The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-26
Suspicion in France.

At all the great crises of French ifs the
element of pretsrratural suspicion has
played an important part Like some mis-
chievous Puck It hovsrs over the land.
whispering doubts here. misgivings there.
converting the whole nation into monchar6s
whose business II is 10 set a watch or their
neighbors cay and night We have such
profound admiration for many qualities
OF the French people. such sincere belief
in the necessity Of a powerful French fac
tor in the complex mesh os modern csysii-
cation that we can afford 10 bring tbs
charge CT undue suspicion against France
as whole. No student OF French history
can fail TO see the confusion II has
wrought 1, is not the growth of yesisr-
day. but Is almost as evident IN the me
no.rs OF the France OF the seventeenth
century as on the Paris eoulevar3s at the
present moment
Il peryades the court and the Official
classes in the time OF Richl.ea. II was con-
stantly present IN the mind OF Maz2rin
when negotiating with Cromwell. and AZ IS
visible all through the pages OF the ne
mo.rs Of D. Retz- he spirit of the prefer
natural suspicion naturally attained It's ell
max in the French revolution. when. for
the first time the monarchy WAS involved
IN lis infinite enianglemeniS- -tgoa the mo-
ment when The National Assembly met az
Versailles 10 the day when Napoleon was
banished 20 Elba universal suspicion filed
the air and dictated the cruel aspect OF
FIenhc policy. The Queen was. OF course
suspected. and justly in political matters:
and perhaps il was not altogether unrea-
scnable that the suspicion in which she was
euveloped Should have attached 10 her
weak but perfectly honest husband. who
was assumed TO be absolutely under her
fatal influence.
The attack on the BastiIle was animated
net merely BY memories OF the past. no,
in the least because OF actual crusltses a,
the time, for there was none but mainly
because il was suspected that the Bastilie
was TO be utilized as an armed fortress 10
oyerawe Paris. The day OF the black
cockades" ard the march OF the Maenads
Go use Carlyle's graphic phraseology) were
due 10 excited suspicion. The assembly
had scarcely organized Itself before the de-
mon of suspicion spread IT'S dusky wings
over that body. and AIirabeau and Bar
nave. at first popular idols. became sus-
pected OF intrigue with the court. The
vigorous PERSONAL at.es who came 10 me
front all suspected one another. To them
the famous warning which Benjamin.
Franklin addressed 10 the founders Of tae
American republic: Gentlemen. We must
hang together. or we shall hang separate.
w." would have ben useless. They could
not hang together, and they did hang. OF
were guillot.ned. separately. II was psa-
tons suspicion Of an sris;ocrat.c plot which
caused the September massacres. Ii was
pure suspicion that created the most re-
voting and unjust OF all the revolutionary
excesses. the Tribunal OF Fouquier-TinviHe
DantoR an his turn vas suspected and ter.
We may, of course. justify the suspicion
of Dumouriez. but what poss bic eNpiana-
tion can be given Of the suspicion OF thS
harmless astronomer, Bailiy. with h.s pre-
c.sian virtues. who paid with his head for
the dangerous folly of meddEng with things
he did not understand. Ii was obv. v.ous.y
question of war 10 the knife between ia
Goblin and Girondin. for each took an alb
solutely different view of both foreign and
internal politics: but why could not the
struggle have been confined 10 party war
fare within the walls OF the convention?
Why was il necessary 20 dec,mate the c.
rondin chiefs? The only answer that can
be made is that tusp.cion had grown 10
such a pitch that the very existence of
G.rondism was considered Incompatible
with he security of the republic. Men had
btNotit tiiNdHts AIfOuSH CONSTANT
spying on one anothers actions and per-
petual attempts TO fathom one ano;her's in
ward thoughtL: and the law of suspects
was simply formal expression of national
chaziness. That way madness lies. In the
person Of RObespicrre pTe;eTnatursl suspi-
cion attained its mos: compete incsrnation'
His feline nature was ever on the dart for
its pray; he could not hear a good word
said Of any man but nc instantly began
TO revOlve in his mind the question as 70
whether there were not some concealed mo-
tive in the praise. The shout OF trium-
phant relief which reverberated over
france when Robesp;srre's head fell inso
the basket marked the bre TX OF the strain
ing-point OF that suspicion which had Gre
atcd and sustained the Te TOR. When We
remember that but for an Iccident Carnot
would have fallen victim C Robesp p.erre's
suspicious. and that his suspicious ,iisposi-
tion had led a man CT sentimental virtue
tc become a wholesale murderer. We can
understand that feeling OF relief-Lond0n
Spectator.