Such are the
supporters of the slanderous tale cooked up by the Directory. The
voters need such arguments to make themselves believe in the grand
conspiracy which it denounces, to associate Barth?lemy, Carnot,
Sim?on, Barb?-Marbois, Boissy d'Anglas, Mathieu Dumas, Pastoret,
Tronson du Coudray as accomplices with a knot of subordinate
intriguers, contemptible "monkeys" (marmosets), dolts or spies, whose
papers have been in the hands of the police for six months, and whom
it forces to speak under lock and key.[72] All are enveloped in the
same net, all are confounded together under the same title, all are
condemned en masse without evidence or formality. "Proofs!" exclaims
an orator, "none are necessary against the royalist faction. I have
my own convictions."[73] - "Formalities !" exclaims another, "the
enemies of the country cannot invoke formalities which they would have
despised had they triumphed." - "The people are there," says a third,
pointing to a dozen ill-looking men who are present; "the whole people
ought to prevail against a few individuals!" - "Hurry up!" shouts a
soldier, who wants the discussion ended, "patriots, march, double-
quick!" - The debate, nevertheless, drags along, and the Government,
growing impatient, is obliged to intervene with a message: "The
people," says the message, "want to know what has become of the
Republic, what you have done with it.
Pages:
965
966
967
968
969
970
971
972
973
974
975
976
977
978
979
980
981
982
983
984
985
986
987
988
989