"Who shall fall to-morrow? " -
Ever the same reply steadily expressed on the features of the
impassable phantom: "the counter-revolutionaries," under which name is
comprised all who by act, speech, thought or inmost sentiment, either
through irritation or carelessness, through humanity or moderation,
through egoism or nonchalance, through passive, neutral or indifferent
feeling, serve well or ill the Revolution.[57] - All that remains is
to add names to this horribly comprehensive decree. Shall Billaud do
it? Shall Robespierre do it? Will Billaud put down Robespierre's name,
or Robespierre put down Billaud's, or each the name of the other, with
those he chooses to select from among the two Committees? Osselin,
Chabot, Bazire, Julien de Toulouse, Lacroix, Danton, were on them, and
when they left, their heads fell.[58] H?rault-S?chelles, again, was
on them, maintained in office with honor through the recent
approbation of the Convention,[59] one of the titular twelve, and on
duty when an order issued by the other eleven suddenly handed him over
to the revolutionary Tribunal for execution. - Whose turn is it now
among the eleven? Seized unawares, the docile Convention unanimously
applauding, after three days of a judicial farce, the cart will bear
him to the Place de la R?volution; Samson will tie him fast, shouters
at thirty sous a day will clap their hands, and, on the following
morning, the popular politicians will congratulate each other on
seeing the name of a great traitor on the bulletin of the
guillotined.
Pages:
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409