Henry Goudemetz

“ Exercise your own high powers; but do not astonish France "by the exhibition of a judgment that must appear terrible, when the "surprising minority comes to be considered.
"Citizens, permit me to adjure you once more in the name of "Louis XVI. and to conclude with suggesting to you, whether, whilst "you are contending for the security of the nation, and its real "interest, you will not tremble, when you reflect, that the safety of "the republic, the Security of the French empire, and the happiness "of 25 millions of people, may possibly depend upon five votes." ”

“ A detail of facts, in which your Royal Highness, in behalf of your country, has been so honourably engaged, may not prove unwelcome in aid of recollection; and a detail of facts, built on the experimental horrors of popular power, and which, proceeding from the wildness of theory to the madness of practice, has swept away every vestige of civil polity, and would soon leave neither law nor religion in the world, cannot, either in point of instruction or warning, be unreasonably laid before my fellow-citizens at large. ”

“ Thibadeau immediately accuses Tallien of all the calamities of the revolution. Clairfait and Wurmser compel the French to repass the Rhine precipitately, and obtain great advantages over them. Baudin, the organ of the committees of government, proposes to the convention to adopt a plan of a general amnesty for any act regarding the revolution, excepting always the banished priests, the emigrants, the fabricators of forged assignats, and the assassins of the South. As to the punishment of death, it is not to be abolished till peace be established. ”

“ General Ferrand, writing to the convention an account of his exploits in Arragon and Catalonia, says, that he expects to plant the tree of liberty on the walls of Madrid next campaign. Prince Cobourg, attacked by the French, raises the siege of Maubeuge, and repasses the Sambre. 17. The French are successful in Piedmont. It is announced to the convention, that the intruding bishop of Moulins officiated in a red bonnet, and with a pike instead of the cross and mitre. Every external sign of religion is abolished. The inscription on burying places is, "that death is "only an eternal sleep." ”

“ Spoils and plunder of the churches are daily sent to the convention. The grand master of Malta takes part with the allies against France. Philip Egalité (formerly Duke of Orleans) is guillotined upon the scaffold to which he brought his unfortunate King. Lidon, a member of the convention, shoots himself. Complaints from all parts of want of bread. The inhabitants declare they have only a quarter of a pound of bread each a day. Bailly, first mayor of Paris, guillotined. General Beaulieu defeats the French, and forces them to retreat to Philipville. ”

“ Tumults in Paris for bread and a constitution. 2. Tumults continued at Paris and Amiens. Barrere, Collot d'Herbois, Vadier, and Billaud-Varennes, condemned to be transported to Guyana. 4. Tumults continue. 5. The King of Prussia makes peace with the republic. Motion made to discredit the republican calendar as an act of despotism worthy of Robespierre. Fails of success. The convention takes a guard of 554 life-guard men, and sixty of the artillery. The newspapers of Paris speak of the convention with great boldness. To quiet the people, it is given out that corn is coming in from all quarters. ”

“ All letters coming into France are opened. From the 29th of April to the 4th of May, 109 persons are guillotined in Paris, and many more in the departments. In the valley of Aost, 6000 French were killed by the peasants of Piedmont. Barrere announces the capture of a Spanish camp, with two hundred cannon, and two thousand men. All the farmers-general are accused in a mass, and sent to the revolutionary tribunals, The town of Sargio and Piedmontese camp taken by the French. 11. Seventy-one persons, among whom are 27 farmers-general, are guillotined. ”

“ Decreed, that all property real and personal of the farmers-general shall belong to the nation. Pondicherry surrenders to the British. The president of the convention reads a letter from Vitré. "The souls of most of the royalists have "been sent to the Eternal Father; we are every day "destroying the Chouans, those infernal banditti." The French are active in restoring the lines of Weissembourg to cover the siege of Fort-Louis. The Baron Latude guillotined; he had lived many years in the Bastille, and was called the proof and victim of despotism. ”

“ The value of a louis-d'or is up to 1000 livres. All citizens from 16 to 60 commanded to serve in the national guard; and in their oath to swear these words, "Hatred against Kings". Decreed, that murders, which were to be punished with 20 years imprisonment, shall in future be punished with death. A member proposes that the convention should look back and punish all judiciary assassinations, abuses of authority, massacres, and arbitrary acts committed since the 1st of Sept. 1792. The convention passes to the order of the day, saying, that such retrospect would involve half of France. ”

“ Fort-Louis surrenders to the allies. 200 persons are guillotined at Strasbourg for hesitating to pay their proportion of a sum ordered to be raised in that city within 24 hours. Collot d'Herbois and Foucher, commissioners at Lyons, write, that the work of destruction goes on too slow. Mines and fires are necessary to forward the demolition of so great a city. The allies make a sally from Toulon, kill 2000 French, destroy the works, and take eleven pieces of cannon. Manuel and Cassy, members of the convention, and Generals Houchard and Brunet, are guillotined. ”

“ Those who may be placed in succession to the throne to have no other title than that of French princes. Registers of the births, marriages, and burials, of the royal family to be deposited in the archives of the national assembly. Suppression of the payment of a mark of silver, which was heretofore required from such as were deputed to the legislature. Decreed, that every law relative to taxes shall be independent of the royal sanction. The ceremony of marriage to be considered hereafter as a civil contract only. Rousseau admitted to a place in the Pantheon. ”

“ The convention decrees a new constitution. The King of Spain ratifies the treaty of peace with France. The convention annuls all revolutionary sentences passed since March 13th, 1793, except those of the tribunals of Paris. The emigrants not comprized in the exceptions are for ever proscribed. 21. The convention decrees that two-thirds of the succeeding legislature shall be chosen out of the present convention. Violent declamation of Tallien against emigrants and royalists. All clubs or popular societies are by the decree of the convention abolished. ”

“ Every house is a scene of dismay. Massacres and butcheries are committed in all the prisons and religious houses. These horrors drive a great number of inhabitants from Paris. The Duke de la Rochefoucault, ex-constituent and president of the department of Paris, is torn to pieces by the populace. 10. Massacre at Versailles of 53 prisoners from Orleans, who, it appears, were summoned to Paris for the express purpose of having them disposed of in this expeditious manner. Troops are enrolled for the frontiers. A camp is formed close to Paris. 13. The French armies fall back towards Chalons. ”

“ I implore all charitable persons to join their prayers to mine, to obtain from God the pardon of my sins; I, with all my heart, forgive those who are become my enemies, although I have not given them any reason to be so ”

“ The French army in Maritime Flanders amounts to 170,000 men. The inviolability of the members of the convention is renewed. A large convoy from America with corn arrives in France. 16. The French lose 7,000 men in an action near Charleroy. Ypres surrenders to the French—this conquest opens all Brabant. The numerous forces opposed to the allies oblige them to retreat. 20. One milliard two hundred and five millions of livres in assignats issued. Port-au-Prince taken by the English. The dread of the guillotine causes fifty thousand persons to emigrate. ”

“ The archduke Charles makes a solemn entry into Brussels, as governor-general of the Low Countries; 400 citizens draw his coach. Kellerman deposed from his command by the convention. The Emperor reproaches the Elector of Bavaria with his neutrality, in a remarkable note. Engagement between the French and Austrians near Landau. Dampierre declares that only 800 men accompanied Dumourier. Marat suffers himself to be conducted to prison. The revolutionary tribunal acquits Marat; he is conducted in triumph to the convention by the mob, who force themselves into the seats of the members. ”

“ I know that there are several persons among those who ought to have been attached to me, who have not acted towards me as they ought, and have even been ungrateful towards me; but I forgive them, (often in time of trouble and confusion, men are not masters of themselves) and I beg my son, if he finds the opportunity, to think only of their misfortunes. ”

“ The Prince of Talmond and fourteen priests guillotined. One of the two brothers, of La Vendée, from whom the Chouans took their name, is killed by the republicans. A bloody quarrel between the republican and revolutionary soldiers of the French army. The Vendeans obtain advantages at Cholet. The Duke and Duchess of Luynes, and Mons de Montmorency, an ex-constituent, imprisoned. A work is published under the sanction of the convention, proving that the national domains, that is, the estates of the king (sic) , the nobles, the clergy, and the emigrants, are worth twenty milliards of livres. ”

“ All the ministers agree in declaring that every thing is lost, if haste be not made in procuring funds. Merlin of Douai, minister of justice, writes to all the criminal tribunals, to perform their duty with energy towards the emigrants, against whom the republic had sworn eternal war till death. New successes of the republicans in Italy. The Austrians continue to obtain advantages over Pichegru and Jourdan. Gronville, envoy from the republic to Copenhagen, is threatened with recall if his Danish Majesty does not acknowledge the French republic. ”

“ Mons. du Chaffault, lieut.-general of marines, an officer of great services and high estimation, is massacred in Poitou at the age of eighty-five years. The convention, on the motion of Barrere, decree a political lent, in order to leave the more animal food for the sick and aged. A petition from Burgundy demands the death of young Capet. Death of Cardinal de Lomenie du Brienne, one of the earliest promoters of the revolution. St. Just makes a motion, the object of which is, to excite the people to murder and vengeance, for 1200 years of crimes which had been committed against them. ”

“ The French from Landau make an effort to deliver Mayence. A bold sally is made from Mayence. Prince Louis, son of Prince Ferdinand, makes a vigorous resistance. The jacobins are victorious in Paris. 100,000 citizens are under arms all night. The tocsin (alarm bell) is ringing all day. The forty-eight sections of Paris demand an act of accusation against twenty members; among whom are, Pethion, Brissot, Barbaroux, Chambon, Gorsas, Guadet, Lanjuinais, Verniaud, &c. Six escape, and among them is Brissot. Madame Roland is arrested; her husband not to be found. The convention in horrible tumult ”

“ To this was added the wanton profusion of the Court in other expenses, and the external parade and brilliancy, which, if they impoverish, often dazzle and gratify the people, was exchanged for familiar entertainments, which gave rise to frequent jealousies among the nobles, and tended to lower that sense of awe and respect for royalty among the people, which in monarchies it is of the utmost importance to preserve. ”

“ Dumas, president of the revolutionary tribunal; Lescott Fleuriot, mayor of Paris; Payan, chief agent of the commune; Viviers, a criminal judge, and president of the jacobin club; Simon, preceptor of the young Prince; upwards of eighty municipal officers; one Deputy, a commissioner with the army, and one general officer, all partizans of Robespierre. Tallien proclaims in the convention, that the day of the tyrant's death is a festival for universal fraternity. From the 1st to the 19th of July were guillotined in Paris, in all 406 persons. ”

“ She mounted the scaffold quickly, amidst acclamations of the people, which excited only a smile of pity in her. She looked earnestly at the Tuilleries, and seemed to dwell upon the place where her children were; before she was fastened to the guillotine, she threw her eyes up to heaven, and Soon after her head was severed from her body. Decreed, that the money of France be changed into francs of gold and of silver, and into republicans. Work-houses established to prevent begging. ”

“ The royalists of La Vendée take the island of Noirmoutier. Nov. 1. Egalité conveyed from Marseilles to the prison of the Conciergerie in Paris. A column of Vendeans passes the Loire at Ancenis. Two actions between the Spaniards and French; the latter lose between five and six thousand men. A member proposes to guillotine all farmers and labourers that monopolize. Decreed, that all lead, iron, copper, and bells of churches, shall be applied to the use of the war. The British ambassador presses the Grand Duke of Tuscany to join the allies. ”