The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-24

crept into literature regarding the discipline
and efficiency OF the French armies during tho
| first years " tho Revolution. At first sight
| there appeared to be II mysterious and omnous
contrast between the nbortivo efforts Of French
Republicans in the late war and the magn accnt
succossrs Of the Convention In 49, Perhnps the
French Liberal party has never had TO b.ar
more Rrievous impertinence than tho explnna-
| ton Of tho din rcnco Just mentioned offered by
reHctionary writer's. We are told that tho fret
revolution took the field with the admirably
drilled md organized army Of tho old
regime. the largest in Europe; that it's
officers were all Rristocrats; that tho force
which beat the Duke OF brunswick at vamy I'm
| '92. and drove the armies OF Prussia and the
coalition beyond the Rhine. wne q royalst force.
having nothing In common with the ranters OF
! the Mountain, except n spirit OF resentment ut
the invasion Of the soil Now. there IL actually
not a tinRe OF truth in this assertion. Az events
were soon to prove tho only royalist In Du-
mour,z's army WINS Dumouricz himself. Il
contained scarcely q single skeleton OF an old
regiment and whatever may be said OF the forco
stationed further to the south. and just before
commanded by Lafayette. from which. however.
is known that almost all the officers had desert
ed II lie beyond dispute that the vctors Of Halmy.
at all events. were raw leyioe. undeiplined.
partly mutnous. led by inexperienced COM
manders. half starved wanting for clothes and
even shoes and finally outn amber cd th rec to one.
| Such were the troops who have latey been de-
| picted as the splendid inheritance OF the old
monarchy. and who. We are asked TO believe.
| found II child's play 20 overthrow one Of the
best trained and appointed armies that has ever
entered France. force 10000 strong. amply
| provided with stores and ammunition. and
largely made up OF the veterans OF Frederick
! the Great No. the Illustration Of Gnmbotta's
gallant efforts TO organize resistance behind the
| Loire. and the strange captulation OF half mill
lion fighting men. cooped uD In the walls Of
Metz and Paris. must be- explained on grounds
! pertaining to the specific circumstances OF the
recent war. They cannot be construed or iusti-
fled by falsely describing tho victors OF Yalmy
and the conQuerors Of Belgium and tho Rhine.
or 10y bei,tling the resstese energy Of the pop
ular uphoaya in '92 and 49,
II we paes from incidental matters 10 The broad
| questions Of logic and expeden'y dividing
parties. nrst in the Constituent and Legislative
Assemblies. and later in the Convention. we
obtain from Mr. Van IAun Just enough OF prog
nant disclosure and apt suggestion 10 awaken
| expectation and eDgondor disappointment. Ho
seems 10 soc. now and then. though he never
afilrms boldly and clearly, that amid the com
plicated and perilOue circumstances Of the hour
| between the uncertain and conflicting prof.
! efs OF PcuillAnie OF Constitutionnlists, OF
Girondists. and Of the timid nonentities hud-
died together in the Plaln-the one tails
man OF SUCCESS. tho only promise OF yeho-
ment and fecund EFFORT In word the solo
hope OF the republic. lay with the stern intract-
able Republicans who drew from the raised
seats where they sat at one end OF the assem-
bllcs the collective appellatlon OF the Mountain.
| But this fundamental truth. Of which We have
indeed some elimp@oa now and then. ought to
| have flied the whole foreground of the history
| II IL the keynote. not 10 be struck In faint aud
| iitful fashion. hut 10 dominate the whole sym
| phony. How did Il happen that an inconsider-
able faction. representing no territorial or com
mercial interest always opposed by iour-liths
| of the departments. and not seldom outvOted
even In Paris constituencies. now threatsn ned by
the Moderate party controlling the armies and
now frustrated by the eloauence Of the Glronde.
and which. at the apogeo OF it, authority. could
never muster from lite own ranks a majority OF
the CONFEDERATION did II hapren that this
group Of Jaeobins managed in the end TO carry
every one OF their most subvorsive and holly
| contested measures and 70 shape for three de-
cistNo Years the course 81 tho rcpubic7 Be-
cause thoy alone had on their side the inexor-
able logic Of events. the irresistible momentum
! Of the national upheaval, and the insatiate
sting Of the popular conscience. Because they
alone were not perplexed by tradition. prece-
dent. or dogma. trammelled 10y no plodge OF
compromise. haunted by no hollow dream OF
con'iliallon. but one-minded. single. hear tod.
and therefore alone qualified 10 sweep forward
10 one gonl. u seize the prize Of opportunity.
and plant the fabric o. social equality and civil
| liberty on a basis not a. BE- shaken by any pres
! surA from without.
Mr.. Van Laun is iar from rehearsinR the old
snecrs against the Jacobins nor does no even
repeat the well-w charge invented by Bona
pnrtsis TO disguise the truth. namely that tho
JacObins ruined the republic In tho mind oi
France. II was not the revolutionary chiefs who
cast profound and. as II seemed incurable odium
| upon republican Institutions. Long after its
author had persisted. Danton = cry Of "Audarity,
and stll audacity" could yet wake n thrill. and
! not n shudder. in the men OF 81 and %. To
! the patriot soldier and citizen the so-called
| Reign Of Terror was no bugbear; he saw II in
It's true proportions and in the light OF its wide
uses, and with tho overthrow OF enemies
abroad and traitors at homo beheld II giving
place abruptly to the reign OF law. What did
obscure for n time the republic in tho eyes OF
! Frenchmon was tho enemies and SUCCESSORS OF
| the Mountain. II WIS the treacherOus and
cowardlY crew Of Thermidorians the spurious
democracy aud shameful spolation OF the
| Directory. but above all the long military d-s-
| potsm OF tho Fret Empire which awaited TO
dim the glories OF tho Revolution ard led sue
ceeding generation to tolerate the distorted
portrature and hnsy libels Of rcactionary
I ecribe-
The u Movements 81 III, Mountain are its suf-
icient yindicntion, but Mr., Van Laun directs
attention only 20 one side Of the work accom-
plished by the Convention during the brief PEE
Rod while II obeyed the Impulse al It's most
radical leaders. No doubt there ia something
astounding in the list Of political ana military
triumph which sets on the short term OF thlr-
teen months from tho victory OF tho Mountain
over the Glronde In June. 49, to the downfall OF
its supreme exponent, Robospierre. in July. '94.
! At tho former date nifty departments were in
| open revolt against the capital. At Caen an in-
! surrectonary assembly had created an army
gained control Of the public funds. imprisoned
the Paris representatives, and reyolutonized
the whole north. The southwest aud southeast
had followed the example by sustaining either
| the monarchy or the Gironde In tho second
city Of France. Lyons, the Jacobins had suffered
a decisive defeat AZ ,he hands Of royalists In
the Oeyonnes thirty thousand persons had
risen and threatened to Join the Vend6s. which.
on its part had openly prOclnimAd Louis