ROBESPIERRE AND MIRABEAU AT THE JACOBINS, 

 DECEMBER 6, 1790 



BY CHARLES KUHLMANN 



In the morning session of December 6, 1790, the national assem- 

 bly passed a decree which, by implication, excluded inactive citi- 

 zens from the national guards. Since, by an article of the electoral 

 law of October, 1789, only persons whose annual tax amounted 

 to the equivalent of three days' work were recognized as active 

 citizens, the later decree virtually restricted the right to bear arms 

 to the middle class. The earlier enactment deprived the lower 

 classes of political rights ; the latter was clearly intended to prevent 

 them from securing by force what had been denied them by law. 

 Such a policy naturally aroused the resentment of the radicals who 

 found here their first opportunity to take definite issue with the 

 majority. While the October decree was under discussion Robes- 

 pierre and a number of others insisted that its adoption would 

 convict the assembly of inconsistency. The declaration of rights 

 proclaimed the equality of all men. How was it possible, there- 

 fore, to create distinctions between citizens by disfranchising a 

 whole class? The objection was logically unanswerable and no 

 attempt at direct reply seems to have been made. Robespierre 

 asked another question, equally embarrassing, which likewise re- 

 mained unanswered. If the payment of the equivalent of three 

 days' work conferred the right to one vote, he demanded to know 

 why those who contributed more than this amount should not be 

 entitled to more votes. 



It is probably not true, as some writers have held, that the as- 

 sembly was in the habit of ignoring Robespierre out of contempt 

 for him. But however that may be, in this instance it is not nec- 

 essary to assume such a motive. It is obvious that the less said 

 in reply to him the better, for to argue with him would only have 



University Studies, Vol. XI. No. 4, October 1911. 



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