The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-06-21

by others, but never thoroughly un-
derstood.
He had been some 80 years before al
Arcis-sur. Aube, little village IL the
Southern part OF France. His family
was of the middle class; his parents
cultivated by their own labor a small
\ domain from which they were enabled
to maintain themselves respectfully
and to bestow.upon their children
good moral and literary edu cation
! His powerful voice and commanding
| brow, added to rare self control anC
unparalleled audacity peculiarly
qualified him for sscendancy in rlotou'
Assem- blies, and readily gave him tht
supremacy in the tribunes OF his coun
try. Completing his education he De
gan the practice Of law with such itt'
tie success that he was irreclalmaOly
in debt when the revolution in l1ot
| drew him to Paris.
Here his imperiOus bearing
and revolutionary attitude gained
Irresistible influence and universal
popularity among the people. Ihey
| soon grew accustomed to identity him
with their dearest causes, because
they saw him every where, ready with
| his laundering voice and martial
defamation to flatter and excite them.
The king md queen of France, trem
bling b fore the mysterious power OF
| this monarch of the streets, privately
solicited him with bride and promise
to advocate their declining
fortunes. DantOn accepted every
bride with avidity. Per-
sonal ambition and individual
qualification were his ruling motives.
He threw himself into the heaviug
course of the revolution, because he
might obtain there fortune, rank and
power
At the beginning of the revolution
DautOn soon became the leader OF
society known as the Club of the
Cordeliers, which was composed OF
men of infinite skill in governing and
directing the popular mind, and who
desired to push the principles of the
revolution 10 their most violent ex-
tremity. Danton's natural ability
gave him lasting influence here. And
as the revolution progressed, his
fame extended among the peo-
pie who soon came TO recognize
in him their favorite and their oracle.
In the two great insurrectiOnary
events of 1889, the fall OF tie Bastille
and the iorcible removal of the court
from Versailles to Paris, he played no
important part. But he was not in
active amid this constant change and
turmoil. In the next two years we
see him exciting the passion, enoour-
aging the hatred, appiauding the viO~
Ience and pandering to the tanaticism
of the mob. AS the control of the
government was passing irrevocably
into the hands of the people, Dan
toms influence was prOpOrtiOnately
growing.
He saw that the hour for dec4
action WAS about to strike. In -
pany with his associates he planned
an Instruction which was destined
TO alter the course OF the revolution
and to invest his name with sinister
3plendOr 1t wae decided to organize |
a popular attack on the palace of the |
king on the 10th of August, 1892, to
sweep the memory of royalty from |
The minds of men and to establish a
cepu bic amid the acclamations of the
people.
No movement was ever more thor
JughJy arranged or more successfully
A midnight on the 9th |
If August the tOcsin sounded in every |
luarter of Paris The roll of drums, |
he rafting of artillery, the seditiOus |
,ries Of the insurgents, annOun ced the |
beginning Of the memorable 10Th OF |
August, when the Oldest and most |
amous monarchy of Europe fell when
he control of France passed into the |
lands of the people.
Having set this tempest in motion, |
Oanton in silence watched its progress,
moving that once begun it was i'm
to direct it further. The |
succeeded. Lifted upon the |
'eeking arms of assasirs, while the |
bodies of his victims were still trem.
bling with life, Danton became the |
oremOst figure of the age. As minis
er Of justice in the new executive |
government he directed the foreign |
Dolicy OF his country, and as leader
II the Paris Commune he became with |
Robesrierre, the idol of the people.
The unexpected intelligence of the
10Th of August and of the consequent |
downfall of all constitutional govern |
nent burst like thunder in tine for
'ign cabinents Of Europe, The allied |
orces of the principal moDarchies led |
~ the Duke Of Brunswick began |
heir march on Paris, symptoms of
civil war h1came visibl in the pro-
yinces of France. The alarming sue
'ess Of the enemy on the frontier; their |
lnoppOsed entrance into French ter
ritory, the reasonable surrender OF !
The most important fortresses; the H. |
lrchial government at home in no |
way fitted to conduct a national strug.
gle; filled the hearts of the people |
with conformation.
II was during this period of uni-
versal alarm that Danton assumed
the dictatorship of France in the name
nj the peOnle ut Paris. 1t was then
that he flung aside the character of an
agitator, and met the enormous task
before him with the cOnsummate il.
Ity of statesman. With the arm of
a colossus and the voice of a God, he
the tribune of France ana of
immortality to hurl eternal defiance
against the invaders of his country.
Nature had combined in him the
thought of Plato with the will of
Caesar.
He reused the people, concentrated