About “Letter from Saint-just to Maximilien Robespierre”

[hoald.livejournal.com]

 

Rapport, 16 Nivôse an III
Links : letter
Title : “Lettre de St. Just à Robespierre”
“19 Août 1790”
“Signé St. Just”

The date of the letter : 19 August 1790
Signature : St. just

It seems that the French usually not use “St. just”, the English usually use “St. just” .
In addition, the English usually writes “rue Saint-Honoré” as “rue St. Honore” .

Maybe, the letter was forged? The letter was forged by English Spy?

Comments

[gwynplainee.livejournal.com]

I see that this is the famous letter that Saint-Just send to Robespierre before meeting him. Forged in 1790 by an English Spy, I don't think so. Remember that all the problem with England started when the king was guillotined in 1793.

[hoald.livejournal.com]

If the letter was forged, then the date of the letter may not be the 1790.

[gwynplainee.livejournal.com]

Mmm, yes, it can be 1793 or 1794.
And I agree with trf_chan, nobody in England would want to forge a letter in the name of a obscure provincial revolutionary, and even less in 1790.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

If I recall correctly, Saint-Just often signed his name as 'St. Just' (although, go figure, when I tried to search for an example online/confirm the veracity of my memories, I can't find anything. -_- But this site (http://www.maggs.com/title/AU4126.asp), which was once selling a decree from the Committee of Public Safety signed by him and Robespierre says 'St Just' at the top of the page when giving a description of the signature, so I'd assume that's what was written on the decree itself). Also, I'm not sure where you're seeing the rue Saint-Honoré thing...?

But in any case, I doubt it was a forged letter. What would anyone have to gain by forging a letter in the name of someone who, at that time, was an obscure provincial revolutionary? And especially considering that it doesn't even really talk about anything important - it just asks for help with a local trade issue and expresses admiration for Robespierre - I don't know what the point of forging such a letter would be.

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Yes; sometimes he signed St.Just, but it is true that nowadays, English speakers writyes his name rather as "St. Just", while FRench speakers choices "Saint-Just"

I don't believe it could be a made up letter. TRF_Chan opinions are mine too. Few people knew Saint-Just back then, and even if the letter could have been forged later, it dosn't make any sense either. What for? If it was an invention of Saint-Just friends, they should made it more flattering to him; and if the ones who "did" the purpoted falsification were his ennemies, they should forge a letter in which Saint-JUst culd be shown as a cruel and bad person.

HanriotFran.

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

They published *almost* all they found (not all, but...). Maybe they just wanted to show that the "tyrant" and the "Archange of the Revolution" were scheming to "slave the country" since 1790.

HanriotFran

[hoald.livejournal.com]

How thermidorians found the letter?

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

That's quite simply. They've found it among Robespierre's papers when they seized them all. They also seized Saint-Just papers, and Couthon's paper's and Augustin's and Fleuriot's and Hanriot's and, and, and and....

HanriotFran.

[hoald.livejournal.com]

But, why did thermidorians publish the letter?

[hoald.livejournal.com]

About "rue St. Honore"
For example, Links : English book (http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA163&ei=-gS4Tb2XMILCvQPBj4yiAw&ct=result&id=C6zPAAAAMAAJ&hl=text#v=onepage&q&f=false)