CONSPIRACY FOR EQUALITY
CALLED
BABEUF'S CONSPIRACY.
PARTIES AND THEIR CHARACTERS DURING THE REVOLUTION.
Amongst the various parties which caused the French Revolution to assume so many different complexions, there was one which deserves to fix the attention of the philosopher, because of the constant devotion with which it consecrated its efforts to the real deliverance of humanity.
Whilst ambition, jealousy, cupidity, and the blind love of innovation, kept up a deplorable struggle among a people, of whom some combatted to reestablish the ancient monarchy—others to place upon the French throne a new dynasty—others, again, to transfer power from one caste of society to another; but all for the purpose of appropriating exclusively to themselves the national authority, and thereby those enjoyments of which authority is the source: amid all these parties there was slowly formed a certain class of citizens who, actuated by very different principles, desired also a great political change, but one altogether opposed to the passions of the former persons, who were only so many interested fomenters of civil discords. In fact, there was a variety of political sects that aspired, each to give to France a form of administration favourable to its own selfish views, but they were very few who sought a real radical reform of society in favour of the mass of the people.
