HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



123 



he assisted in converting the monar- 

 chy into a republic. In the many 

 daring transactions wherein his en- 

 terprising genius involved hin;^ he 

 never steered a middle course, nor 

 ever stopped at little means to com- 

 pass grc'it ends. He moved boldly 

 tbrward towards the object before 

 him, removing without exception 

 every obsiacle, and employing ex- 

 ertions eqiiil to the magnitude of 

 his plan. When the European po- 

 tentatesformedthat coalition against 

 France, which the world at first 

 thought irressistible, he first con- 

 ceived that grand idea of raising the 

 French nation, as much as possible, 

 in a mass * ; which matured and 

 realized through his sagacity and 

 judiciousregulating.cnabled France 

 alone to contend victoriously with 

 all Europe. The revolutionary 

 institutions that contributed so ef- 

 fectually to the preservation of the 

 republic, were no less due to his 

 conceptions. Though they be- 

 came engines of cruelty and des- 

 potism in the tyrannical hands that 

 seized tl^c management of them, 

 yet their original plan was of evi- 

 dent utility at the tempestuous sea- 

 son that gave it birth, and certainly 

 required an instant and powerful 

 barrier against the daily attempts 

 to overturn the neworderof things; 

 which, without either approving 

 pr condemning those who had 

 established it, thought themselves 

 authorised to maintain. Among 

 the many qualifications that con- 

 tributed to Danton's celebrity, was 

 his eloquence. It was the gift of 

 nature, and not the acquisition of 

 art or study. It supplied him on 

 all occasions with a formidable, and 

 generally a successful weapon. 



Though it flowed from him with- 

 out forethought or preparation, 

 the impression it made was deep 

 and strong, and seldom failed to 

 overcome the arguments of his op- 

 ponents. His expressions were 

 truly the representatives of his 

 ideas, and, like them, were singular 

 and striking. Often has he been 

 known, with a few words, to have 

 completely foiled the purpose of 

 long and 'deliberate speeches. But 

 the powers of his oratory were not 

 merely verbal ; his look, his voice, 

 his gesture, equally commanded 

 attention and deference. His as- 

 pect, especially, carried such autho- 

 rity, that with a cast of his eye ho 

 was able to disconcert some oif the 

 most artful of his antagonists, and 

 to derange all the ideas they had 

 premeditated. Endowed with all 

 these qualities, itwas not surprising 

 that bis partizans were numerous 

 and warmly attached to him, as a 

 man upon whose abilities and firm- 

 nessthey could place a suredepend- 

 ence. The only instance wherein 

 want of penetration was imputable 

 to him, was the unguardedness of 

 his conduct towards Robespierre j 

 whose violent proceedings he dis- 

 approved, and against whose re- 

 sentment, on account of this disap- 

 probation, he ought in prudence 

 tohave dvilypreparedhimself. Had 

 he suspected the inten tions of Robes- 

 pierre, it is highly probable that he 

 might have easily counteracted 

 them ; the envy, and still more 

 the hatred, borne to his sanguinary 

 rival by those over whom he arro- 

 gated such undue power and pie- 

 eminence ; the fears they began 

 to entertain of his ambitious and 

 cruel disposition ; the inveteracy cf 



*Sce reflcctians «n this subject, pa^c C«. 



those 



