American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-04-18
From the National Inteligencer
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.

a few decisive steps, chief amor
whlch were the murder of the king
body guard on the 10th of Augus
and his arrest and imprisonment i
Paris. These acts were instigate
and supported by the Jacobin lea,
, ers-Danton, Marat, Robespierr,
and Saint Just. The conyentiu
was nominally under the control =
the Gir0ndists, who had maiorit
OF the deputies-moderate men. bu
tlmid-and who preferred to az
qnlesce i'll the commission ofthe NOS
monstrous crimes rather than incu,
the charge of incivism. Hence
when the atrocities of the 10th q
August was brought before the con
ventlon, they refused to act upon if
but gave it negative acquiescence
by passing to the orders of the dav
On this Saint just moved the imme.
dlate execution of the king. "What
avalls,' said he, "the ceremony of a
judicial trial. The cannon which
made breach in the Tuileries, the
unanimous shout Of the people on
the 10Th OF August, have come in
the place of all 9th sr solemnities
The convention has no further now.
er to inquire; its sole duty is to pro.
nounce, or rather to confirm and ere.
cute the doom of the sovereign peo.
pie" The timid Girondists. under
the control of the fierce mob by
which they were surrounded, arraign.
ed the fated monarch and entered
upon his trial. The majority. uppre.
pared for the final act of repicide
hesltated, when Robespierre, Selling
the critical moment, addressed the
convention. "One party,n said he,
"must be clearly .guilty-either the
KING, or the convention who have
ratified the acts of the insurppnt
people. II you have dethroned an
innocent and legal monarch, what
are you but traitors :? Why sit Won
here! Why not hasten to the tenn.
pie, set Leuis at liberty, install him
again in tie Tuileries, and beg on
your knees for a pardon Won have !
not merlted! But if you have, in t
the great polular act which you have O
'atlfied, only approved of the depo.
'ltlon of tyrant, bring him to the a
'ar and demand a reckoning for his Il
n
The timid Girondists qu,iled be. N
leath the denunciations of the fierce t,
acobln, and executed his mandate. W
-oulS was beheaded by their vote W
nd with their acquiescence. They n,
'ere urged forward step by step, un- tI
il they found resistance impossible. of
nd were at last driven to the com. S.
lission of a crime which their very m
Duls abhOrred. AZ
Now mark how history repeats OF
self. ,'''~ o., o.,
We have in 1868 an Executive al
hief Magistrate to depose, and "a m
ongress as absolute as was the tr
atiOnaI convention Of 1792-made WI
Ike that, of men, some fierce and st
ckleSs, others disposed to be con. pr
derate and conscientious. In bodies tn
composed, no one can doubt who ms
Ill lead-always the most violent
ID unscrupulous-thOse who hest.
te at no act, however, to common tb,
lnds, it may appear atrocious. We t;n
We men as bold and vindictive Snl G
ii sagaclouS as the revolutionary ";
INVENTION could boast; they have tba
same object to accompIsh-the ,ro
structlon of the Executive Chief ind
lglstrate, and assumption of execu. Fri,
C power. The decisive act to be hos
rformed differs only according to inn,
= spirit of the age; the steps pre-. # f. !
ratory to. both were the same. mi
with us 1t WAS founu neceosap- to p", p"a
I'd on, step by step, and commit, riGi is
votes and resolutions, those who tbr
We lingering regard for constitu. wh,
n and law, and who are especially of r
spected of retaining some regard itic
their judicial Oaths. After due risl
preparation, just at the Bro
moment when he found snc
, situation exactly as Robespierre fro,
md it on the occasion referred to, wifi
evens, the fieIcest and boldest of tha,
, impeacherS, is reported to have Tin
lken his finger by way of menace,
1 to have spoken as follows, touch. >,
an article which he framed and !,
Atn
Let me see the recreant who dares ~
d back upon his stens and vota on lad,
other side Now, then, let him iem
o can expect to get out on the on MS
rround left. If nv article 10 aJonI on t
Let him hope, who dares to SIM
'e, that so high a body as that her
ate will betray its trust, will for pira
its own act, will tread back its ana
action, will disgrace itself in lsla!
face of the patiou. Point me out 1or
who daressdO it, and you show arm
one who dares be regarded as in. Sieel
GUS by pOsterity. What chance won
4 has Andrew johnson with an Attn
Gle in which was left out to give ana
a lOop-hole? You say how fair rag
are. What chance has Andrew was
nssn if that article be inserted the
ortunate man, thus surrounded, was
lpered, tangled in the meshes of nupi
own wickedneSs Unfortunate, the
Apply man, behold your DOOM" souS
o one can read these two extracts
lout feeling that the two orators TIL
moved by kindred spirit; and squa
e IN fairness we must admit that The