The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-10-04


Hundreds of royalists were imprisoned
and they were massacred when it was
feared that the PruSsianS might be
victorious. The Legislative Assembly
was succeeded by the National Conven-
ton in which the Moderate Republicans
were in the majority. They proclaimed
France republic, but when they pro-
ceeded to the trial of the king they did
not deliberate alone, for the doors were
surrounded by savage mob who threat
ened vengeance upon all who dared to
be mercifrl. After 10 days voting it
was possible to get only 26 majority
out 721 votes. This act of regicide drew
down upon the Republic the wrath of
all Europe and $50, 900 of Europe's best
troops We're approaching
The victorious career of the French
arms was marred by the cowardly meas
ures of the government The Sabbath
was suppressed, Religious belief was
abolished. The opposing party were
imprisoned and executed by the hun
dreds. Danton wished to check the
! revolution. but Robespierre wished to
become the absolute ruler Of the on
vention. He therefore condemned the
anarchists us dangerous and the moder-
ates as being lul1eWarm in the cause of
\ lot
leader from the first. fell April ), 1914
y few weeks later Robespierre and his
party were carried Tudely to the guillo-
tine and suffered a part OF their we'll
merited punishment, and the Reign
Of Terror ended July =, 1874. Prisons
We're opened Robespielre's laws We're
, repealed and religion was established.
! French arms We're so successful that
Prussia and Spain We're glad to make
peace with them. France received a
new constitution, yeSting executive
authority in the directory and legisla-
tive power i'll two councils called An
clients and Five Hundred. Napoleon
Bonaparte was one of the principal act
ors Ill overcoming opposition to the
new constitution. The Directory was
brought to an end Nov 10, 1899, and
under the new constitution formed
Napoleon was made First Consul, with
two assistants, Though provisions were
made for Senate and legislative
body, Napoleon was the real master of
| France. And by the close of the 18th
century he was we'll under way with
| that series of wars which made all
Europe tremble Prussia and Russia
deserve consideration, not so much for
what they We're at the beginning of the
| 10Th century as for what they became
| later.
| While southern nations. like Spain,
Italy and Greece, developed much earlier
than northern nations, they lacked the
vitality to continue the race and have
always been surpassed in the end by
northern nations. One of the greatest
figures i'll Prussian history is Frederick
the Great, who inherited a kingdom with
a population of 100000 and 5000, 600
thalers in the public treasury. When
he died the population was over 6,00O,-
600 with 72,OOO,O 900 thalers in the public
treasury. The nations of Europe had
formed secret treaty for the partition
of Prussia, but they found the genius
of Frederick sustained by the stern
virtue of his northern subjects and
goo, 600 per year of English gold too
powerful to be crushed by the hosts of
Europe. The result might have been
different had not Elizabeth of Russia
died and her successor been a friend of
Peter. Sweden withdrew, England and
France concluded their colonial wars,
and thus Prussia and Austria faced
each other alone.
They closed the Seven Years War in
1868, leaving their boundaries unchang-
ed What Frederick was to Prussia,
Peter the Great was to Russia Like
most of the geniuses of the age, he
possessed more energy and will power
than real purity of character. There
seems to be principle of goodness as
well as evil in all men, and Peter the
Great turned his energy toward the
elevation of his people. Possessing no
seaboard, he seized Azof from the
Turks, learned shipbuilding as a com,
mon laborer, gained Livonia, a Swedish
possession east of the Baltic, and ex-
tended his borders on the Caspian at
the expense of Persia. He created a
navy, made justice more accessible, en-
couraged commerce and manufactures,
cut canals and introduced the printing
press. After having earned the reputa
| inn of Eathar of his Country he died