Danton Page #4

''...have unanimously agreed...

''...that Danton...''

Who else?

Lacroix

Philippeaux

Desmoulins

Desmoulins?

''These four members of the

National Convention...

''...are under arrest...

''...and are to be imprisoned in...

''...Luxembourg Prison''

Sign it

Your signatures, please

Lindet, you didn't sign

l was elected to bring revolutionaries

to life...

...not to kill them

The session is over

l always said you were a great man.

l was ready to die for you

l take it all back, all of it!

l was as blind as a bat. Now

my eyes have been opened

What are you talking about?

What are you trying to tell me?

Robespierre came to see you

How do you know?

Don't talk about him,

you have no right

- l hope you heeded his advice

- No, l rejected it

Poor Camille, you realise we're

doomed yet you reject your salvation

Why doomed?

lt means the decree's been signed

- What decree?

- Our arrest

You're the only man alive

that monster still holds dear

He tried to save you. lt's over

What are they afraid of?

They could stomach your insults

But to condemn them in writing -

that was unforgivable

And you?

l rejected a handshake and signed

my own death warrant

- You don't mean that

- l do

Why refuse?

His hand's too bloody

Fight back! The people are with you

Can we complete the jury list?

Renaudin

Royer Collard

- Sigur

- Cross him off

Sourboul

Can we depend on him?

Cross him off

Vinot

No, Vinot's out, is that all?

No one else you're sure of?

That's enough

No, we only have seven jurors

- What of it?

- We need twelve, by law

- Haven't you got twelve?

- Only seven

lf you haven't got twelve,

seven will do

Add a few criminals to

the accused list...

...and include Chabot, Fabre

and Basire

- The charge?

- Anti-patriotic activity

Do you know them?

Round them up

That's all

The Public Safety Committee

has just come out of session

Lindet sent me to warn you

Run!

What do you want?

There's money in the safe

Take it

Just make sure our wretched

Republic doesn't confiscate it

l'm coming

Citizen Danton, you are under arrest.

l have the warrant

''By order of the Security Council

you are arrested and taken...

I know, I know!

- ls it still raining?

- No

Then l won't need a coat

Let's go then

Citizens...

Danton has been arrested

Danton was arrested last night

The terror strikes again

We must act

We could be arrested any minute

- Bourdon, you take the stand

- l can't, l won't know what to say

lt's our last chance

You're scared? Look, he's shaking

You go

l'm a poor speaker

- Legendre, you go

- Go on

l'll put down my name

l wish to speak

The session is open

Speak

We've just learned...

We've heard, to our amazement...

...that four deputies of the Convention

were arrested last night

Danton is among them

Long live Danton!

I demand...

l demand that they be heard

in this house

You may then judge for yourselves...

...whether personal enmity or

jealousy are the root causes...

...behind this outrageous decision

Put down Citizen Robespierre's name

- Whose turn is it?

- Yours

You have no right to speak

lt has been quite a while

since our debates...

...were fired with such passion

The issue is of great importance,

and the argument is this

Do we place certain individuals

above the Republic?

Legendre demands that the accused

be allowed to take the stand

- We all do

- Let's hear Danton's side

So you are willing to grant this man...

...what you have refused all others

On what grounds?

Does Legendre maintain...

...that Danton is a privileged citizen

who may be placed above the law?

He deserves some consideration

So say we all. Let's hear Danton!

The Republic...

...was built by the people

as a whole

Who among us would dare say:

''l and l alone had the right''?

No one merits the right

to claim privilege

For us, the privileged do not exist

A defendant's right to be heard is

not privilege, it is simply justice

Justice?

Have you lost faith in the

Revolutionary Tribunal?

The Tribunal is beyond reproach,

we all trust in it

We shall see...

...whether the Convention stands firm

and brings Danton to justice...

...or whether it contests St Just's

report

- We challenge the indictment

- No, you've done well

Do those who shout

''Long live Danton!''...

...believe that he deserves

a special justice?

lf so...

...abolish the Public Safety

Committee and try us instead

- We find no fault with the Committee

- Long live the Committee!

Every day the world is watching us

We must show no weakness,

nor moral cowardice

What would become of France...

...if we lost the trust of the French?

l wish to have beside me...

...upright and just men

For innocence, that primordial

virtue...

...should not and cannot

fear public scrutiny

l propose that Legendre's motion

be rejected

Then St Just will read the indictment

Who is for Robespierre's motion?

Who is opposed?

You're mad. lf Danton fails we all do

Fools! You'll all be massacred

Such statements make you guilty

in my eyes

After deliberation, the Convention has

reaffirmed its faith in the Committee

Only the guilty tremble

This crime will bring you

crashing down, Robespierre

Of course, there we have the most

common of arguments

Well, what of it?

Assuming there is some such

obscure law of providence

lf a criminal's fall must bring me

down with him, then what of it?

There is no instance...

...when personal danger outweighs

duty for the revolutionary

l never said Danton

was above the law

l never doubted you

l wish to speak. Silence

l wish to speak

For a long time l was misled

by Danton's duplicity

But today...

...l at last see my mistake

We should show our trust

in the Committee

Let us approve the indictment...

...without hearing St Just's report

Stop snivelling or l'll ask

for another cell

Don't leave me alone, l'll go mad

Shame on you

- l don't know what's happening

- You're going to die in five days

Better to know it and give up hope

When death is certain, suffering

suddenly comes to an end

We may win

No, it's a political trial

Politics has nothing to do with

justice

l don't want to die, l have a right

to live

Man has rights as long as he can

hold on to them

lt's Georges

l was afraid you wouldn't be here

You there! Let's have wine for

the representatives of the people

You're crying? Then you

understood nothing

- Understood what?

- That we had to let them do it

- Why?

- To open the people's eyes

To show what the Committees

are capable of

There was no other way

That's why l let it happen

Are we to drink from the bottle?

They haven't even got glasses

Not bad

The Convention approved

the charges

The cowards

We're to go to the Conciergerie

- We're doomed

- Why doomed?

We still have our heads, fists, teeth

and claws to fight with

A political trial is a duel

They'll accuse us, we'll accuse them,

and let the people be the judge

We'll sow doubt in the minds

of the people

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