BETTER TO DIE THAN NOT LIVE FREE[1]
(1788)
Born In 1760, died in 1794; his speeches in 1789 a moving cause of the storming of the Bastille; elected a Deputy to the Convention in 1792; voted for the death of the king; perished, with Danton, under the guillotine.
There is one difference between a monarchy and a republic, which alone should suffice to make people reject with horror all monarchical rule and prefer a republic regardless of the cost of its establishment. In a democracy, tho the people may be deceived, yet they at least love virtue. It is merit which they believe they put in power as substitutes for the rascals who are the very essence of monarchies. The vices, concealments, and crimes which are the diseases of republics are the very health and existence of monarchies. Cardinal Richelieu avowed openly in his political principles, that "kings should always avoid using the talents of thoroughly honest men." Long before him Sallust said: "Kings can not get along without rascals; on the contrary, they should fear to trust the honest and upright." It is, therefore, only under a democracy that the good citizen can reasonably
- ↑ Delivered in Paris in February, 1788. An early translation, revised for this collection.
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