In this they greatly deceive themselves， and， from the first， they are able to see once more the Jacobins interpretation of electoral liberty. -- At first， all the registered，[14] and especially the "suspects，" are compelled to vote， and to vote Yes； otherwise， says a Jacobin journal，[15] "they themselves will indicate the true opinion one ought to have of their attitudes， and no longer have reason to complain of suspicions that are found to be so well grounded." They come accordingly， "very humbly and very penitent." Nevertheless they meet with a rebuff， and a cold shoulder is turned on them； they are consigned to a corner of the room， or near the doors， and are openly insulted. Thus received， it is clear that they will keep quiet and not risk the slightest objection. At Macon "a few aristocrats muttered to themselves， but not one dared say No."[16] It would， indeed， be extremely imprudent. At Montbrison， "six individuals who decline to vote，" are denounced in the procès-verbal of the Canton， while a deputy in the Convention demands "severe measures" against them. At Nogent-sur-Seine， three administrators， guilty of the same offense， are to be turned out of office.[17] A few months later， the offense becomes a capital crime， and people are to be guillotined "for having voted against the Constitution of 1793."[18] Almost all the ill-disposed foresaw this danger； hence， in nearly all the primary assemblies， the adoption is unanimous， or nearly unanimous.[19] At Rouen， there are but twenty-six adverse votes； at Caen， the center of the Girondin opposition， fourteen； at Rheims， there are only two； at Troyes， Besan？on， Limoges and Paris， there are none at all； in fifteen departments the number of negatives varies from five to one； not one is found in Var； this apparent unity is most instructive. The commune of St. Donau， the only one in France， in the remote district of Cotês-du-Nord， dares demand the restoration of the clergy and the son of Capet for king. All the others vote as if directed with a baton； they have understood the secret of the plebiscite； that it is a Jacobin demonstration， not an honest vote， which is required.[20] The operation undertaken by the local party is actually carried out. It beats to arms around the ballot-box； it arrives in force； it alone speaks with authority； it animates officers； it moves all the resolutions and draws up the report of proceedings， while the representatives on mission from Paris add to the weight of the local authority that of the central authority. In the Macon assembly "they address the people on each article； this speech is followed by immense applause and redoubled shouting of Vive la République！ Vive la Constitution！ Vive le Peuple Fran？ais！ " Beware， ye lukewarm， who do not join in the chorus！ They are forced to vote "in a loud， intelligible voice." They are required to shout in unison， to sign the grandiloquent address in which the leaders testify their gratitude to the Convention， and give their adhesion to the eminent patriots delegated by the primary assembly to bear its report to Paris.[21]
IV.
The Delegates reach Paris. -- Precautions taken against them. --Constraints and Seductions.
The first act of the comedy is over and the second act now begins.--The faction has convoked the delegates of the primary assemblies to Paris for a purpose. Like the primary assemblies， they are to serve as its instruments for governing； they are to form the props of dictatorship， and the object now is to restrict them to that task only. -- Indeed， it is not certain that all will lend themselves to it. For， among the eight thousand commissioners， some， appointed by refractory assemblies， bring a refusal instead of an adhesion；[22]
others， more numerous， are instructed to present objections and point out omissions：[23] it is very certain that the envoys of the Girondist departments will insist on the release or return of their excluded representatives. And lastly， a good many delegates who have accepted the Constitution in good faith desire its application as soon as possible， and that the Convention should fulfill its promise of abdication， so as to give way to a new Assembly. - As it is important to suppress at once all these vague desires for independence or tendencies for opposition a decree of the Convention "authorizes the Committee of General Security to order the arrest of 'suspect'
commissioners；" it is especially to look after those who， "charged with a special mission， would hold meetings to win over their colleagues， . . . . and engage them in proceedings contrary to their mandate."[24] In the first place， and before they are admitted into Paris， their Jacobinism is to be verified， like a bale in the customs-house， by the special agents of the executive council， and especially by Stanislas Maillard， the famous September judge， and his sixty-eight bearded ruffians， each receiving pay at five francs a day.
"On all the roads， within a circuit of fifteen or twenty leagues of the capital，" the delegates are searched； their trunks are opened， and their letters read. At the barriers in Paris they find "inspectors"posted by the Commune， under the pretext of protecting them against prostitutes and swindlers. There， they are taken possession of， and conducted to the mayoralty， where they receive lodging tickets， while a picket of gendarmerie escorts them to their allotted domiciles.[25]
-- Behold them in pens like sheep， each in his numbered stall； there is no fear of the dissidents trying to escape and form a band apart：