378 LIFE OF HORACE BENEDICT DE SAUSSUEE 



' The Montagnards asked for a revolutionary tribunal of twenty- 

 one judges to try the prisoners. All Genevese citizens were summoned 

 to attend in arms on the bastions in order to proceed to their election. 

 All came, but the Egaliseurs arrived first, and disarmed, or sent home, 

 those whom they recognised as anti -revolutionaries. Despite this 

 exclusion the voting, according to some, was less bad than might 

 have been expected, and among the judges whose names excited no 

 fear, were Deonna, Flournois, de 1'Isle, Lissignol, Bourdillon, Dieday, 

 Romilly, Argand, Bousquet, and others who were held good Genevese, 

 if violent democrats. Events proved the contrary. The judgments 

 had to be confirmed by the people. De Rochemont, the son, was 

 examined. He replied with so much eloquence, firmness, grace, and 

 wit that his speech was drowned in applause. The judges and the 

 audience were touched and satisfied, so that they refused to examine 

 his papers. One heard nothing but voices which exclaimed that the 

 people were being deceived, that it was unworthy to make arrests on 

 such pretexts. M. le Syndic also satisfied his judges. Still the 

 Montagnards declared that victims were necessary to establish the 

 revolution ; as, if the revolutionary tribunal did not satisfy the people, 

 it would act for itself. Others suggested that the accused in obtain- 

 ing their pardon from the people would be more secure than if acquitted 

 by the tribunal. Others that a victim was needed to save the lives of 

 the six hundred prisoners who without this would be in danger. On 

 these considerations the tribunal out of the fourteen it had examined 

 during the day condemned seven to death. 



' The people were called together next day, 24th July, on the 

 bastions to confirm the sentence. No one doubted of a pardon ; the 

 Montagnards, however, again excluded all the moderate revolutionaries. 

 Despite this, the majority was still for a pardon. Counting the votes 

 began at five in the afternoon. At nine it was still incomplete. Then 

 the scrutineers announced that the counting was sufficiently advanced 

 to show that five were pardoned and that only two remained in doubt. 

 At the word Pardon, Le Clair, a locksmith, a member of the revolu- 

 tionary tribunal, drew liis sword and cried out, " No pardon, they 

 must die ! " The Montagnards at once started for the prisons : the 

 partisans of pardon got before them and guarded the doors. The 

 prisoners might have been saved, but the Montagnards came up and 

 threatened attack, the others yielded like cowards, the doors were 

 opened and the seven prisoners were led behind the Montagne des 

 Bastions. The garrison was ordered to fire on them ; it refused. The 

 Montagnards themselves did so and the seven unfortunate men lost 

 their lives at ten o'clock with the greatest courage. Nothing was 



