Hello and welcome to Revolutions.

Episode 3.34, Saturn's Children.

On March 13, 1793, a few days after the first aborted attempt by the Enrajet agitators

to purge the national convention of the Jorondan delegates, one of those Jorondans stood

up to deliver a prophetic verdict on the direction of the revolution.

Now so far in the show, I have not mentioned Pierre Vernier by name, because I think we can

all agree that too many names spoils the broth, but he is widely considered to have been one

of the greatest orators of the revolution.

He was one of the driving forces behind the push for war with Austria.

His speeches helped topple the Funean ministry, and he was one of the most eloquent advocates

of the appeal to the people during the trial of King Louis.

For all of this, he was of course one of the 22 specifically named Jorondans, the Enrajet

wanted purged from the convention.

Denouncing the recent run of the lawlessness and violence, which was clearly ushering

in a new kind of tyranny that was as opposed to true liberty as the old tyranny of the

ASEAN regime.

And he famously warned, so citizens, it must be feared that the revolution, like Saturn,

excessively devouring its children will engender finally, only despotism, with the calamities

that accompany it.

And of course here we are six months later.

The Committee of Public Safety is setting itself up as a joint dictatorship, and Vernier himself

is about to be led to the guillotine.

...