When Camille Desmoulins entered Robespierre was in the tribune:  the immense credit that this young orator’s perseverance and incorruptibility had gained him with the people, made his hearers crowd around him.

“I am not one of those,” said he, “who term this event a disaster; this day would be the most glorious of the Revolution, did you but know how to turn it to your advantage.  The king has chosen to quit his post at the moment of our most deadly perils, both at home and abroad.  The Assembly has lost its credit; all men’s minds are excited by the approaching elections.  The emigres are at Coblentz.  The emperor and the king of Sweden are at Brussels; our harvests are ripe to feed their troops; but three millions of men are under arms in France, and this league of Europe may easily be vanquished.  I fear neither Leopold, nor the king of Sweden.  That which alone terrifies me, seems to reassure all others.  It is the fact that since this morning all our enemies affect to use the same language as ourselves.  All men are united, and in appearance wear the same aspect.  It is impossible that all can feel the same joy at the flight of a king who possessed a revenue of forty millions of francs, and who distributed all the offices of state amongst his adherents and our enemies; there are traitors, then, among us; there is a secret understanding between the fugitive king and these traitors who have remained at Paris.  Read the king’s manifesto, and the whole plot will be there unveiled.  The king, the emperor, the king of Sweden, d’Artois, Conde, all the fugitives, all these brigands, are about to march against us.  A paternal manifesto will appear, in which the king will talk of his love of peace, and even of liberty; whilst at the same time the traitors in the capital and the departments will represent you, on their part, as the leaders of the civil war.  Thus the Revolution will be stifled in the embraces of hypocritical despotism and intimidated moderatism.

“Look already at the Assembly:  in twenty decrees the king’s flight is termed carrying off by force (enlevement).  To whom does it intrust the safety of the people?  To a minister of foreign affairs, under the inspection of diplomatic committee.  Who is the minister?  A traitor whom I have unceasingly denounced to you, the persecutor of the patriot soldiers, the upholder of the aristocrat officers.  What is the committee?  A committee of traitors composed of all our enemies beneath the garb of patriots.  And the minister for foreign affairs, who is he?  A traitor, a Montmorin, who but a short month ago declared a perfidious adoration of the constitution.  And Delissart, who is he?  A traitor, to whom Necker has bequeathed his mantle to cover his plots and conspiracies.

“Do you not see the coalition of these men with the king, and the king with the European league?  That will crush us!  In an instant you will see all the men of 1789—­mayor, general, ministers, orators,—­enter this room.  How can you escape Antony?” continued he, alluding to La Fayette.  “Antony commands the legions that are about to avenge Caesar; and Octavius, Caesar’s nephew, commands the legions of the republic.