The Sunday globe., 1901-08-11

Robespierre's fortunes seemed to de.
pend upon fate. When powerful rivals
dropped away, as, for instance, Mari.
beau and Marat, the little brooding
lawyer mounted higher the waves of
revolution. He began the reign Of ter.
ror, but not until long after Marat had
preached it and he himself had frown.
ed it down
Early i'm the revolution Maubeau
said of Robespierre after one of his
speeches, That young man believes
what he says therefore he will go far %
The young man was then above 80
and had won distinction in the defense
Of Ben Franklin's lightning rods and
also by his espOusal of the humane
principles Of Rosseau, which caused
him to side with the people against no.
bility and clergy and to advocate the
abolition of capital punishment.
At college Robespierre had had for
companions Danton and Desmouins,
yet when erected deputy to the states
general he was one of the most modest
of revolutionists He then lived on his
stipend of is francs a day and support
ed his sister from it. Studious and alb
stemious, with but a single coat to his
back, and that worn threadbare he
cOurted retirement and when drawn
out of himself was so mysterious and
OutspOken as to be feared by his col
leagues. His radicausm at that time
consisted in advocating the rights Of
citizens TO ,erve upon juries and in the
national guard and in sharing political
rights with the blacks i'm the colonies.
Said he, Let the colonies perish rather
than a principle When the cOustitu-
ent assembly ended i'm 1891 Robes
pierre was a hero Of the Paris sections.
"a decree proposed by himself prevent
ed former deputies serving in the next
legislature lie travelled in the interior,
frequeuted the Jacobiu Club and began
to publish a revolutionary journal. Mi
pierre succeeded him as the popular
idol, but there We're too many jealous
les at work among leaders to permit
one man to take the reins
The uprising Of the Paris sections or
the commune, August, 1892, brought
the young lawyer again into promi-
nence and power He appeared before
the assembly as the spokesman Of a
deputatiOn Of citizens which demanded
tho establishment of a criminal court
for the trial of the enemies Of liberty.
The court was promptly organized and
Robespierre named as presiding judge,
bue he refused to serve on the ground
that it would not be right to make him
sF In N 4
denounced as enemies of the country.
Against the massaCres which soon fol-
lowed under the inspiration Of DantOn
he vigorously protested and ceased to
appear at the meetings of the com
mune.
Robespierre was elected to the ma
tioual convention from Paris, and soon
afteTwaTd the GirOndins accused him
of aspiring to dictatorship. Marat de.
Tended his rival on this charge and at
the same time disclosed the motives of
these two men, He sa.. that at his first
meeting with Robespierre the latter
had drawn MIN INTO declaring that he
would send certain judges to the stake
poniard Lafayette, burn the king in his
palace and strangle the traitorous rep
.
Marat of this interview: RObespierrC
listened to me with terror. He grew
pale and was silent for some time
This confirmed me in the opinion that
| / always had Of him, that he united
/ the knowledge Of the wise senator tC
the integrity Of a thoroughly good man
and the zeal Of a true patriot, but that
/ he is lacking as a statesman alike as
/ regards clearness of vision and deter
/ minauon"
Afterward Marar publicly declared ir
/ the convention that both RobespierrC
/ and DantOn had an along repudiatet
the idea of "a dictatorship of triumyi
rate, of tribunal, which he had put be
/ fore them. Finally, either as a matter
/ Of Justice or for his own glorification
/ he said that he CMaraD was the frs
. and probably the only man since tn,
opening Of the revolution who haC
openly declared for a triumvirate Of
dictatorship as the only means OF
crushing cOnspirators.
Both RObespierre and Marat drew ;
hot fire from the Girondins, and the ia
cobins took alarm One day toward tn,
close Of 1892, before the attack upoI
the king. Citizen Robert said to the ia
Goblin Club: 1T is very astonishing
that the names Of Robespierre and Ma
rat are always coupled together Mara
is a patriot He has excellent qualities
] admit, but how different is he from
Robespierre, The latter is discreet
moderate i'm his means, whereas Mara
is exaggerated and has not the discre
tiOn which characterizes RObespierre
II Is not sufficient to be a patriot n
order to serve the people usefully II II
necessary to be reserved In the meant
Of execution, and most assuredly Ro
bespierre surpasses Marat in the means
Of execution
I'm the same strain Citizen BouTdoT
continued. owe ought long since tC
have acquainted the affiliated societies
with our opinion Of Marat How coult
they ever connect RObespierre and Ma
rat together Robespierre Is a virtuou'
man with whom we have no fault tC
find from the commencement Of the
revolution. Robespierre Is moderate in
his means, whereas Marat is a violent
writer who does great harm to the ia
cobins, and besides it Is right TO OBJ
. serve that Narat does ms great injury
with the national convention. The dep
uties imagine we are partisans Of Ma
rat. We are called Maratists If We
show that we duly appreciate Marat
. then you viii see the deputies draw
nearer to the Mountain where we sit
/ You win see the affiliated societies
which have gone astray rally around
the cradle Of liberty. If Marat is a pa
triOt, he will acCede to the motion ]
am about 10 make. Marat ought to sac
. rifce himself TO the cau,e Of liberty ]
move that his name be stricken from
/ the list Of members Of this society
Some members appIauded this speech
while others murmurod and IN the
confusion Citizen DufOurny arose 10