Question about that day..

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

OH NO! She's gonna talk about it..Yes..that horrible black day Thermidor..I'm a bit confused on it. Even in books..I'm like WTF?
 okay, here's what i do know.

Maxime and Co get arrested and sent to different prisons. They get released and all sort of beautiful things..xD So at the end, they're at City Hall at night..and..

that's where i get stumped.

I know Maxime attempted suicide and the others tried the same..well it seems like they were xD  I know Hanriot was outside with his soldiers, but they got lazy and tired, and went home. So again. I know Maxime was like hesisting to do anything..I know the robespierrist Mayor Les or whatever his name (too lazy to look it up -_-) And it may or may not rained.

Was Maxime alone with his associates? Was he with the commune? I'm so confused. I know the mess after. But why did he attempt to kill himself? That puzzled me. and why didn't they take any definitive action for their lives? (i'd do anything to save my life..clawing at people xD) Was it a lost cause?

Why didn't he try harder to save himself?

I'm prolly dumb xD and special..but i've always wondered it.  And i guess..since they lost the Commune.(as it gave up on them..) they were sitting ducks weren't they?

Anything helps xD Any corrections.xD  Any explantations for this?

 

Comments

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

Maximilien Robespierre, Session of 8 thermidor Year II (26 July 1794):

"Tous les amis des principes sont sans influence ; mais ce n'est pas assez pour eux d'avoir éloigné par le désespoir du bien un surveillant incommode ; son existence seule est pour eux un objet d'épouvante, et ils avaient médité dans les ténèbres, à l'insu de leurs collègues, le projet de lui arracher le droit de défendre le peuple avec la vie. Oh ! Je la leur abandonnerai sans regret ! J'ai l'expérience du passé, et je vois l'avenir. Quel ami de la patrie peut vouloir survivre au moment où il n'est plus permis de la servir et de défendre l'innocence opprimée ? Pourquoi demeurer dans un ordre de choses où l'intrigue triomphe éternellement de la vérité, où la justice est un mensonge, où les plus viles passions, où les craintes les plus ridicules occupent dans les coeurs la place des intérêts sacrés de l'humanité ? Comment supporter le supplice de voir cette horrible succession de traîtres plus ou moins habiles à cacher leur âme hideuse sous le voile de la vertu, et même de l'amitié, mais qui tous laisseront à la postérité l'embarras de décider lequel des ennemis de mons pays fut le plus lâche et le plus atroce ? En voyant la multitude des vices que le torrent de la révolution a roulés pêle-mêle avec les vertus civiques, j'ai craint quelquefois, je l'avoue, d'être souillé aux yeux de la postérité par le voisinage impur des hommes pervers qui s'introduisaient parmi les sincères amis de l'humanité, et je m'applaudis de voir la fureur des Verrès et des Catilina de mon pays tracer une ligne profonde de démarcation entre eux et tous les gens de bien. J'ai vu dans l'histoire tous les défenseurs de la liberté attaqués par la calomnie ; mais leurs oppresseurs sont morts aussi ! Les bons et les méchants disparaissent de la terre, mais à des conditions différentes. Français, ne souffrez pas que vos ennemis osent abaisser vos âmes par leur désolante doctrine. Non, Chaumette, non, Fouché, la mort n'est pas un sommeil éternel. Citoyens, effacez des tombeaux cette maxime impie gravée par des mains sacrilèges qui jette un crêpe funètre sur la nature, qui décourage l'innocence opprimée, et qui insulte la mort. Gravez-y plutôt celle-ci : la mort est le commencement de l'immortalité."

"All friends of principles are without influence; but it isn't enough for them to have brought away, through despair about the good, an incoveniant guard; his existence alone is for them an object of fright, and they meditated in darkness, apart from their colleagues, the project to take away from him the right to stand up for the people with [his] life. Oh! I will abandon mine to them with no regret! I have the experience of the past, and I see the future. What friend of the patrie would desire to survive the moment when it is no longer allowed to serve it and to stand up for the oppressed innocence? Why continuing in an order of things where intrigue eternally triumphs over truth, where justice is a lie, where the vilest passions, where the most ridiculous fears, occupy in everyone's hearts the place that should belong to the sacred interests of humanity? How to bear the torment of witnessing this horrible succession of traitors, more or less skilful in hiding their hideous soul under the veil of virtue and even of friendship, but who will all pass on to posterity the trouble to decide which of the enemies of my country was the most coward and the most atrocious? As I saw the multitude of vices that the torrent of the revolution has brought with the civic virtues, I feared sometimes, I admit it, to be defiled in the eyes of posterity by such an impure neighbourhood of perverted men who introduced themselves among the sincere friends of humanity, and I applaud myself to be able to see the furor of the Verres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verres) and of the Catilinas of my country who traced a deep mark of demarcation between these and all the good ones.

Part II

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

I have seen in history all the supporters of freedom attacked by calumny; but their oppressors have died as well! The good ones and the evil ones both disappear from earth, but with different conditions. French [people], no longer suffer that your enemy dare to abase your souls with their distressing doctrine. No, Chaumette, no Fouché, death is not an eternal sleep. Citizens, erase from the graves this impious maxim engraved by sacreligious hands who throw a dark and funest veil on nature, who discourage the oppressed innocence, and who insult death. Engrave instead this one: death is the beginning of immortality."

***

Louis-Antoine Saint-Just, Session of 9 thermidor Year II (27 July 1794):

"La circonstance où je me trouve eût paru délicate et difficile à quiconque aurait eu quelque chose à se reprocher : on aurait craint le triomphe des factions, qui donne la mort ; mais, certes, ce serait quitter peu de chose qu'une vie dans laquelle il faudrait être ou le complice ou le témoin muet du mal. [...] C'est pourquoi le voeu le plus tendre pour sa patrie que puisse faire un bon citoyen, le bienfait le plus doux qui puisse descendre des mains de la Providence sur un peuple libre, le fruit le plus précieux que puisse recueillir une nation généreuse de sa vertu, c'est la ruine, c'est la chute des factions. Quoi ! l'amitié s'est-elle envolée de la terre ? la jalousie présidera-t-elle aux mouvements du corps social ? et, par le prestige de la calomnie, perdra-t-on ses frères, parce qu'ils sont plus sages et plus magnanimes que nous ? La renommée est un vain bruit. Prêtons l'oreille sur les siècles écoulés ; nous n'entendrons plus rien : ceux qui, dans d'autres temps, se promèneront parmi nos urnes, n'en entendront pas davantage : le bien, voilà ce qu'il faut faire, à quelque prix que ce soit, en préférant le titre de héros mort à celui de lâche vivant."

"The circumstance in which I am would have seemed tricky and difficult for anyone having anything to reproach to himself: the one would have feared the triumph of factions, which brings death; yet it is to quit very little than a life in which one would have to be the accomplice or the silent witness of evil. [...] This is why the dearest wish a good citizen should have for his patrie, the kindest deed which could be brought by the hands of Providence on a free people, the most precious fruit that a generous nation could gather from its virtue, it's the ruin and the fall of factions. What! has friendship vanished from earth? will jealousy preside to the movements of the social body? and, through the wonders of calumny, will we lose our brothers, because they are wiser and more magnanimous than us? Fame is a vain noise. Let us listen to the passed centuries; we will hear nothing anymore: those who, in other times, will walk across our urns, will not hear anything more: the good, this is what must be done, whatever the price, and to prefer the place of a dead hero than the one of a living coward."

suicide etc

[(Anonymous)]

There's no proof, or otherwise, that Robespierre did try to kill himself. One of the soldiers who captured him later claimed responsibility for the shot that injured him.

The people with Robespierre at City Hall were a mixture of his supporters from various places, mostly Robespierrists from the Commune and the sections.

- FP
- http://www.symbolicforest.com

[la-muse-venale6.livejournal.com]

That's true, there isn't any proof that could affirm that Maxime tried to do suicide. It's a possibility, but there is that soldier with his claim... We can only guess.

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

very true; But i don't seem to believe that soldier..though if it was me..i'd aim in the chest and watch him GO down xD but that's where most people shoot at. Ever notice that? But to me, it seems like Maxime might be the type of person to try to do suicide. He talked about it all the time..or rather assassination..but yeah..it's all the same.

xD at least to me.

I wouldn't shoot at his jaw..xD that makes that solder's claim so flimsy. Xd who wouldn't like to be the hero of the day killing the supposed tyrant? Xd? >.>

[la-muse-venale6.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's very possible. In fact, I have thought that it could also be done to save his reputation as the Incorruptible... But it won't have much sense, since the people disliked him by the time. :S

Oh, that adorable Maxime... I have to draw the party scene, I don't forget about it ;)

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

you better of have not!xD I still wanna see it =P

[neuropathology.livejournal.com]

If I understand correctly (and I feel like I do), forensic science COULD be employed to clear up at least some of the confusion about what took place on the ninth of Thermidor. It just hasn't been.

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

nor have they found his body..have they? I mean they checked Zachary Taylor...and saw he wasn't poisoned..but he had a body. So i have no idea. xD But i'm just saying it could be done if we had Maxime's body maybe..who knows..

[neuropathology.livejournal.com]

Finding and identifying the body would be impossible at this point. I was more referring to eliminating the confusion over whether or not the blood staining the document to be sent to Robespierre's Section that night (the one where his signature is incomplete) is even his blood. Or whether the gun handed to him by Lebas has ever been fired. If Robespierre did not attempt suicide on Thermidor 9, there is a small chance that it has not.

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

then what the hell am i going on about xD I'm going crazy here @_@ I wish we could find it now..too bad..OH YEAH! that document! I forgot about it! Yeah you're right! Definitely right *goes back to munch on cookies* *nods*

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know if they could determine whether the blood on the document is Robespierre's, seeing as that would require something to compare it to and there isn't that much of it (a lock of hair, I think??).