or hope?
Did that ghastly look indicate remorse
or ambition, or was he collecting himself
to meet the struggle now inevitable?
None can reply-A hypocrite has no con-
fdant. Each of these men declared that
he fought only for his country but Ro-
bespierres patriotism meant absolute
power as dictator; Tallien's was the pos
session of the fair Terezia.
On the 8th Thermidor, the last of the
so-called "days of Terror Robespierre,
dressed in his blue coat, nankeen trous-
ers, lace cravat, and boquet in hand,
went down to the convention to pronounce
the great Grafton he had long meditated.
" Citizens" said he, al leave to others
fattering words. / am come to tell YOU
sterner truths. | come to defend outrag-
ed authority and liberty violated. have
been represented as the author of every
evil. l have been called tyrant. And
why? Because | have dared to speak the
truth. What am 1? A slave of liberty
"a living martyr to the republic-the
victim as well as the enemy of crime"
From defence he passes rapidly to accu-
sation. He spares no one he sheds his
venom around like malignant reptile
he prepares hecatombs of victims by his
insidious accusations. At length he has
finished. There is absolute silence; not
hand is raised to applaud him. He is
asked to name the traitors to whom he
has alluded. He replies with hesitation
that he has endeavored rather to expose
abuses than to name individuals. He is
interrupted. You, who pretend to the
courage of virtue, at least have the cour-
age Of truth" and cries of "Name
name! !" shake the very walls. A debate
too famous among the annals of history
to be reported as follows. At last Tai
lien rises. "The Republic is in such
danger" says he, that every true citizen
must be affected by it. A member of the
Government denounces his colleagues.
This is an aggravation ofevil. Idemand
that the veil be torn aside" Three times
did the entire assembly-all, save the
friends of Robespierre-yeceive these sig
nihcant words with laundering applause.
Cries of Down with the tyrant /" are
heard from all sides. Robespierre, livid
with fury, rises from his seat and vainly
endeavors to mount the stairs of the trib-
une. He hangs on by the rails he can
not speak he is overwhelmed.
Again Tallien rises. al asked that
the veil might be torn aside. see that
1t is done. The real conspirators are un.
masked. I knew that my life was threat
ened, but | was silent, until, present at
the sitting of the Jacobins, / saw the
army OF this new Cromwell forming