Robespierre’s “catechism”
What is the goal? The execution of the constitution in favour of the people.
Who will be our enemies? Vicious and rich men.
What means will they employ? Calumny and hypocrisy.
What causes could promote the employ of these means? The ignorance of the sans-culottes.
It is necessary to enlighten the people. But what are the obstacles to the instruction of the people?
The mercenary writers, who mislead it by daily and impudent impostures.
What can we conclude from this?
- That it is necessary to proscipt the writings as the most dangerous enemies of the patrie.
- That it is necessary to spread good writings profusely.
What are the other obstacles to the establishment of liberty?
The foreign war and the civil war.
What are the means to end the foreign war ?
To put generous republicans at the head of our armies, and to punish those who ave betrayed us.
What are the means to end the civil war?
To punish the traitors and conspirators (1), above all the deputies and the guilty administrators; to send of patriot troops under patriot leaders, in order to reduce the [number of] aristocrats of Lyon, of Marseille, of Toulon, of the Vendée, of Jura and of all the others regions where the banner of rébellion and royalism has been displayed, and to make terrible examples of all the scoundrels who have outraged liberty and shed the blood of patriots.
- Proscription of perfidious and counterrevolutionary writings; propagation of good writings.
- Punishment of traitors and conspirators, above all of guilty deputies and administrators.
- Appointment of generous patriots; dismissal and punishment of the others.
- Subsistances and popular laws.
(1) At this point of the manuscript one can furthermore read the following phrases which Robespierre has crossed out himself:
The people… What other obstacle is there to the enlightenment of the people? - Misery.
When, then, will the people be enlightened? - When it will have bread, and when the rich and the government will stop paying for perfidious pens and language in order to deceive it;
When their interest will be confounded with the one of the people.
When will their interest be confounded with the one of the people? - NEVER.
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