594 



DANTON DANTZIC. 



of his mechanical ingenuity. In Uie fifteenth ceii- 

 niry. he made ;m attempt tu fly, and is said to have 

 Mici ( eded in passing tlie lake of Perugia. 



DANTON, GEORGE JAMES, a French advocate by 

 profession, was born at Arcis-sur-Aube, Oct. 26 

 1759, and belieaded April 5, 1794. He played a 

 very important part during the first years of the 

 French revolution, of which he was an active and 

 zealous promoter. His external appearance was 

 strikin" ; hU stature was colossal ; his frame 

 athletic; liis features harsh, large, and disagreeable; 

 his voice shook the dome of the chamber of the 

 a-scmlil) ; his eloquence was vehement; and hi 

 imagination was as gigantic as his person, which 

 made every one recoil, and " at which," says St Just, 

 Freedom herself trembled." These qualities con- 

 tributed to extend his influence, and he became one 

 of the founders of the club of the Cordeliers (q. v.). 

 After the imprisonment of Louis at Varennes, he 

 took the lead in the meeting of the Champ-de-Mars, 

 which demanded the dethronement of the king. In 

 November, he was appointed assistant to the pro- 

 curator of the commune of Paris. His importance in 

 llie capital increased in 1792, where he became one 

 of the instigators of the events of June 20th, and a 

 leader on the 10th of August. After the fall of 

 Louis XVI., Danton was a member of the provi- 

 sional executive council, was made minister of jus- 

 tice, and usurped the appointment of officers in the 

 army and departments. He thus raised up a great 

 number of creatures entirely devoted to his views. 

 Money flowed from all sides into the hands of the 

 minister, and was as profusely squandered on his 

 tools and partisans. His violent measures led to the 

 bloody scenes of September. He endeavoured, by 

 the terrors of proscription, to annihilate all hope of 

 resistance on the part of the royalists. The invasion 

 of Champagne by the Prussians, Sept. 3d, spread 

 consternation through the capital, and among the 

 members of the government. The ministers, the 

 most distinguished deputies, and even Robespierre 

 himself, who was, at that time, in fear of Brissot, 

 now assembled around Danton, who alone preserved 

 his courage. He assumed the administration of the 

 state, and prepared measures of defence : he called 

 on all Frenchmen, capable of bearing arms, to 

 march against the enemy, and prevented the removal 

 of the assembly beyond the Loire. Danton showed, 

 on this occasion, undaunted courage. From this 

 time forward, he was hated by Robespierre, who 

 could never pardon the superiority which Danton 

 had shown on that occasion. Being called on to 

 render an account of the secret expenditures during 

 his ministry, Danton maintained that the ministers 

 should give in their reports collectively ; and this 

 view was adopted. He voted for the capital punish- 

 ment of all returning emigrants, and undertook the 

 defence of religious worship. The contest between 

 the Girondists and the Mountain daily assumed a 

 more serious aspect, and Danton appeared to fear 

 the consequences of these dissensions. The 26th of 

 November, on the occasion of the festival of reason, 

 in which the adherents of Hebert acted a conspicuous 

 \ art, he declared himself anew against the attack on 

 the ministers of religion, and subsequently united 

 with Robespierre to bring Hebert and his partisans to 

 the scaffold. But their connexion was not of long 

 duration, and the secret hate which had long existed 

 between them soon became public. Danton wished 

 to overthrow the despotism of Robespierre, and 

 the crafty Robespierre endeavoured to undermine 

 him, in order to get rid of a dangerous rival. St 

 Just denounced him to the committee of safety, 

 and Danton was arrested on the night of March 31, 

 together with those who were called his accomplices. 



Being thrown into prison in the Luxembourg, h? 

 maintained the appearance of serenity. When he 

 was transferred into the Concier<;ene, his coun- 

 tenance became dark, and he appeared mortified at 

 barring been the dupe of Robespierre. All his dis- 

 courses were a strange mixture of sorrow and pride. 

 At his trial, he answered, with perfect composure, 

 " I am Danton, sufficiently known in the revolution ; 

 I sliall soon pass to notliingness, but my name will 

 live in the Pantheon of history." April 5, the re\o 

 lutionary tribunal condemned him to death, as JIM 

 accomplice in a conspiracy for the restoration of 

 monarchy, and confiscated his large property, lie 

 mounted the fetal car with courage, and without 

 resistance; his head was elevated; his look >m 

 manding and full of pride. Before ascending tin 

 scaffold, he was, for a moment, softened : "() my 

 wife, my dear wife, shall I never see you again ?" 

 he exclaimed ; but checked himself hastily, and, call 

 in:r out, " Danton, no weakness," ascended the sea!' 

 told. Danton was one of the most remarkable cha- 

 racters of the French revolution a strange mixture 

 of magnanimity, ability, and courage, with cruelty, 

 avarice, and weakness. He was thirty-five years old 

 at the time of his death. 



DANTZIC (Danzig) ; a commercial city and for 

 tress on the west bank of the Vistula, about five 

 miles from the Baltic, in the government of the sam* 

 name, in the Prussian province of West Prussia, and 

 300 miles from Berlin. It has a very agreeable sit na- 

 tion, in the midst of a beautiful country. Exclusive 

 of the suburbs, it is about two and a half miles in 

 circuit, and is neither regularly nor handsomely built. 

 Including the suburbs, it contains 5172 houses, and 

 54,756 inhabitants, of whom 2148 are Jews. Its fine 

 harbour and advantageous situation have procured it 

 an extensive commerce by land and sea. It was an 

 important member of the Hanseatic league, and was 

 often called the granary of the North. As early as 

 the tenth century, it was called Gedance (Gedarufc). 

 For a long period, it continued to cliange masters, 

 with the territory in which it lies. The Danes, 

 Swedes, Pomeranians, and Teutonic knights con 

 tended for its possession. In 1310, it fell into the 

 hands of the last. The industry of the inhabitants 

 soon restored its importance and prosperity, which 

 had been diminished by the frequent wars, and in- 

 spired the citizens with such energy, that, in 1454, 

 Dantzic declared itself independent, and was soon 

 after recognized as such by the republic of Poland. 

 The city then struck its own coins, with the image of 

 the king of Poland, maintained a secretary at War- 

 saw, and voted in the diets of the kingdom, and at 

 the election of king, by a deputy. In 1772, the city 

 was almost surrounded by the Prussian dominions ; 

 its trade, industry, and population gradually declined, 

 and the last king of Poland declared that he must 

 leave Dantzic to its fete. May 28, 1793, the Prus- 

 sians took possession of the outworks : the people 

 immediately flew to arms, and a short struggle en- 

 sued, which, after a few days, terminated with the 

 surrender of the city. It soon after regained its for- 

 mer prosperity under the Prussian government, and 

 continued to flourish till the breaking out of the war 

 between France and Prussia. March 7, 1807, Dank 

 zic was besieged by marshal Lefevre, and surrendered 

 on the 24th of May. The marshal was afterwards 

 rewarded with the title of duke of Dantzic. A mili- 

 tary contribution of 20,000,000 francs, to be paid 

 jy instalments, was levied on the city. By the peace 

 of Tilsit, however, Dantzic was recognized as a free 

 city, with a jurisdiction of two leagues in extent, 

 which was afterwards enlarged to ten miles by Na- 

 joleon, under the protection of France, Prussia, and 

 Saxony ; but, being occupied by a French garrison, 



