Whatever a society， or a majority of it， desires， that is right. He who opposes this， who calls down war and vengeance on the Nation， is a monster. Order is always found in the agreement of the majority. The minority is always guilty， I repeat it， even if it is morally right.
Nothing but common sense is needed to see that truth." -- Ibid. (On the execution of Louis XVI.)， p. 447. "Had the nation the right to condemn and execute him？ No thinking person can ask such a question.
The nation is everything in itself； its power is that which the whole human kind would have if but one nation， one single government governed the globe. Who would dare then dispute the power of humanity？
It is this indisputable power that a nation has， to hang even an innocent man， felt by the ancient Greeks， which led them to exile Aristoteles and put Phocion to death. 'Oh truth， unrecognized by our contemporaries， what evil has arisen through forgetting it！'"[23] Moniteur， XI. 46. Speech by Isnard in the Assembly， Jan. 5， 1792.
"The people are now conscious of their dignity. They know， according to the constitution， that every Frenchman's motto is： 'Live free， the equal of all， and one of the common sovereignty.'"-- Guillon de Montléon， I. 445. Speech by Chalier， in the Lyons Central Club， March 21， 1793. "Know that you are kings， and more than kings. Do you not feel sovereignty circulating in your veins？"[24] Moniteur， V. 136. (Celebration of the Federation， July 14， 1790.)[25] Albert Babeau， "Histoire de Troyes pendant la Révolution，" I. 436(April 10， 1790).
[26] Mortimer-Ternaux， "Histoire de la Terreur，" I. 353. (Pétion's own narrative of this journey.) This pert blockhead cannot even spell： he writes aselle for aisselle， etc. He is convinced that Madame Elizabeth， the king's sister， wants to seduce him， and that she makes advances to him： "If we had been alone， I believe that she would have fallen into my arms， and let the impulses of nature have their way."He makes a display of virtue however， and becomes only the more supercilious as he talks with the king， the young dauphin， and the ladies he is fetching back.
[27] The "Mémoires de Madame Roland" is a masterpiece of that conceit supposed to be so careflilly concealed as not to be visible and never off its stilts. "I am beautiful， I am affectionate， I am sensitive， Iinspire love， I reciprocate， I remain virtuous， my mind is superior， and my courage indomitable. I am philosopher， statesman， and writer， worthy of the highest success，" is constantly in her mind， and always perceptible in her phraseology. Real modesty never shows itself. On the contrary， many indecorous things are said and done by her from bravado， and to set herself above her ***. Cf. the "Memoirs of Mirs.
Hutchinson，" which present a great contrast. Madame Roland wrote： "Isee no part in society which suits me but that of Providence."-- The same presumption shines out in others， with less refined pretensions.
The deputy Rouyer addresses the following letter， found among the papers of the iron wardrobe， to the king， "I have compared， examined， and foreseen everything. All I ask to carry out my noble purposes， is that direction of forces， which the law confers on you. I am aware of and brave the danger； weakness defers to this， while genius overcomes it I have turned my attention to all the courts of Europe， and am sure that I can force peace on them." -- Robert， an obscure pamphleteer， asks Dumouriez to make him ambassador to Constantinople， while Louvet， the author of "Faublas，" declares in his memoirs that liberty perished in 1792， because he was not appointed Minister of Justice.
[28] Moniteur， p. 189. Speech by Collot d'Herbois， on the mitraillades at Lyons. "We too， possess sensibility！ The Jacobins have every virtue； they are compassionate， humane， and generous. These virtues， however， are reserved for patriots， who are their brethren， but never for aristocrats." -- Meillan， "Mémoires，" p. 4. "Robespierre was one day eulogizing a man named Desfieux， well known for his lack of integrity， and whom he finally sacrificed. 'But， I said to him， your man Desfieux is known to be a rascal.' - 'No matter，' he replied， 'he is a good patriot.' - 'But he is a fraudulent bankrupt.'-'He is a good patriot.' -- 'But he is a thief.' -'He is a good patriot.' I could not get more than these three words out of him."