Through-out the electoral operations the sittings of the dub are permanent； "its electors are incessantly summoned to its meetings； "at each of these "the main question is the destruction of fish-ponds and rentals， their principal speakers summing it all up by saying that none ought to be paid." The majority of electors， composed of rustics， are found to be sensitive to speeches like this； all its candidates are obliged to express themselves against fishponds and rentals； its deputies and the public prosecuting attorney are nominated on this profession of faith； in other words， to be elected， the Jacobins promise to greedy tenants the incomes and property of their owners. -- We already see in the proceedings by which they secure one-third of the offices in 1791 the germ of the methods by which they will secure the whole of them in 1792； in this first electoral campaign their acts indicate not merely their maxims and policy but， again， the condition， education， spirit and character of the men whom they place in power locally as well as at the capital.
NOTES：
[1] Law of May 28， 29， 1791 (according to official statements， the total of active citizens amounted to 4，288，360). -- Laws of July 23， Sept. 12， Sept. 29， 1791. -- Buchez et Roux， XII. 310.
[2] Bucher Ct Roux， XII. 33. -- Mortimer-Ternaux， "Histoire de la Terreur，" II. 205， 348. -- Sauzay， II. ch. XVIII -- AIbert Babeau， I.
ch. XX.
[3] Lenin repeated this performance in 1917 and Stalin attempted to do the same in the rest of the World. (SR)..
[4] The following letter， by Camille Desmoulins (April 3， 1792)， shows at once the time consumed by public affairs， the sort of attraction they had， and the kind of men which they diverted from their business.
"I have gone back to my old profession of the law， to which I give nearly all the time which my municipal or electoral functions， and the Jacobins (club)， allow me -- that is to say， very little. It is very disagreeable to me to come down to pleading bourgeois cases after having managed interests of such importance， and the affairs of the government， in the face of all Europe."[5] I cannot help but think of the willful proliferation of idle functionaries， pensioners and other receivers of public funds which today vote for the party which represents their interests. (SR.)[6] Sauzay， II. 83-89 and 123. A resolution of the inhabitants of Chalèze， who， headed by their municipal officers， declare themselves unanimously "non-conformists，" and demand "the right of using a temple for the exercise of their religious opinions， belonging to them and built with their contributions" On the strength of this， the municipal officers of Chalèze are soundly rated by the district administration， which thus states what principles are： "Liberty， indefinite for the private individual， must be restricted for the public man whose opinions must conform to the law： otherwise， . . he must renounce all public functions."[7] Archives Nationales，" F7， 3，253 (letter of the department directory， April 7， 1792). "On the 25th of January， in our report to the National Assembly， we stated the almost general opposition which the execution of the laws relating to the clergy has found in this department . . . nine-tenths， at least， of the Catholics refusing to recognize the sworn priests. The teachers， influenced by their old curés or vicars， are willing to take the civic oath， but they refuse to recognize their legitimate pastors and attend their services. We are， therefore， obliged to remove them， and to look out for others to replace them. The citizens of a large number of the communes， persisting in trusting these， will lend no assistance whatever to the election of the new ones； the result is， that we are obliged， in selecting these people， to refer the matter to persons whom we scarcely know， and who are scarcely better known to the directories of the district. As they are elected against the will of the citizens， they do not gain their confidence， and draw their salaries from the commune treasury， without any advantage to public instruction，"[8] Mercure de France， Sep. 3， 1791. "The right of attending primary meetings is that of every citizen who pays a tax of three livres；owing to the violence to which opinions are subject， more than one-half of the French are compelled to stay away from these reunions， which are abandoned to persons who have the least interest in maintaining public order and in securing stable laws， with the least property， and who pay the fewest taxes."[9] "The French Revolution，" Vol. I. p. 182 and following pages.
[10] "Correspondence of M. de Sta？l" (manuscript)， Swedish ambassador， with his court， Sept 4， 1791. "The change in the way of thinking of the democrats is extraordinary； they now seem convinced that it is impossible to make the Constitution work. Barnave， to my own knowledge， has declared that the influence of assemblies in the future should be limited to a council of notables， and that all power should be in the government"[11] Ibid. Letter of July 17， 1791. "All the members of the Assembly， with the exception of three or four， have passed a resolution to separate from the Jacobins； they number about 3oo." -- The seven deputies who remain at the Jacobin Club， are Robespierre， Pétion， Grégoire， Buzot， Coroller， and Abbé Royer.
[12] "Les Feuillants" Was a political club consisting of constitutional monarchists who held their meetings in the former Feuillants monastery in Paris from 1791 to 1792. (SR).
[13] Decree of Sept 29， 30， 1791， with report and instructions of the Committee on the Constitution.
