e their own hearts as a
barrier to arrest such enormities."

"Of what avail," was the reply, in tones of sadness, "can such
exertions be? The assassins are supported by all the power of the
street. Such a conflict must necessarily terminate in a street fight.
The cannon are with our foes. The most prominent of the friends of
order are massacred. Terror will restrain the rest. We shall only
provoke our own destruction."

"Of what use is life," rejoins the intrepid woman, "if we must live in
this base subjection to a degraded mob? Let us contend for the right,
and if we must die, let us rejoice to die with dignity and with
heroism."

Though despairing of success, and apprehensive that their own doom was
already sealed, M. Roland and Vergniaud, roused to action by this
ruling spirit, the next day made their appearance in the Assembly with
the heroic resolve to throw themselves before the torrent now rushing
so wildly. They stood there, however, but the representatives of
Madame Roland, inspired by her energies, and giving utterance to those
eloquent sentiments which had burst from her lips.

The Assembly listened in silence as M. Roland, in an energetic
discourse, proclaimed the true principles of law and order, and called
upon the Assembly to defend its own dignity against popular violence,
and to raise an armed force consecrated to the security of liberty and
justice. Encouraged by these appearances of returning moderation,
others of the Girondists rose, and, with great boldness and vehemence,
urged decisive action. "It requires some courage," said Kersaint, "to
rise up here against assassins, but it is time to erect scaffolds for
those who provoke assassination." The strife continued for two or
three days, with that intense excitement which a conflict for life or
death must necessarily engender. The question between the Girondist
and the Jacobin was, "Who shall lie down on the guillotine?" For some
time the issue of the struggle was uncertain. The Jacobins summoned
their allies, the mob. They surrounded the doors and the windows of
the Assembly, and with their howlings sustained their friends. "I have
just passed through the crowd," said a member, "and have witnessed its
excitement. If the act of accusation is carried, many a head will lie
low before another morning dawns." The Girondists found themselves, at
the close of the struggle, defeated, yet not so decidedly but that
they still clung to hope.

M. Roland,