42 CARNOT. 



mit to the supremacy of the odious Carnot.&quot; This 

 animosity began from the epoch when our fellow aca 

 demician blamed the coup d etat (as such) under which 

 the Gironde fell. About the same time, Saint-Just 

 accused him of moderatism, and demanded that he should 

 be tried for having refused, while with the army of the 

 North, to put his signature to the order for arresting 

 General O Moran. Carnot always came out safe and 

 sound from these terrible crises ; not from a sentiment 

 of justice or affection, but because every one, friend as 

 well as foe, felt the impossibility of replacing him effec 

 tually in his special military character by any other 

 conventionalist ! 



Similar relations between the co-members of a council 

 would now appear fabulous ! Is it my fault then, if our 

 weak patriotism cannot conceive all the extent of the 

 sacrifices that our fathers imposed on themselves to save 

 our country ? 



You will remember, Gentlemen, that I did not hesitate 

 to place in the first rank of these sacrifices the obligation 

 which our colleague felt, of blindly signing a quantity of 

 decrees issued by his colleagues. I have explained how 

 this necessity had manifested itself; well, it was so 

 abused, that on one occasion, Carnot was made to sign 

 the order for arresting his own secretary ; another time 

 that for arresting the restaurateur in whose house he 

 took his meals. The word infernal seems to me really 

 too feeble for characterizing such acts ; and yet, to the 

 honour of our colleague, we must almost congratulate 

 ourselves that they occurred, since they yield an insur 

 mountable and speaking proof of the written arrange 

 ment which was agreed to in committee, in the name of 

 the safety of the country. 



