The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-13
ROBESPIERRE, OF MAINE.
Dictator Reed Interestingly PsrsIieIed
with = Frenchman.

with = Frenchman.
We can readily imagine that Mr.. Reed.
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives,
ard practically dictator OF the Republican
party. so far ms that body is concerned.
would resent any parallel between himself
and R0bespierre. the dictator OF the Reign
of Terror. And il we are TO accept the char
acter of the great Frenchfhan as II IL CON-
monty regarded, or even as vi. Taine mas
drawn 1.-THE sacred crocodile w0rshpped
by the sayages OF the Rey0lution-the re-
sentiment would be just. But the Robes
pierre of tradition, whose portrait has
simply been filled ont and grossly exagger-
ated BY NJ. Tame. Is not the real Robe
Sphere, and between the real one and MIR.
Reed there are some points Of likeness that
IL is perhaps worth while indicating. Mu-
tatis mutandis, IL is 10y no means lmpossi-
BILE 10 conceive either OF them play
ing the role OF the ether. Fortunate
" for our own country and tor Mr..
Reed, there is no danger that either
the opportunity or the temptation
to carry out his ideal in the fashion that
prevailed at Paris in 1893 can present itself,
but il is not uninteresting, and II may he
instructive, 70 try to imagine how the hero
Of that period would conduct himself were
he now ut the head of the party in power at
Washington. For that purpose, as we have
intimated, a review Of the character OF Mr..
Reed may afford some light. We have only
to add that in suggesting the characters
ties common TO the two leaders we express
y disavOw any wish to imply that there IL
likeness in the characteristics not Indi-
Gated.
RObespierre, like Mr.. Reed. was man of
stainless reputation for probity. He was
never Justly suspected Of using bis enor-
nous power 10 advance his private for
tunes. though, like Mr.. Reed, he was some
times INSCRIPTIONS as 10 the means by
which he attained or kept his public posi-
tiOn. The Frenchman. like the Yankee, was
a man Of refined intellectual tastes; an ar.
dent reader if not a student of the best lite
rature of his day, and fond OF showing his
scholarship in his speeches. As an orator,
again like Mr.. Reed, his voice, though not
deep, and though capable Of but little
mOdulation, was penetrating, and his per-
feet selfpOssessOn, his m0rdant sarcasm,
h's uncOncealed contempt for the mass OF
hir hearers, his vigorous directness, and his
unfailing self-contidence made his speeches
extremely effective. Like Mr.. Reed, also.
and here is the essentially important point
Of resemblance, R0bespierre's mind was at
once cultured and narrow, sincere and pol
ished, intensely energetic, but with ten
dency to tOrtuOus processes, devoted TO
few aims, but pursuing them by great
variety OF means, aud practically blind 70
any evil involved in the means, provided
they would accomplish the ends he bad In
view.
The favOrite author of RObespieue was
Rousseau. The fay0rite idea OF R0usseau's
was that il any one prOfessed and then OPP
posed the dogmas of the true faith as he
announced them, "let him perish; he il
guilty of the greatest Of crimes; he has
lied before the law" "a nation," cried
Robespierre, ''cannot be made ilustrious
by Oyerthrowing tyrants or subjugating
peoples; that was the lot of the Romans
and of some other nations. Our destiny.
tar more sublime, is TO found upon the earth
the empire Of wisdom, justice, and virtue.
This can be established only by
the ruin Of the incOrrigible enemies Of lib
erty." Mr.. Reed would use no such de-
clamatory form as this. He is Of the close
IF the nineteenth, not of the eighteenth, GEN.
tury, and defamation is not in vogue. But
the doctrine by which he is guided is not 50
different from that Of liObespierre as HE
manner Of announcing il. TO him the Re-
publican party represents the empire OF
WISDOM justice, and virtue; he is ready 10
establish 1t upon the ruin OF its enemies; II
any man has betrayed the faith Of that
party and will venture to reject the author
ity OF its caucus, let him perish; he has
committed the greatest Of crimes; he has
lied before the law. Mr. Reed will not send
the men who stand i'm his way TO the gull
lOtine. Among other reasons why he will
not is the fact that there is no guill0tine
erected. But he will crush them politi-
cally; he will silence their voices in the
House Of representatives,; he will strip
them OF the power TO exercise their rights;
hc will use every means. right or wrong, to
prevent any change in the system he thus
builds up. RObcspierre in Washington to-
day could not be more determined, more re-
lentless, more arbitrary.
III Mr.. Reeds motives be not rs unseiilsb
as those of R0bespierre, we are at loss to
explain them. Doubtless he is ambitious.
as the Frenchman was. UnqnestlOnably
he is mOrbidly vain, as the Frenchman was
But he must see, we should say, that his
ambition, if il aims at further advance
ment, politically, will be defeated by his
present course. No man can climb very
high over such enmities as he Is creating
day by day, hour by hour, His sacrifice OF
his own future is SO plain that il can be ac-
counted for only on the theory that he is
satisfied with what he is gaining, or thinks
he is gaining for his party. That fact gives
a certain dignity to his otherwise absurdly
outrageous policy, and while all reasonable
men must condemn it there remains the
possibility Of regret that even in his aspira-
tiOns for his party he is doomed 10 disap-
pOintment. The Reign Of Terror was not
more certainly the precursor Of the down
fall Of the Revolution, rs RObespierre under
stood it, than Mr.. Reeds unbridled despot-
ism is sure to be followed by the overthrow
of the party for the benefit Of which he Is
exercising it,-New York Times.