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Dictatorial Arrogance
At what a tremendous height above
the rest of mankind does Robespierre here place himself! And note
the arrogance with which he speaks. He is not content to pray for
a great reawakening of the human spirit. Nor does he expect such
a result from a well-ordered government. No, he himself will
remake mankind, and by means of terror.
This mass of rotten and
contradictory statements is extracted from a discourse by
Robespierre in which he aims to explain the principles of
morality which ought to guide a revolutionary government. Note
that Robespierre’s request for dictatorship is not made
merely for the purpose of repelling a foreign invasion or putting
down the opposing groups. Rather he wants a dictatorship in order
that he may use terror to force upon the country his own
principles of morality. He says that this act is only to be a
temporary measure preceding a new constitution. But in reality,
he desires nothing short of using terror to extinguish from
France selfishness, honor, customs, manners, fashion, vanity,
love of money, good companionship, intrigue, wit, sensuousness,
and poverty. Not until he, Robespierre, shall have accomplished
these miracles, as he so rightly calls them, will he permit the
law to reign again.*
*At this point in the original
French text, Mr. Bastiat pauses and speaks thusly to all
do-gooders and would-be rulers of mankind: "Ah, you
miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who
judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything!
Why don’t you reform yourselves? That task would be
sufficient enough."
Clark Simmons, Webmaster
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