, 1880-08-29

to the National Convention were included in
the same Wrrrant nf arrest issued by the Com
E.lttee or Punhc safcty. and were sent in the
company or each other to the prison of the Lux
cmhuurE.
1t win have been seen that the decree of tho
the National Assembly, comforting French ctl.
zeuship, upon Paine and others, was OF the date
Fiat 2f tse aeses3 Sa ce aax % Of August; aS ~ i
ing mouth. when the .NationaI Convention y
was was constttuted: While It does not appear from
tue " "Aoniteur" that Paine WAS lnomber Ut
the Legislative for Nationa) Assembly, yet it ap-
pears, from
THE FOLLOWING LETTER or ITS PRESIDENT,
that he vas elected from the Department Of the
bands bands ct the writer. Is believed. never to have
been before published:
"pAn,s septebsr bst"s,1t'19 stb H. the 4tp Year Of
Liberty; the lst of Equality.-To T1IoMAs
Paine: France calls you, Sir to its bosom TO I'LL
honorable Of functions-thats-of contributing,
by wise legislation, to the hnppipess Of pcopio
whose destinies Interest and unite NIL who think
IL is meet that the nation which! pro-
5are-. Sire to TO- have him among its icgis-
consequences, who developed their principles
VITA TINT common sense which Is but genius
putting Itself within the reach of all men aud
truth. The National Assembly had already uc-
corded to him the title OF French cltizen and
had seen with pleasure that its decree had re-
ceivod the only sanction that Is lesitimatc,-that
OF the people, who already claimed you before
II bad named you. Come. sir, and enjoy In Franco
the spectacle the most interesting to I'M OBJ
server and to II phtlosophcr,-that or a people,
confident and generous, who. betrayed bascy
during three yeArs and wishing, ut Inst to end
tween sincerity and pertidy, rises hnally
us nnn, puts under tho sword Of
the Inv the arent offenders who have be-
trnycd it. opposes to the bnrbarians whom they
have reused against 1t all its citizens turned SOL
dtcrs al its territory turned into camp and fort
rcss; aud, on the other hand, calls together fn Il
congress the lights scattered through all the
universe. the men Of genius most capable, by
tbojr wisdom and their virtue, Of giving her the
form OF government best fitted to secure lber-
ty and happiness.
The Electoral Assembly of the Department
OF the ose, prompt to choose you, has had the
good fortune to he the first to render this tus-
1icc to Thomas Paine, and when number Of
my fellow-cltizcns desired that / should make
this intelligence known to you, I remembered
sons and congratulated myself upon having
tho happiness Of being acquainted : VII, WITH you.
"rresident of the Natiopal Assembly"
nEr,Au1r DE SEYCHELLES,
the writer Of the foregoing letter, was n marked
mnn in the French Revolution, mukfng his en-
trance into public life RS a member OF the Leg
islatiSe Tor Nationap Assembly FROM the Depart-
dent Of It toward its close. a friend uf Dunton,
be allied himself to the party of the Montague,
bcrs, though as far separated frs,m it us a man
well could be BY birth, education. and associa-
uon in life.
Rich superb Of elegant manners and person,
they called him the beau Sechclles. Intelligent,
highly educated ana eloquent, he pl,lced him
self ut the service Of tue popular cause tn tho
tho Jncoblns he presented the type of the Grand
SeiTneur, and lived en- g;lrsu1h in luxury and ell
cgance ut M. 16 rue DAsse-du- Halnparr. we'll
known street in Paris at the present day. In
him the gentielnan always Mppeured under tho
Democrat and It was vas said 1T tue time thAt
herault proved TINT that, =" democrats. s,o, were
dent Of the Convention during tic eyenis
and when Hcnrtot, at the heud of bis troops
threatened the Convention in the name Of tho
insurgcnt people. and demanded the arrest OF
national fcte Of the 10Th of August, l7t3, and
suon uflerwal.1 made Il member of the Commit
tee of Public Safety, and his n.tfne Is associnied
with many OF its most ntrocious decrees. When
absent in mission the quarrels broke out III the
Convention in the party Ut the Aontagne, and
ntrault found himself accused in that body. by
Bourbon de rOise, who, before thar time had
been party friend Of Herauit's and Il violent
rcyolutionuare. Heraut, on his return, de-
fcndcd himself before the Convention in q
speech which was IL masterpiece OF elOQucnoo,
but 1t WAS Of no avail In the strides OF revolu-
uonary madness.
MORE VICTIMS WE'RE NOW DEMANDED,
aud, at this time, the oldest children Of the
:. .Dantonists.' among whom was included
Hcrault. On the report Of the Committee OF
P15iis SAFETY panton Camille NJ ag
Tribunal on the I'd Ut April, ls94, con-
victed. and on the ID day Of April they were
was unmarried. When imprisoned at the Lux
embourg awaiting his trial he appeared sad and
aud only associated with his raiot,
ffaf3fSt
irving at the guillotiue, the Place de In Kevo-
luton, on the day Of his execution. all his looks
wers turned toward the hotel Of the Garde-
glances with one with whom were alt
bis thoughts at that supreme moment.
Behind the shutters, half-closed. could be seen
Il last ndieu and waved lust sigh Of tenderness
to the dying man: "Jc t'aiue' Il love thec). It
crowd that had assembled to witness the execu-
tion Of Danton the great apostle Of the Itcvolu-
non. and some of his nssuc!utes was enormous.
seemed TO take new life. and the serenity OF
courage replaced the inqu,etude and sadness
which had settled upon him. The first one to
mount the scatiod, he showed himself
CALM, KEsoLuTE, AND USMovED.
AS he was about TO lay his head
under the knife, he wished 70 present his
R f e s s of s. snso tie " st
prevented IT, "Imbeciesl" indignantly c1- |
Claimed Danton, "it will be but moment be-
ore our nCAu3 Will meet III Lue DAS kel, III SpllG
of you"
The Legislative Assembly. having proved It. |
self utterly incompetent and powerless to direct !
the destinies of France, then in convulsiye |
throes Of revolution practically ab1icated by !
calling convention. the members Of which !
we're to be Immediately elected by all the de- !
partments. This wis the National Convention.
of some af the ahfest, the most dis
the most patriotic, as well rs many
af the worst men in France. This Convention, !
selling nil the powers Of Goyernment-exect1-
i've, legislative, and judicial,- sublime In /
It's aspirations, it vas at once terri
ole and sunguinarv, heroic and cruel. !
t held its empire over France for.
hree yenrs one month and i've days by terror
md force, unciatning utf the worst pussions Of
mankind. Never was thore i legislative or con-
tituent body which Displayed such stupendous
energy performed sucn immense Abor. It
lepopuiuted Frtnce, aEd left TT its pathway |
lnarchy, misery, and social disorgantzation. In
he dclfrium Of its passions, 1t stamped itself
N the history of the world not only by its |
rimcs, but by its great acts Of legislation, which
will live as long lis France shall endure.
Thomas Paine WAS Il member Of this C0nven-
Jon. His popularity in Fr:lnce ut this time is
hown by the fuct that he WIS
CHOSEN A MEMBER OF THE CONVENTION
,y three departmcnts.--the Pas de Calais, the
)ise and the Seine ct Disc. He chose to sit for
be Pas dc Calais.
He was iu EnyIan1 at the time Of his election.
Achite Audibert. Of Cnlais, was dcputed to 20 !
. England and escort him tt France It seems
q hAve proved somewhat hazardous advent