, 1880-08-29

On the 1sth Of the following month duly, the
career OF the wrctehed Marat s was enied led by
By q jelirium of r,.sc. and fury on the
part OF the Montasnard5 which was alike
without limit and without exanpln: This event
| sd understood it, Vergniaud said TO one OF bis
colleagues that the act OF Charlotte Cor.'ay hnd
ther ,S WY for tho , ssaod he
In the following September the Convention
passed that terrible enactment known rs TIC tho
terrib!e ensnes Engines Of eppressioa ] lon ever Known
tn legislative annals: In virtue OF its ingenious
and elaborated provisions. one-halt Of the peo-
prison and the scarold This inv was
I drawn up by Merlin tde Do1laD, III ad-
Ganced n'ss rev:lu.ionist, one Of tho most most
who was called the 'Leslst OF Terror
| It was under this law that Thomas Paine and
AnaGharsIs Clootz were arrested in the follow
Ing December 18th Nivose) and sent to the prison
OF the Luxnlnbourg.
| >, From that ti,ne Paine WIS excluded from the
| Convention until hi; arrest, ho had Witnessed
Wtn Indignation and 6humc the accommodating
horrors OF the revolution, and he had the cour-
| age to
OPENLY pENoUsCg RoBEsP1ERRE.
e oent qean 9s was ,a
prison With him in December. 1893 was xuiotlncd
on the Ath OF March, l79t. But thorc WIS u dis
| ncotcd with the HGbertistes. There coutd be no
accusation sustained against Thomns Paine.
As 5snx =, M A. American @ the author Of the
in which be was held in France, may have caused
1kobespiorre to hesitate until he was hinuself
opertakeu by the 96h Thermtdor.
Paine was sent to the prison OF the Luxcm-
bourg. that great palace built hy Marie dc Medi-
els in 1915: At the time Of the Revolution it WAS
carcerated a Thousand people OF gil clnsses md
conditions of ttfe accused OF political orenscs.
1t seems to have been the prison where Robes
pierre sent his most illustrious victims. 1t was
this prison from which Danson, Lacroix, Camille
Dcsuao.lltns, Fahre d d'E2lantino, Gen. Nester-
man, Ch1hot, baztre Deianny ID Angors). and
herault dc Sechecs were ken to be conducted
to the gui!orine. The condition OF the prison.
! crs was to the last degree deplorable, and
rible. "a Prisoner at tho Luxembourg
nus given to the world account OF the
state Of things that existed in that prison
Just previous to the fall OF Robespierre. The
unfortunate prisoners were considered BY the
agents and subalterns of the revolutionary au-
MISERABLE ANIMALS,
which were to be killed inditferrntly without ex-
cepuon of tnltvlduuls- All were to die, and
matter who was the victim. all were in a state
ct me g, NEST nc cruel suspense and torment. in
to cry the contents Ut their Journals under the
windows Of the prison, hut without permission
1oud 1ones: Here IS the list OF Those who hnve
dinwn tickets III the lottery Of tho. holy gullo-
TING! Who wishes TO see the list? There are
varied from day to day. No one knew when he
would be called upon to take up bis march to
the remorsefess revolutionary tribunal Some
prison At : o clock fil the morning, generally ar
resting l00 persons; divided into three s9uais,
thes were to be taken for trial; =, one-thlrd at
was dctestnble; Il thousand prisoners were to be
fed Tables and benches were set out in one Of
the grand halls Of the palace ut which could be
seated more than 30U people. They served them
avile soup in vases or tin basins, Il half bottle
Of wine, which was worse than the soup; two
the other always pork boiled with. cnbbagc.
They had each day u rntion OF pound and II
half OF bread. This was tho only meal in
twunty-fnur hours. AS there were about a
Thousand persons, they had to have three separ-
ate uinners one at IL O'Clock, one at noon, ind
one ut o'clock. There were in the prison
MANY SPIES AND PIMps OF THE GOVERNMENT,
with instructions to mingIe among tho prisoners
10 order to observe nll their acuons, take down
Atf their words. and find out or invent plans If
conspiracy netrayed by these wretshes, who
the prisoners, euch one began to fear that he
had one of these monsters ut bis side and at last
would speak only In nonosyllables trembling
that even these might be metamorphoscd into q
conspiracy.
The following Is tho warrant issued for the
arrest Of Paine and Clootz:t
"N4rIoNA1 CONVENTION.
Committee Of surete Generate ct de Sur
veillance OF the National Convention.
'Nivose :. in the second year OF the French
Republic. one ind indivislble.
The Committee orders that Thomas Paine
and Anachars;s Cl0otx* formerly Deputies to
tho National Convention. be unprecedented, and,
as tt
taken to he commitlee,o Of General Safety.
Dsptiste Martin and Lamy, bearer Of
these to farry tho same 4pn
shall Summon the civil authorities, and, IN caso
Of need. the armed force.
The representatives. of the people, members
Of the Committee Of General Safety: N, Baye,
Gunroy, Louis 1u Bas -ishu La Viconterie."
This il followed BY the receipt of the Concierge
Of the prison Of the Luxembourg:
IS I have received from Citizens Martin md
Lamy. secretaries. clerks of the Committee un
General Safety Of the National Convention, Citi-
merly Deputies, by command # the Cnmmittee.
"LrxEunounG, Ntvose at4. in the "a year OF
the French Republic one and indissiS'e
As it will have been seen. Prime was incarcer-
atea ,e;ns II December 9th Nivose 1'''' and re-
FUt4 PRISON,
and at the Luxembourg. making no sign. until |
July N2th Thermidor). l79+. Declared an outlaw |
by the same Convention which he had 80 long !
used US IN instrument of his private vengeance, /
Robespierre was killed. like d dog ten davs pre- ]
vions July :s: lso4>.
hearts Of so many of his victims. still lingering
in prison, and produced q ray OF light in the !
gloom OF despair For eight months Paine had |
suffered and endured in silence. Prostrutcd by |
disease and tortured by anxiety. his condition |
wns most deplorablc. He was liable at any mo-
ment, day or night, to be dragged before the /
Tribunal, and that meunt the !
0uilintj1e. Clootz mounted the scaIod March
"a. 1874, and on the 9Th Of the following
month PUNE bid a final adeu to his associates |
in prison, Dnnton, Baxire, Lacroix, Camille
Htrault de Sechelles, Delautlay
Id .AnRers) and others of the curly apostles OF
the Revolution. and they were, on the same
day, hurried to tho sclrod AT this time Primo
could not doubt that his own hour would soon
come to strike, but the deuth Of hts mortal
enemy, Robespierrc,
SAVED H1s LIFE.
Ten daye after this event, md on the 18th
IhermidOr, PAine addressed the following letter
% tho National Convention. Ii Is
TOUCHING And DIGSIFlED APPEAL
If the victim of a cruel persecu ton, and one |
witch. now brought to light after lapse Of
nearly century, will be read with feelings OF !
he lveIicst emotion. 1t was sent To the COM |
Dittee on Public Safety. and incloscd with the
note:
:. Citizens. Representatives. and Members Of the
Committee of Public SefetD-l toward you copy
If 4 letter which have written to-day to the
The singular predica1nent find
myself in induces ME to apply TO tho whoie Con-
THOMAS PAINE.
LUXEMBOURG PRISON, on the l9th day OF
rhermidor, in tho second year of tho Republic,
me and indivsib!e.
"Cltfzen Representatives: It I should not ex-
,ress myself with the energy used formerly to
To- you will attribute It to tho very