The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-04
CHAPTER Ky.

BARERE'S BLOODY ORATION"-HIS
SPEECH BEFORE THE CONVENTION.
PAUL JONES'S SENTIAIENTS-HIS
DRAMATIC DEATH.
Up to the last of August, 1892, Barere
had acted with the Moderate party. In
the First Assembly he faithfully followed
the lead of Mirabeau and, after that great
man died with equal good faith and
ability he perpetuated his doctrines. Not
being a member OF the Second Assembly,
he had no opportunity 10 participate IN ITS
proceedings, but being Judge of the high
Court of Appeals he had been selected to
represent the Department of Justice IN
the General Committee or Council com
posed of members of the Assembly and
one ex-of1cio representative OF each tx
ecutive Department.
Danton was then Chief of the Judicial
Department, but from incidence he select
ed Barere to represent him IN the Commit
tee, which in the main directed the acts
of the Assembly, so that, though not
member of it, Barere'S int uence upon the
proceedings Of the Assembly was none the
less potent.
At this time he was member elect of
the National Convention, the meeting and
organizing of which had been set for
Sept. p. 1882.
During the Spring and early Summer
of 1.92-about four months-he had made
an exten-iNe tour thrCuch his own !udi-
cial circuit, embracing Gascony, Guienne,
and, generally speaking, the southwest
Onesixth of France. He had also visited
other parts mainly in the south.
The ostensible object Of This tour was
to examine into the u, is ial system in the
provinces. and to hear APPEALS. But IL
seems that he gave little or no attention
to these affairs, busying himself mostly
with Setting things up for his own
slH a q
native con ,ti;uency and for the election of
his henchmen Ey others within the range
of his influence.
During this season of political activity
among the people he had become con
WINGED that stormy times were at hand,
and that the day of Moderatism in France
was very rear its sunset.
Many indications satisfied him that the
new Convention was to lie a body OF much
more advanced doctrines and vigorous
methods than its predecessors, the two
Assemblies. He resolved 10 anticipate.
So he announced soon after his return to
Paris, at o clock p. M. Aug. % he would
address the people at the Palace Of Justice.
Not onetwentieth of his audience being
able to get inside, he srCke from the
portico. The Assembly Adjourned to hear
him.
This grafton was perhaps his master
piece. 1t occupied about two hours The
first hour and three quarters Of ii was a
and eGquISltely pathetic summing up OF
the woes and wrongs the French people
had Tor so many centuries endured. The
last Is minutes was vehement appeal or
succession of vehement appeals to the
vengeance Of the people.
The conclusion was: The hour has
struck. The day has dawned No more
shall diamond necklaces of queens CON
denim the armies OF France to haIf-rations
OF raw turnips- No more shall the prof
klngly reVel taxes wrung from d starving
people. No more shall the cost of palaces
for monarchS miSiTcsseS condemn
French nursing mothers to dry breasts
on diet of bTan-meal porridee These
things are OF the past. But the archi-
tects Of all these cruel woes exist. They
must he swept away with the miScrieS
they have made. On ore side are q OO0.
On the other side q ,000 600. The q. 000
have long been glutted. The 27,0C0. eco
have long been starved. There is but one
cure II is death. One OF the other must
die. The u coo, eco cannot die. The path
OF liberty is clear. To make q coo eco
honest and industrious French men and
women free and happy, we must cut the
threats of q, OC0 idle and dissoIute
French arstocrats- To confirm for all
ages the glorious boon of liberty equality
and fraternity it must be decreed that for
ever hencefOrth in France wealth shall be
curse, title crime, and rank a fatal
This Grafton was a thunderbolt It's
sentiments had been muttered by many:
some of them had been vaguely limited at
by politicians on the hustincs or by ex-
tremists in the Assembly. But here was
the doctrine of slaughter flung out in
words that had no two meanings, with
an eloquence calculated TO set its audi
ence wild, and by a Judge of the highest
tribunal in France, speaking from the
steps of the Palace Of Justice itself.
The ReiCn Of Terror is generally dated
from the Massacre Of Sept. ?, 1852. But
that was its physical date only Morally
and intellectually il should he dated from
Aug. 20, 1892, when the Bloody Grafton OF
Barere' called its fierce spirit into being
The Bloody Grafton" Of Aug. 20 from
the steps of the Palace of Justice bore