第532章

On the evening of the battle of Valmy the young officer is sent to Paris to carry the news. On his arrival (Sept. 22 or 23. 1792) he learns that he is removed from his post and appointed governor of Strasbourg. He goes to Servan's house， Minister of War， and at first they refuse to let him in. Servan is unwell and in bed， with the ministers in his room. The young man states that he comes from the army and is the bearer of dispatches. He is admitted， and finds， indeed， Servan in bed with various personages around him， and he announces the victory. -- They question him and he gives the details.

-- He then complains of having been displaced， and， stating that he is too young to command with any authority at Strasbourg， requests to he reinstated with the army in the field. "Impossible，" replies Servan；"your place is given to another." Thereupon one of the personages present， with a peculiar visage and a rough voice， takes him aside and says to him： "Servan is a fool！ Come and see me to-morrow and I will arrange the matter." "Who are you？" "I am Danton， the Minister of Justice." -- The next day he calls on Danton， who tells him： "It is all right； you shall have your post back -- not under Kellerman， however， but under Dumouriez； are you content？" The young man， delighted， thanks him. Danton resumes： "Let me give you one piece of advice before you go： You have talent and will succeed. But get rid of one fault . You talk too much. You have been in Paris twenty-four hours， and already you have repeatedly criticized the affair of September. I know this； I have been informed of it" "But that was a massacre； how can one help calling it horrible？" "I did it，" replies Danton， "The Parisians are all so many j--- f---. A river of blood had to flow between them and the émigrés.. You are too young to understand these matters. Return to the army； it is the only place nowadays for a young man like you and of your rank. You have a future before you； but mind this -- keep your mouth shut！"[51] Hua， 167.. Narrative by his guest， the physician Lambry， an intimate friend of Danton ultra-fanatical and member of a committee in which the question came up whether the members of the "Right" should likewise be put out of the way. "Danton had energetically repelled this sanguinary proposal. 'Everybody knows，' he said， 'that I do not shrink from a criminal act when necessary； but I disdain to commit a useless one."'

[52] Mortimer-Ternaux， Iv. 437. Danton exclaims， in relation to the hot-headed commissioners sent by him into the department： "Eh！ damn it， do you suppose that we would send you young ladies？"[53] Philippe de Ségur， "Mémoires，"I.12. Danton， in a conversation with his father， a few weeks after the 2nd of September.

[54] See above， narrative of the king， louis Philippe.

[55] Buchez et Roux， xvii. 347. The words of Danton in the National Assembly， Sept. 2nd a little before two o'clock， just as the tocsin and cannon gave the signal of alarm agreed upon. Already on the 31st of August， Tailien， his faithful ally， had told the National Assembly：

"We have arrested the priests who make so much trouble. They are in confinement in a certain domicile， and in a few days the soil of liberty will be purged of their presence."[56] Meillan， "Mémoires，" 325 (Ed. Barrière et Berville). Speech by Fabre d'Eglantine at the Jacobin Club， sent around among the affiliated clubs， May 1， 1793.

[57] Robinet， "Procès des Dantonistes，" 39， 45 (words of Danton in the committee on general defense). - Madame Roland， 2Mémoires，" II.

30. On the 2nd of September Grandpré ordered to report to the Minister of the Interior on the state of the prisons， waits for Danton as he leaves the council and tells him his fears. "Danton， irritated by the description， exclaims in his bellowing way， suiting his word to the action. 'I don't give a damn about the prisoners！ Let them take care of themselves！ And he proceeded on in an angry mood. This took place in the second ante-room， in the presence of twenty persons." -Arnault， II. 101. About the time of the September massacres "Danton， in the presence of one of my friends， replied to someone that urged him to use his authority in stopping the spilling of blood： 'Isn't it time for the people to take their revenge？' "[58] Prudhomme， "Crimes de la Révolution，" iv. 90. On the 2nd of September， at the alarm given by the tocsin and cannon， Prudhomme calls on Danton at his house for information. Danton gives him the agreed story and adds： "The people， who are now aroused and know what to do， want to administer justice themselves on the nasty imprisoned persons. -- Camille Desmoulins enters： "Look here，" says Danton， "Prudhomme has come to ask what is going to be done？" -- "Didn't you tell him that the innocent would not be confounded with the guilty？

All those that are demanded by their Sections will be given up." --On the 4th， Desmoulins calls at the office of the journal and says to the editors： "Well， everything has gone off in the most perfect order.