The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-01-27
clan to the Comte dArtois' body

he People, This journal is closel,
connected with some of the most ter
rible riots of the revolution. Nothing
was too monstrous for him to publish
His attacks on public officers were 81
violent that on October Sth an orde
was issued for his arrest and he wa
compelled to keep hidden. He still
occasionally issued his paper, how
ever In the following January th,
search for him was so vigorous tha
he was forced to fly to London. Ii
May he returned and renewed hi
publication.
Before the fligh. of the king Mara
| favored very limited monarchy. A:
Il result of that event he became al
ardent republican. Alter the massa
ere of the Champ de Mars, July 18th
1871, he demanded the heads of 260,
900 persons who, he claimed, were
enemies of the revolution. Again
compelled to disappear, he was hid
den and protected by DantOn and lie
gendre Until the 10th of August he
remained concealed Then he came
forth and broke into the widest fren
zles. He denounced many prominent
revolutionlsts who were too moderate
IN their views to suit him, and called
for the death of all royalists from the
king down. He was largely respon-
sible for the horrors of the September
(ll92) massacre.
In the September election he was
chosen a member of the convention.
On his first appearance in the Assem-
bly, hall, be was received with cries of
horror and hatred, and no one would
sit beside bin. But the mobs of ruff
fans whom he represented compelled
the convention, through fear, to treat
him well, and he WAS appointed a
member OF the committee of Public
Safety.
The Girondins wished to punish
those responsible for the September
massacre. An inquiry was voted.
Il denounce myself" cried Marat,
and he took possession Of the tribune
to address the Convention amid hisses
and yells. He began by saying:
Il have in this assembly large
number of personal enemies--''
At TINS the members rose to their feet
to a man, wIrh d spontaneous cry of
All. ali. followed by loud demand
that be return 10 his seat
But Marat resolute ly held his po
sition and boldly confessed his guilt,
at the same attaching his enemies.
A member moved that decree of
accusation be passed against HIM.
At this he drew pistol. Placing
It to his forehead and cried:
III uIy enemies force from you a
new act against me, shall blow out
my brains"
TIE attack upon him failed through
feI Uf the Commune AMI because it
would have also Implicated Robes
pierre and Ddutor
Al nrat barely tolerated by tue As
semhiy, Marat little hy little gained
authority, becau-e of his violent ear
nestness aud of the support of the
rabOle, which was always ready to
break INTO lnsurrectlOn al bis signal
In April, 1893. Marat obtained the
enactment of the fearful law against
suspected persons, as a res ult OF
which 100000 people were thrown
into prison He insisted that die
tatOr should be appointed and it was
thought that he wished the power
himself
The violence Of the Mountain in
creased. On June "a, led by Marat
and aided by the intimidation of a
mob which invaded the assembly hall,
the Jacobins decreed the arrest of
thirty one of the leading GirondiEs
Most of the prescribed men fled from
Paris. A number of them took ref
uge in Caen.
In the early part of July, 1893,
Marat was confined to his house by
sickness. Bulletins OF his condition
were brought to the Assembly. Dur
ing his enforced seclusion he busted
himself editing his paper and drawing
up lists OF those who were to be CON
demned.
On the 18th of July note was
handed to him signed by an unknown
person named Charlotte Corday. She
desired to see him. Marat paid no
attention to it. He received another
note in the afternoon saying she
would call on the following morning
and had important news for him.
This young woman had come to
Paris for the express purpose of kill
ing Marat. She was the daughter Of
poor though noble Norman family.
Losing her mother early, her fathers
extremely narrow means compelled
him to leave her for a few years tn a
convent at Caen. There she received
a very good education.
Then the revolution came. Charlotte's
relatives were royalisty, but she fav
ored the republican idea and became
intensely interested 10 the progress
of the struggle. She loved and was
loved by young colonel Of cavalry
regiment named Henri de Belzunce
In 1890. IN the performance of queli
ing disturbance, he was killed in the
streets of Caen and his body badly
mutilated This blow sank heavily
into the girl's heart, and made her
brood much over the violence and
blOodshed that was occurring through
out her beloved country.
In 1890 converts were suppressed
and Charlotte returned to her father 5
house. His poverty forced her in
June, 1871. to seek the hospitality OF
a relative of means. There she staid
two years becoming more and more
absorbed in the progress of events.
When the Girondins who were
driven from the convention came tc
Caen, Charlotte often heard then
speak and became more convinced
than ever of the necessity of riddine
the world of their chief enemy. Marat
1t was reported at that time that hs
had made lists of those who were t
be condemned. Two thousand five
hundred victims were listed at Lyons
5000 at Marseilles. 2S,0O0 at Paris
and 30O, ,0OOin othe portions of France
4 VI. .l.A