DESMOULINS, PIENOIT CAMILLE (1760-91). A French politician and journalist of the time of the Revolution. lle was born at Guise, in Picardy, March 2, 1760, the eldest in of the Lieutenant-General of the Bailiwick of Guise. Through the influence of a relative young Desmoulins obtained a scholarship in the College Louis le Grand, Paris. where he had Robespierre as a fellow-student. After his graduation young Desmonlins studied law, and became an advocate before the Parliament of Paris in 1784, hut met with little success. owing, it is said, to a stammer in his speech. In 1788 he published a philosophical work. La ph iloso ph lc du peuple jraneais, which attracted con siderable attention; but it was the dismissal of Necker, July II, 1789, that first brought Des moulins to the front as a Revolutionist. He heard the news on the evening of July 12. and, in the excitement of the moment forgetting his stammer, sprang on a cafe talde in the garden of the Palais Royal and harangued the crowd of people around him. This scene marked the actual beginning of the Revolution. The cry To arms!" resounded, and two days later the 13astille was taken. A republican pamphlet. La France 1 ibre, he brought out, was received with instantaneous favor, and he was encouraged to follow it up with a journal of a revolutionary nature. His Discours de la 1(1111c-rue uu,r Pa risiens was less to his credit, and earned for him the nickname of •Procureur de la I:interne.' Des moulins was a hero-worshiper, but inconsistent in his allegiance, and after making Mitabeau his idol, transferred his affections to Danton, to whom he clung until the end. In 1791 both men
were in danger of arrest for the extreme bold ness of their views, but both escaped. It was at this time that Desmoulins ceased publishing Les llirol at ions de France et di• lira ban , his first journal, and began La Tri bune des Pat riot, s. which 'became the ia.gan of the Cordeliers. lie was also intimate with Robespierre, who persuaded 111111 to attack the (;irondists in a work entitled Pra !Intent de Ph i s toi re de In Pi:volution (usually referred to as the II ist oi re des Brissot ins). This venomous attack helped greatly in overthrowing the oppo site party; hut it is said that later Desnionlins regretted his course. With Danton he began to pail for moderation, and toward the end of 1793 the first 11111111)er of Le Vieux Cord•lif r appeared :Ind stood up for just and legal trials and sevi-ye sentences. Desmoulins attacked the 116 bertisls as well as the Committee of Public Safety, and breach betvveett the 1)antiatists and ultra Jacobins grew 'wider. .1 tl,r being osier Ittt to (lie liel'e he has defended 1Zobt••Iliurre, Desnlmuliur has at length a r tt It h 111141 of pa rt y. Tilt. merest formality of a trial took place, and they were all executed, .\pril 5, 1704. Dcsii indits scents to have foreseen his but he did not face death with the untlinelling conrtipc of Danton. Ilk beallliflif yolIng i icily Duplessis, sought in every tyuy to re..elle him, but was herself arrested and guillotined a fort night later. Consult: s tic t 'UPI I II( S•