"See，" writes one of Danton's correspondents，[12] "the sort of persons who easily obtain these certificates， - the Ronsins， the Jourdans， the Maillards， the Vincents， all bankrupts， keepers of gambling-hells and cut-throats. Ask these individuals whether they have paid the patriotic contribution， whether they regularly pay the usual taxes， whether they give to the poor of their sections， to the volunteer soldiers， etc.； whether they mount guard or see it regularly done， whether they have made a loyal declaration for the forced loan. You will find that they have not. . . . The Commune issues certificates of civism to its satellites and refuses them to the best citizens."The monopoly is obvious； they make no attempt to conceal it； six weeks later，[13] it becomes official： several revolutionary committees decide not to grant certificates of civism to citizens who are not members of a popular club." And strict exclusion goes on increasing from month to month. Old certificates are canceled and new ones imposed， which new certificates have new formalities added to them， a larger number of endorsers being required and certain kinds of guarantees being rejected； there is greater strictness in relation to the requisite securities and qualifications； the candidate is put off until fuller information can be obtained about him； he is rejected at the slightest suspicion：[14] he is only too fortunate if he is tolerated in the Republic as a passive subject， if he is content to be taxed and taxed when they please， and if he is not sent to join the "suspects" in prison； whoever does not belong to the band does not belong to the community.
Amongst themselves and in their popular club it is worse， for"the eagerness to get any office leads to every one denouncing each other； "[15]
consequently， at the Jacobin club in the rue St. Honoré， and in the branch clubs of the quarter， there is constant purging， and always in the same sense， until the faction is cleansed of all honest or passable alloy and only a minority remains， which has its own way at every balloting. One of them announces that， in his club， eighty doubtful members have already been gotten rid of； another that， in his club， one hundred are going to be excluded.[16] On Ventose 23， in the "Bon-Consei1" club， most of the members examined are rejected： "they are so strict that a man who cannot show that he acted energetically in critical times， cannot form part of the assembly； he is set aside for a mere trifle." On Vent？se 13， in the same club， "out of twenty-six examined， seven only are admitted； one citizen， a tobacco dealer， aged sixty-eight， who has always performed his duty， is rejected for having called the president Monsieur， and for having spoken in the tribune bareheaded； two members， after this， insisted on his being a Moderate， which is enough to keep him out." Those who remain， consist of the most restless and most loquacious， the most eager for office， the self-mutilated club being thus reduced to a nucleus of charlatans and scoundrels.
