It is not to be wondered at, therefore, if all the parties in the Revolution aimed principally at gaining over the popu lation of Paris, which, both from its influence as the popu lation of the capital of France, and from its peculiar fitness for being acted upon in such a state of things, could not fail to be of essential service to their views.
Those who first appeared as the leading actors in the tremendous drama of the French Revolution, were, it may be allowed, without any great stretch of candour, men who at least did not contemplate or approve of violent and un just changes in the state ; but at the same time it must also be urged against them, that they came to the task totally and lamentably unprepared for it ; unprepared by their general ignorance of human nature—by their ignorance of the sound and practicable principles of government—and most of all, by their ignorance of their own unfitness, and of the total want of preparation in the French people, even for gradual and moderate reform. Thus ignorant, they roused and armed the worst passions of the multitude ; they instill ed into them a love of change, and they taught them their own power. The consequences were such as might be expected, when we reflect on the character of the popula tion of Paris, on whom they at first acted, and who after wards became the instruments of more daring and unprin cipled leaders.
Still, however, it must be admitted, that it is difficult to trace the formation, or understand the real features of the characters of such men as Roberspierre, Danton, Marat, &c. That they were almost unparalleled in cruelty ; that they had no conception of the obligations of truth and jus tice, is too apparent : but these horrid qualities were strangely mixed with some species of patriotism ; and even in the midst of unlimited power, they seem to have had little or no ambition, and certainly made no attempts to enrich themselves.
II. With respect to the causes of the wonderful military successes of the French, it appears to us that three causes principally contributed to these successes.
In the first place, long previous to the revolution, cer tainly as far back as the reign of Louis XIV. the French
nation, of all ranks and classes, the poorest and most op pressed equally with the richest and most highly privileg ed, have been distinguished by their love of glory, and by a hope, sometimes weak and evanescent, at other times strong and prevailing, but never totally extinguished, that their nation was destined for universal empire. This has been their predominant and characteristic passion; and this passion has been strengthened and encouraged by all the circumstances of the Revolution.
For, in the second place, there came in aid of this pas sion, the strong feeling of national independence, which all nations, even the most barbarous and enslaved, possess in a greater or less degree. We have already stated our be lief, that the bulk of the French people were so ignorant, and had been so long habituated to political slavery, that they could form no idea of political liberty ; and conse quently to promise it to them, was to promise them that which could neither excite their hopes nor enter into their conceptions. But, as soon as they understood that their country was about to be attacked, that powerful and almost instinctive love of national independence, which operates in the breasts of the inhabitants of all countries, broke forth in an enthusiastic determination, not to allow foreigners to invade and overrun their country. In the case of France, too, this love of nationl independence was great ly aided by their love of national glory. They could not brook the idea, that France, the Great Nation, destined for universal empire, should become the vassal state, or even the temporary. and degraded conquest of any foreign pow er. Besides, as the mass of the people had tasted of some of the beneficial effects of the Revolution, in the abolition of feudal services, and of those oppressions which are much more acutely and generally felt, than the want of po litical independence and liberty, by the people at large, in all countries, they were roused to defend the cause and ex istence of that Revolution ; knowing, that if they did not succeed, they would be reduced to their former state of degradation and misery.