The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1919-01-16
Some Lessons from History
WILLIAM E. FREELAND
Ruhespierga md the Terror


greater tis,ircore. 'a3r Ro1ssHieue
during the MS, r-,d,i N ~'hi ol y.
Terror. Thia nan whn "a il wa "a
grew sick a. the sig y" blood cio
fowl later became one u the mos
systematic murderers tnaI t5c Reign Of
Terror produced. Yet there are no.
lacking apologists who woald cffer ex
plantations for his actions. 1t has been
said that you can not fBd a fool 50 big
that you can not find bigger fool to
swear by him. So it is impossible TO
find man so evil that there will one
rise up to defend him. Even now We
that there is an orgiznatiou forming in
Germany to explain 10 the world that
the kaiser was not personally respon.
sible for the war, that he was merely
victim OF state policies beyond his
control.
In this study l am not concerned
with whether Robespieue vas or was not
sincere, whether he would have stopped
the Terror il he could. For my part |
believe him to have been most con
temptible demagoge interested in his
own power rather than in human rights.
When a mans acts belle his words it
is pretty safe 10 set him down as
demagogue whose leadership is danger
Gus. Robespiene was educated for
the law and became judge Of a crimi'
nal court in his native city. This
position he shortly resigned to escape
pronouncing sentence Of death upon a
convict. This was the MN who later
condemned to the guillotine aristocTats
Heberists and Dantonists alike when
ever they stood in his way, whslher
they we're Girondists or Of The Noun
tain. 1t is hard to reconcile his ex.
ecutions with policy save that Of per
sonal ambition for power. He posses
sed no tolerence for big men, men OF
force and character, who might have
turned the terrible force Of the Revo
luton which finally expended itself in
in the Terror into channels not slip
pery with blood. His execution oi
Custine can hardly be explained as
other than the act Ct an ignorant tyraut
else that Of a sell-seeking demagogue.
His apologists say he planned TO stay
the Terror as soon as he could lead
the blood mad rabble 10 support HIM.
That does not concern US now. Sup
pose he did purpose this reform, he
never succeeded and still stands con,
demned Of lightpings that no mortal
could have bottled until they had
wreaked their fury. When their power
was spent it was comparatively easy Tor
any man 10 put them in fetter. 1t is
not necessary to deal with the execu'
tiou Of the weak king Louis LVI who
suffered for tn. sins Of his fathers Pjs.
sibly 1t had to be, possibly there was
no other way to wipe cut the terrible
crimes OF his arcestars, possibly the
oppressed descendants Of the peasants
who had died for the glory Of the old
Bourbous could not otherwise have
understood that kings are not appoint
ed by God. II it was decreed thai
Louis should thus sxpiate the sins o
his forebears we can not help but fee
that he bore the burden with the cour
age that claims our admiration anc
respect. Let us consider that 10 IN.
EXECUTION Of Louis that Rohespjeue i
somewhat as the instrument OF fate
BIT what Of the qleen1 We MAJ
en- grant the charge that she wa
he real ruler OF France, that Loui
XVI was as putty in her hands Thi
en- hardly have given reason for he
b'u,al treatment. But let us pas
even the cruelty that she suffered, sh
may have deserved it for her lack @
understanding OF the hard lot OF he
people, for her blind ignorance Of con
ditions when from her position she h'r
no right to be either ignorant or blind
But what Of the young dauphin orphan
ed at the tender age Of eight and the
turned over to the cold and calculate