The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-05

" lOI us
father, had the
club for its moth
or. Nearly ali of the projects for the re-
form of French society were Matched in
i the clubs before they were announced In
the assembly Those sudden and auda-
cious movements of the French people
which seem so incomprehensible to the
modern reader were organized in secret in
the political clubs before they were launch
ed on the general wave. There the storm
hing of the Bastile was planned; there the
attack on the Tuileries was conceived;
there the abolition of the monarchy was
debated, and there the Terror had its
birth.
One of the characteristics of human nat
ere is to swarml Nan is not wholly gre
Carious, like the focks; not wholly soli-
tary, like the bear. Rather, like the bees,
DE works with his fellows in a general
association, and sometimeS-swarms. Car
lyle has noted and defined this disposition
of our species under the name of swarm
ery"-a sort Of congregating, instructive
3impulse that brings men into utilization for
certain ends, which perhaps they them
selves do not understand.
Of this disposition the French furnish
us the highest example. They outswarm
any other race of the human kind, and
their swarms are the most intense, the
most numerous, the hottest. 1t was SO
pre-eminently in TIE great agitations pre-
cedng and attendant upon the French
Revolution. The gregarious instinct be-
came more active than ever before, and
secret societies abounded in all parts of the
kingdom. They nearly all had political
motive at the bottom. They were doubt
less the result of three general causes: l.
The political conditions present at that
time in France. q The effervescent and
swarming dispositions Of the French peo-
pie 8. The intellectual reaction which
had been produced by the French philoso-
pliers of the preceding epoch, notably by
the writings of Jean Jacques Rousseau.
So far as we are able to discover, the first
Important club movement had it's origin
bin Brittany. In that province a secret
Epolitical society was formed before the
calling of the states general. OF this club
several of the Breton deputies were mem
bers, and by them the club organization
was carried TO Versailles at the opening OF
the states general. The society appears to
have been sort of political committee, the
intent being at the first to see to it that
only friends of liberty and reform should
be chosen as deputies.
Such was the origin of the Breton club,
or Breton committee, of which we hear
much in connection with the history of the
states general and national assembly
when the latter body was transferred to
Paris the club went also as its shadow.
by this time the organization had become
powerful Its usefulness as a means of
originating and promoting legislation had
been discovered. The reform members of
the legislative, constituent and national
assemblies must be always running across
of evenings TO meet their club, where,
among their friends, they could throw off
all DISCUSSES all polite side movements, all
little experiences and reveal their bottom
purposes and plans. What field for ora
Rory and debate was here prepared What
"a soil for revolutiont
On reaching Paris the Breton club i'm
mediately provided itself with place of
assembly. This was found in the Rue St
Honore. There stood the old convent of
the Dominican friars, known as the Con-
went OF st. JacobuS-a medieval structure
Spacious and gloomy enough, no longer of
much use to man, but still of great use to
history Here the club established itself
with the new name of La Societe des Amis
pc la Ccnstitution-thati is, Society of the
Friends of the Constitution. But that
name was too tedious for the lips of pa
triotism, and 50, as the club grew and -four
shed and became powerful, and was spoken
cf by all men, they called it the Club of the
Jacoblns, or the Jacobins, for short. Such
WAS the rise of that society which was des-
lined TO control the French Revolution, to
give to it it's form aud features, and to inn
press itself upon the history not only Of the
current decade but of the Nineteenth cent
ury, even to the present day.
Great was the popularity of the Jacobins.
Democracy was the prevailing spirit, but
ht first the spirit was restrained. The
Friends Of the Constitution. not vet know
ing what they wanted, gave their support
10 the new iiberalized and reformed mon
archy which bad been devised by the assem-
bly, under the inspiration of Mirabeau, and
which was still believed to be good for the
French nation. The conditions of mem
bership ia the club were easy. Any patriot
who was vouched for and introduced by
tour members in good standing might be
admitted on terms of equality with the
rest. On his imitation he received ticket
which gave him all the rights, privileges
Rnd benefits of attendance, and partlcipa-
lion IN the debates aud business of the
club. The membership rapidly expanded.
and soon reached the number Of 1900. in
Binding many delegates to the national
Rssemblys The organization was perfected
and made regular The society had its
presiding officers, its committees, its Jour
pal des Debats, in which one 70 the pres
6n
speeches Of the society
The Influence of the Jacobins rose rap-
oily, and soon became dominant over the
Revolution. In this arena the strongesto of
zoe ground giants, those earth-born Titans
Eho were 10 reign for a season and then
perish, displayed their powers and won the
Pppianse ef al THAI mad patriotism which
ran not In the streets or dripped into the
sesasTs OF Paris. Here aiirafeau came. at
intervals, TO JOIN in the discussion. Here
hat Robespierre, who was to be King of
she Terror, rose first 60 power and then To
omnipotence. Here the two Lsmeths. Bar
pave, Fouquier-Tinvilie, and that Anacbar
sis Cloots who shall presently introduces 20
The national assembly body Of representa-
nves called the Human Racial fiourisheo
ano gained ssoendency over the uub1i,
XXfSf~~' AAN a>>culbi9. ana dIIerW2ru Chf
national convention, became only a kind
of sounding board 20 catch the echoe,
rom the platform of the Jacobins. Her
audacity, adventure, the wild spirit OF rad
caiism and innovation more and more took
Folce and heat from the applause of that
1nquenchable democracy that was RISING
BAN the ssl of France.