The economy is awful, even I am
feeling the effects of it and I’m honestly not too happy with how our new
government is handling it. I don’t know
if this whole Directory thing is really working out, we French are a hardy
people and we’ve made it through a lot in these last several years, but I’m
worried that this is going to decimate the poorer population. There is a point where issues need to be
addressed and it turns out that someone had the gall to try and do that today,
though they didn’t really succeed in their desired task. From what I’ve heard, a man called Babeuf
attempted to overthrow the Directory by force last night, but was unfortunately
surprised by the cavalry because someone let information of the coup slip to
what happened to be a spy for the government.
Oh the government, getting themselves snuck into everything, what don’t
they know these days? But, they found
out and the overthrowing of the government was averted. I can’t say I’m happy about it, I really feel
like there needs to be a change. We, the
people of France, are not getting the say that we have been promised since we
decapitated our King and instead of dying at the guillotine, people are dying
from starvation. I am one of the lucky
ones because my money gives me an advantage, but there are moments when I think
about packing up my belongings and leaving France. There is word that the general Napoleon, who
is being hailed as a hero of France, may try to overthrow the Directory and
institute a new government, but who knows if that has any truth to it. Who knows if it would even be
successful? He is essentially the head
of the French military right now so he does have that backing that would keep
him from being swatted aside like Babeuf this morning. It sounds as though Babeuf and one of his
accomplices may be executed soon, I hope that this isn’t the start of another
period where we become bloodthirsty and a new Robespierre rises up to claim the
lives of however many innocents, I don’t know.
I wish that there had been some sort of planning before we decided to
behead the King, now we have hardly any foreign allies to ask for aide from
because they all fear that by associating with us that they will be dethroned. If we had only thought more clearly about the
situation and didn’t act so passionately, but that is how we Frenchmen are;
passionate and, for now at least, free.
Saturday
13 Vendémiaire Year IV
It has been many years since I have
last updated the public in my life and the ways in which the revolution in our
dearest France is changing. The
Convention is doing its best to keep peace and today there was a battle in
Paris. My brother, a member in the
Convention, has been relaying to me the events of today as they have happened,
as he knows that I write about these things so that the public may know what is
happening in France. Apparently early
this morning a group of Royalists gathered and began making advances through
Paris, endangering the Convention and they called to fight a young general by
the name of Napoleon. I hear that he has
had much military success and is tactically unmatched in battle, which boded
well for him today. I am glad that he
was able to step up to defend our fragile government, for who knows what would
have happened without him. If you haven’t yet heard, he and his men were
successful in driving out the enemy and keeping both Paris and the Convention
safe. I can see him going very far in
the world with the brains that he has and I would love to meet him in person
someday. Fortunately with my status that
may be very plausible. I do hope that
his deeds today are recognized by the Convention, I would not be surprised if
he becomes somewhat of a hero for us Frenchmen.
Though I am concerned that even though this threat has been ceased and
we are now safe in our beds and our government is safe in theirs, there will be
another terror like there was during the time of the cursed Robespierre. It seems as though the poorer Frenchmen who
call themselves the “sans-culottes” desire vengeance for wrongs that I do not
understand and they desire this revenge solely in a violent manner. Will our new government be strong enough to
withstand this or will we see more people led to the guillotine that has sat
clean for a while now, will blood once again stain the wooden platform? I live in constant fear that we have not yet
escaped the terror of those days, but I have hope, for I believe that as long
as we have men like Napoleon to protect us, we will be safe from harm and
terror as we once experienced.
10 Thermidor Year II
Today there is new hope as the
coward himself has been claimed by his own devices. Robespierre and his closest comrades lost
their heads today as soon as they were finally caught and were not given the
right of a trial, just as they have been doing to the people for awhile
now. I would be lying if I said that I
wasn’t happy at the outcome of the last two days and that my brother was not
one of those who rightfully lost their lives today. His head is safely on his shoulders and he is
hoping to get involved with whatever government follows this one. I find it funny how quickly alliances change,
as soon as Robespierre was denounced only a few stayed loyal to him and most
stopped supporting him completely and were willing to assist in taking him
down. I was in the crowds today that
watched as he was marched up to the guillotine and his head was cleanly cut
from his body, the blood staining the wooden platform. If you were there you could feel the tension
lift and hope restored to the people, I’ve never seen so many so happy at the
death of someone else, especially someone that they once loved. At least, not since the death of the King,
though many did not love him, he was merely tolerated by all of us. I remember meeting him once as a child, I
believe he was a good person, but his leadership abilities were subpar. Anyway, it was good to see the people finally
taking control today. I’m hopeful that
after the events of this terror that has seemed to last an eternity, the people
of France will be much less likely to resort to violence in the name of the revolution. I believe that we should focus now on the
rights that we have been fighting, and killing, for these last several
years. Even as someone who has been
blessed with money through my family tree, I believe that there should be more
equality. While I do not want to give up
my money or my status, I do wish that when I walked through the streets today I
didn’t have to see the ribs of starving children. France has been too focused
on killing the traitors and not focused enough on the needs of the people who
are starving in the streets, the whole reason for the revolution was because
the food rests in the hands of me and the others with noble blood. Sometimes I am honestly surprised that we
were not the first to be claimed by the guillotine, simply because we are the
ones who have the money.
9 Thermidor Year II
Things are going very badly and a
part of me is glad of it, distaste is growing for Robespierre and more and more
people are beginning to speak out against the horrors that he and his dear
Committee of Public Safety have accomplished. I have heard that today members of the
Committee have spoken up during the meeting against the horrid Robespierre and
have called for his arrest. From the
stories I’ve heard he tried to appeal to them, but ultimately he has run like a
coward. I am not surprised at all by
this as he feeds off of the power that he had killing any who spoke against him
and now that the majority is rising up, he has no power and can do nothing to
quell the coming tide. I, personally, am
glad that it seems as though Robespierre is about to fall to his doom and I
hope that he does not get away. I feel
as though he is the kind of man to flee just as our King did just before he
lost his head; Robespierre has all of the marks of a coward. I do fear though the aftermath of what is to
come, I fear that there will be more fear and terror in the streets as whomever
takes over begins their tirades against Robespierre. Will those of us who have connections and
money be brought to the guillotine? Will
they target all associates of Robespierre?
If they do my family is doomed considering my brother’s involvement with
Robespierre and his gang. From what I
have heard, Robespierre and his associates have been declared as outlaws by the
members of the Convention and I know that does not bode well for all who know
him and support him. It is so cowardly
of this man and his associates to run when confronted by the people who are
finally sick of their actions and disregard for the rights that we all were
promised and so greatly desired. How is
it that we have come to this moment where people have to be done with killing
to decided to change our government again?
Why has it taken so long for people to realize that we did not overthrow
our King to turn to this violence and disaster where all of us are living in
fear that we may say just the wrong thing and lose our heads in the name of the
revolution? I do not know how anyone
could support Robespierre or his people, especially after Danton’s attempt to
bring sense to everyone. I find it awful
that he didn’t get much of a trial and ended up losing his head, I wonder why
this wasn’t ended then and took so long to be finally addressed.
22 Prairial, Year II
It does not bode well for the
people of France, the laws that have passed today. Before I lived in fear because of my
brother’s involvement with Robespierre, but now I am terrified for his safety
and his life. It was only a few weeks
ago that some fiend attempted to take the life of two of the most dominant men
in our current day; Robespierre and Collot d’Herbois. My brother has told me that they are angrier
than he has seen them before and that it seems as though Robespierre has found
new life after his sadness at the death of one of his dearest friends; the
writer Desmoulins. Though, I must say
that it was the fault of his own errors and his refusal to cease supporting
Danton that led him to the guillotine.
As someone who used to live comfortably without fear until the rise of
Robespierre, I have no love for the man; he has taken away the feeling of
safety among me and my peers. We all
live in fear that we will be next, solely because of the money we possess. But, it is the newest law that was passed
today that gives us the most fear and leaves me terrified of an uprising. Today marks the passing of the loi de la
Grande Terreur and the moment when we all realize, those with money and without,
that there is no longer a system that keeps us safe from being called traitors
and being led to our swift death in droves.
The Committee of Public Safety now has more reasons that it can consider
one a traitor to the revolution and is given less time to reach a verdict,
which must be either guilty and death or innocent and released. I know that with this new law there will be
more people in the square tomorrow and I hope to God that my brother is not one
of them. It is in these times that I
feel the need to pray, even though the Church can no longer save us and it
feels as though God has deserted us.
Robespierre is now leading the charge to kill off what seems like every
Frenchman and I wonder when it is going to stop. How can we continue on like this? How can we
survive when the smallest word or state of living can lead us to the guillotine
that sits so lonely and foreboding in the square? It is starting to feel as though the rights
we were promised after the end of the King do not exist, I hope that something
is done soon.
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