Ever the same reply steadily expressed on the features of the impassable phantom： "the counter-revolutionaries，" under which name is comprised all who by act， speech， thought or inmost sentiment， either through irritation or carelessness， through humanity or moderation， through egoism or nonchalance， through passive， neutral or indifferent feeling， serve well or ill the Revolution.[57] - All that remains is to add names to this horribly comprehensive decree. Shall Billaud do it？ Shall Robespierre do it？ Will Billaud put down Robespierre's name， or Robespierre put down Billaud's， or each the name of the other， with those he chooses to select from among the two Committees？ Osselin， Chabot， Bazire， Julien de Toulouse， Lacroix， Danton， were on them， and when they left， their heads fell.[58] Hérault-Séchelles， again， was on them， maintained in office with honor through the recent approbation of the Convention，[59] one of the titular twelve， and on duty when an order issued by the other eleven suddenly handed him over to the revolutionary Tribunal for execution. - Whose turn is it now among the eleven？ Seized unawares， the docile Convention unanimously applauding， after three days of a judicial farce， the cart will bear him to the Place de la Révolution； Samson will tie him fast， shouters at thirty sous a day will clap their hands， and， on the following morning， the popular politicians will congratulate each other on seeing the name of a great traitor on the bulletin of the guillotined.[60] To this end， to enable this or that king of the day to pass from the national Almanac to the mortuary list， merely required an understanding among his colleagues， and， perhaps， this is already arrived at. Among whom and against whom？ - It is certain that， as this idea occurs to the eleven， seated around the table， they eye each other with a shudder they calculate the chances and turn things over in their minds； words have been uttered that are not forgotten. Carnot often made this charge against Saint-Just： "You and Robespierre are after a dictatorship."[61] Robespierre replied to Carnot ： "I am ready for you on the first defeat."[62] On another occasion， Robespierre， in a rage， exclaimed： "The Committee is conspiring against me！" and， turning to Billaud， "I know you， now！"Billaud retorted， "I know you too， you are a counter-revolutionary！"[63] There are conspirators and counter-revolutionaries， then， on the committee itself； what can be done to avoid this appellation， which is a sentence of death ？ - Silently， the fatal phantom enthroned in their midst， the Erinyes[64] through which they rule， renders his oracle and all take it to heart：
"All who are unwilling to become executioners are conspirators and counter-revolutionaries."V.
Official Jacobin organs.- Reports by Saint-Just are Barère. -Quality of reports and reporters.
Thus do they march along during twelve months， goaded on by the two sharp thongs of theory and fear， traversing the red pool which they have created， and which is daily becoming deeper and deeper， all together and united， neither of them daring to separate from the group， and each spattered with the blood thrown in his face by the others' feet. It is not long before their eyesight fails them； they no longer see their way， while the degradation of their language betrays the stupor of their intellect. - When a government brings to the tribune and moves the enactment of important laws， it confronts the nation， faces Europe， and takes a historical position. If it cares for its own honor it will select reporters of bills that are not unworthy， and instruct them to support these with available arguments， as closely reasoned out as possible； the bill， discussed and adopted in full council， will show the measure of its capacity， the information it possesses and its common-sense.
To estimate all this， read the bills put forth in the name of the Committee； weigh the preambles， remark the tone， listen to the two reporters usually chosen， Saint-Just， who draws up the acts of proscription， special or general， and Barère， who draws up all acts indifferently， but particularly military announcements and decrees against the foreigner； never did public personages， addressing France and posterity， use such irrational arguments and state falsehoods with greater impudence.[65]