The
Convention has restored to them the civic rights of which they had
deprived their adversaries: "every decree of indictment or arrest"
rendered against them, "every warrant executed or not, all proceedings
and suits" begun, every sentence bearing on their revolutionary acts,
is cancelled. The most "atrocious" Montagnards, the most sanguinary
and foul proconsuls, Dartigoyte and Piochefer-Bernard, Darth?, Lebon's
secretary, Rossignol the great September massacrer, the presidents of
former revolutionary committees, "patriotic robbers, seal-breakers"
and garroters, brazenly promenade the streets of Paris.[33] Bar?re
himself, who, condemned to transportation, universally execrated as he
traverses France, and who, everywhere on his journey, at Orleans,
Tours, Poitiers, Niort, comes near being torn to pieces by the people,
Bar?re is not sent off to Guienne; he is allowed to escape, to conceal
himself and live tranquilly at Bordeaux. Furthermore,
Conventionalists of the worst species, like Monestier and Foussedoire
return to their natal department to govern it as government
commissioners.
Consider the effect of these releases and of these appointments in a
town which, like Blois, has seen the assassins at work, and which, for
two months, follows their trial.
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