Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-24
HIS LAST HOURS.

At tho spurious trial he bears himself
grandly before the very tUbunal he had es.
tablished twelve months before. For his act he
publicly begs pardon Of God and man, his OBJ
ject having been, as be said, to prevent another
September massacre and the unloosing Of a
,coursa upon mankind. "1hese Gains know
absolutely nothing about government or gov
srning l leave everything in friGhtful dis
order"
Fouquier-Tinvilie asks, according to form,
his name and place Of abode. The response
Is, "My namois Is Danton, tolerably we'll known
In the Revolution. My abode will soon be in
Annhilation; but my name will live In tho
Pantheon of history" He shows like an angry
lion before lis accusers; he shakes his mane
his eyes fash with indignation and defiance.
He demands that the members Of the com
mittee appear as witnesses, If they dare; no
will cover them with shame. ~ will expose
the three shallow scoundrels, Iebas, Couthon,
St. Just, who fawn on Robespierre and lead
him to his doom. will plunge them into
| the empty abyss out Of which they should
never have arisen"
The president rings his bell to enforce order
and insists on it loudly. "What is 1t to you,"
| exclaims the giant, 'how l defend myself
! The right of sentence is yours; do not inter-
fere with it. The voice of a man speaking
for his honor and his life may well drown the
jinglng OF your bell" He cannot be sup
pressed; the galleries murmur forebodingly.
| II he had been permitted to defend himself
at length the commons might have insisted
on his release, might have overthrown the
| triumvirate then, as they did, through their
representatives, a few months later.
Danton Is the foremost orator AS he Is the
Titan of the Revolution, His arrest creates
profound excitement and the greatest alarm.
Men whispered to one another with white
| lips, "Danton has been arrested" They had
become accustomed to nearly every sort Of
injustice and outrage, but that Danton, the
embodiment Of the spirit Of the Revolution,
should he seized by tho Robespierreans is a
surprise and shock to all Paris The city
and the country are obviously in their piteous
clutches.
Danton and his friends undergo the pro-
tense of trial three days II he had bad any
chance for his life lie would have deprived
himself Of it by his aggressive, diseain-
full manner. He pours out his scorn and
detestation Of those who have arraigned
him. They fear him all the more that he has
no fear OF them, only contempt for the worst
they can do They assume to learn Of u plot
for the rescue Of the prisoners and the over
throw Of the republic, and this assumption
hastens the vengeance Of the tribunal
Strong as they are, Danton living Is an In
cessant menace, and they hunger for ht
blood. When he hears the sentence, he ex'
claims: "We fall victims TO infamous pol
troons; but they will not long enjoy theii
triumph. Robespierre will follow me.
alone could have saved him. drag hin
after mer
On the way from the Luxembourg prior
TO the place of execution april 5, lI9H, h'
has the air Of a conqueror. To the tickle
treacherous, savage mob which surges abou
the tumbril with soothing and insult, he show
only calm contempt He advises Demoulins
by his side, who appeals to them convulsiye
ly, 10 pay no attention TO the vile rabble
At thought OF his young wife he loses sci
possession for a moment, shedding a few
tears "No weakness, Danton,n he solilo
auizes; ''be yourself and recoyers his stole
ism.
At the foot Of the scalfold his preciou
friend, Herault a dI,sehelles, leans forward .
embrace him, hut the eXecutoner interferes
wv nat stupidityl" eScIalms Danton. "fo
cannot prevent our heads from kissing in th
basket" As he places himself under the a
he says 70 the executioner: "Show my hea
to the people, it will be worth their seeing
And then the magic voice which for thre
: years had guided the destinies Of distracte
France was forever hushed