34 Laura B. Pfciffer 



They desired the overthrow of the monarchy but did not think the 

 time ripe for such action. They planned to await the arrival of 

 the Marseillais. when a thorough revolution could be accomplished. 



It has l>een stated that the leaders of the Girondist party, 

 Roland. Claviere. Gensonne, Gaudet and Brissot met at the home 

 of Madame Roland to weave a plot; that others less conspicuous 

 took upon themselves the role of instigators, and that tlie watch- 

 word was. '' Recall the good ministers."" A few years later at 

 the trial of the Girondins. Cliabot testified that Brissot and his ad- 

 herents, wishing to rule through their ministry, fonned a project 

 for intervention by the people of the faubourgs for the recall 

 of the dismissed ministers but that while the people were disposed 

 to take part in such a movement, the recall of the ministry was 

 the last thing they wished.^- 



The Jacobins. Robespierre and Chabot wanted a republic and 

 feared that the recall of the Girondist ministry would only make 

 permanent their constitutional chains. According to Chabot, 

 Robespierre, convinced of the intrigxie of the Girondins, charged 

 him with going to the faubourg Saint- Antoine on the evening of 

 the 19th to persuade the i)eople to content themselves with a 

 simple petition for the sanction of the decrees, and to await the 

 arrival of the ^larseillais and then direct their movements toward 

 overturning the throne.^^ 



It is true that Chabot was in the faubourg Saint Antoine on the 



^"Notice historique sur les evenements du 10 aoiit. 1792, et des ao 

 et 21 juin prectfdents." par Sargent-Marceau, Re^z'uc retrospecth'e, 2. serie, 

 III. 

 "Histoire f'arUmentaire, XXX. 40. " Proces des Girondins." 

 "/^r■J.. 40-41, Testimony of Chabot. If ChaK">t's testimony is to be ac- 

 cepted. Brissot on the morning of the .^ist admitted that he was one of 

 the agitators and that he believed the movement had produced the desired 

 effect of returning Roland, ClaA-iere and Serx^an to the ministry- ; that when 

 he and his accomplices saw that they could not influence the court they 

 proposed a union with the Jacobins promising to effect the overthrow of 

 the throne, but that later he pronounced against the Jacobins ior demand- 

 ing this measure. This, however, is the evidence of a man who was 

 bitterly partisan against Brissot and who when he made the statement was 

 on trial for his life and was trying to connect Brissot with his own crime. 



230 



