The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-06-14
ROBBsPIERRE.

n small, mean looking man, veal
limbs. always palpitating with a ner
vous s!liver, and timid irresolut'
gate. His dress fsultleSsly neat ant
precise. Head powdered, not q hai
awry. Bright blue coat, buIonet
tightly at the hips; but open at tht
chest to display the spotlcss white
Waistcoat;. yellow breechcs, white
stockings, shoes and buckles. Thi!
costume is never varied except tha
the shoes are sometimes exchanged fol
top boots. The face is sharp and
peaky; the forehead projects over The
temples. and is compressed on each
side like that of a wild beast; eyes
blue, deeply sunken, With heavy lids.
and a latent savage sparkle; nose
small, straight, expanded at the nos
trils; mouth large; lips thin and pal
id, and compressed at the corners ;
chin small and pointed; complexion
yellow, livid, cadaverous. Kabitual
expression grave, with a, half sweet,
half sinister smile. Every muscle OF
the face working with a ceaseless
twitch. Oyer the whole terrible
expression Of concentrated purpose.
When he speaks his gestures are awk-
ward his fingers work nervously; his
voice is shrill and discordant; when
agitated by rage or exultatfon it tsound4
like the scream of the llyona.
After leaving college, Robespierre
became student of jurisprudence
His studies completed, he returned to
Arras. His old friend, the Bishop,
procured him an appointment in the
Criminal court. He now distinguish
ed himself as a strenuous advocate for
the abolition Of capital punishment ;
and not long after he had accepted the
mem mbership, being compelled in vir-
tue Of his Office to coudemn prisoner
to death, he was SO painfully affected
that rather than again uadergo the
same inGicti0a, he chose to resign his
office. Does not this read like the
widest fable? It was no hypocrisy ;
for what could he gain by it? No !;
the nature of the man WIS utterly de-
void Of physical courage; aud all
such natures instinctlrcly shrink from
blood, which is, in their minds mex
tricably associated with violence
with that physical contention for
which. their nerves unit them. l
have said they ig5tinctively shrink
from blood; yes until they taste it !;
then their appetite grows insatiable
ier it.
Even rs late as 179I we fiud him
hotly maintaining his old war against
capital punishment On the occasion
Of a motion of Lepelletfer Pargeau
for its abolition, he uttered these re
markable words: ''In the eyes of
justice and mercy, these death scenes,
which are got up with so much solem-
nifty, arc nothing less than base assas-
sinations, solemn crimes, committed,
not by Individuals, but by nations, and
of which every individual must bear
the responsibility j; x To take
away from man the possibility Of ex-
plating his nisdeeds by repentance or
by acts of virtue, is. in my eyes, the
most horrible refinement OF cruelty :"
Listen to passages from the very
speech in which he was urging upon
the Assembly the death of the king:
"tor myself, abhor the penatIy OF
death; but a dethroned King
in the heart of a republic not yet ee.
mentcd 4; !; neither prisoner or
exile, can give hia harmless exis-
tonce. 1t is with regret I pronounce
the fatal truth. Louis must perish,
because our country must live * =
l vote for death
The mind of this man haf passed
through many phases since he resigned
his Office at !Nrras on similar .ques-
ton. His was a sluggish mind-its
qualities Developed slowly, and each
quality required a separate stimulant
to become, active. He felt but lite
then, for he beheld no great
object within his reach; and remem-
ber he possessed no daring, no talent
for the impracticable; but little of
envy, for his associations were medic