第531章

[36] Procès-verbaux de la Commune，" Aug. 18， 19， 20. -- On the 20th of August the commune summons before it and examines the Venetian Ambassador. "A citizen claims to be heard against the ambassador， and states that several carriages went out of Paris in his name. The name of this citizen is Chevalier， a horse-shoer's assistant . . . The Council decrees that honorable mention be made of the affidavits brought forward in the accusation." On the tone of these examinations read Weber ("Mémoires，" II. 245)， who narrates his own.

[37] Buchez et Roux， XVII. 215. Narration by Peltier. -- In spite of the orders of the National Assembly the affair is repeated on the following day， and it lasts from the 19th to the 31st of August， in the evening. -- Moore， Aug.31. The stupid， sheep-like vanity of the bourgeois enlisted as a gendarme for the sans-culottes is here well depicted. The keeper of the H？tel Meurice， where Moore and Lord Lauderdale put up， was on guard and on the chase the night before： "He talked a good deal of the fatigue he had undergone， and hinted a little of the dangers to which he had been exposed in the course of this severe duty. Being asked if he had been successful in his search after suspected persons --'Yes my lord， infinitely； our battalion arrested four priests.' He could not have looked more lofty if he had taken the Duke of Brunswick，"[38] According to R？derer， the number arrested amounted to from 5，000to 6，000 persons.

[39] Mortimer-Ternaux， III.147， 148， Aug.28 and 29. - Ibid.， 176.

Other sections complain of the Commune with some bitterness. -- Buchez et Roux， XVII. 358. -- "Procès-verbaux de la Commune，" Sept. 1. "The section of the Temple sends a deputation which declares that by virtue of a decree of the National Assembly it withdraws its powers entrusted to the commissioners elected by it to the council-general."[40] Mortimer-Ternaux， III. 154 (session of Aug. 30).

[41] Mortimer-Ternaux， III. 171 (session of Aug. 31). -- Ibid.， 208. -- On the following day， Sept. 1， at the instigation of Danton， Thuriot obtains from the National Assembly an ambiguous decree which seems to allow the members of the commune to keep their places， provisionally at least， at the Hotel-de-ville.

[42] "Procès-verbaux de la Commune，" Sept. 1.

[43] "Procès-verbaux de la Commune，" Sept. 1. "It is resolved that whatever effects fell into the hands of the citizens who fought for liberty and equality on the 10th of August shall remain in their possession； M. Tallien， secretary-general， is therefore authorized to return a gold watch to M. Lecomte， a gendarme."[44] Four circumstances， simultaneous and in full agreement with each other， indicate this date：

1. On the 23d of August the council-general resolves "that a tribune shall be arranged in the chamber for a journalist (M. Marat)， whose duty it shall be to conduct a journal giving the acts passed and what goes on in the commune" ("Procès-verbaux de la Commune，" Aug.23)2. On the same day， "on the motion of a member with a view to separate the prisoners of lése-nation from those of the nurse's hospital and others of the same stamp in the different prisons， the council has adopted this measure" (Granier de Cassagnac， II. 100).

3. The same day the commune applauds the deputies of a section， which "in warm terms" denounce before it the tardiness of justice and declare to it that the people will "immolate" the prisoners in their prisons (Moniteur， Nov. 10， 1793， Narrative of Pétion).

The same day it sends a deputation to the Assembly to order a transfer of the Orleans prisoners to Paris (Buchez et Roux， XVII. 116). The next day， in spite of the prohibitions of the Assembly， It sends Fournier and his band to Orleans (Mortimer-Ternaux， III. 364)， and each knows beforehand that Fournier is commissioned to kill them on the way. (Balleydier， "Histoire politique et militaire du people de Lyon，" I.79. Letter of Laussel， dated at Paris， Aug.28)： "Our volunteers are at Orleans for the past two or three days to bring the anti-revolutionary prisoners here， who are treated too well there." On the day of Fournier's departure (Aug. 24) Moore observes in the Palais Royal and at the Tuileries "a greater number than usual of stump-speakers of the populace， hired for the purpose of inspiring the people with a horror of monarchy."[45] Moniteur， Sept. 25，1792， speech by Marat in the Convention.

[46] See his two journals， "L'Ami du people" and the "Journal de la Républic Fran？aise，" especially for July and October 1792. -- The number for August 16 is headed： "Development of the vile plot of the court to destroy all patriots with fire and sword." -- That of August 19： "The infamous conscript Fathers of the Circus， betraying the people and trying to delay the conviction of traitors until Mottiéarrives， is marching with his army on Paris to destroy all patriots！"-- That of Aug. 21： "The rotters of the Assembly， the perfidious accomplices of Mottié arranging for flight . . . The conscript Fathers， the assassins of patriots at Nancy， the Champ de Mars and in the Tuileries， etc." -- All this was yelled out daily every morning by those who hawked these journals through the streets.

[47] Ami du Peuple， Aug.19 and 21.

[48] "Lettres autographs de Madame Roland，" published by Madame Bancal des Issarts， Sept. 9. "Danton leads all； Robespierre is his puppet；Marat holds his torch and dagger."[49] Madame Roland "Mémoires，" II. 19 (note by Roland). - Ibid.， 21， 23， 24. Monge says： "Danton wants to have it so； if I refuse he will denounce me to the Commune and at the Cordeliers， and have me hung."Fournier's commission to Orleans was all in order， Roland probably having signed it unawares， like those of the commissioners sent into the departments by the executive council (Cf. Mortimer-Ternaux， III.

368.)

[50] The person who gives me the following had it from the king， Louis Philippe， then an officer in Kellerman's corps：