isposing of several large batches from
the Robespierrists and the Commune, was reorganized though not
suppressed. Its worst judges and officials {225} were removed, its
procedure was strictly legalized, and its activity was greatly
moderated; it continued in existence, however, for about a year, and
almost for lack of business came to an end in the spring of 1795.

The terrorists, who had really led the revolt against Robespierre, by
gradual stages sank back. At the end of August, Collot, Billaud and
Barere went off the Committee of Public Safety. Two weeks later
Carrier's conduct at Nantes incidentally came before the Revolutionary
Tribunal and a storm arose about him that finally destroyed any power
the terrorists still retained. The press was seething with recovered
freedom, and the horrors of Carrier gave the journalists a tremendous
text. A long struggle was waged over him. In the Convention, Billaud
and Collot, feeling that the attack on Carrier was in reality an attack
against them and every other terrorist, tried hard to save him. It was
not till December that the Convention finally decided to hand him over
to justice and not till the 16th of that month that the Revolutionary
Tribunal sent him to the guillotine.

Among the striking changes brought about by the reaction after
Thermidor was that it put two extreme parties in violent antagonism,
{226} with the Convention and reasonable public opinion as a great
neutral ground between them. One of these was the party of the
defeated Jacobins, raging at their downfall, convinced that without
their guidance the Republic must perish. The other was that of the
_Muscadins_, the scented and pampered golden youth, led by the
_conventionnel_ Freron, asserting loudly their detestation of
sans-culottism and democratic raggedness, breaking heads with their
sticks when opportunity offered. During the excitement of Carrier's
trial the Muscadins made such violent demonstrations against the
Jacobins that the Committee of Public Safety ordered the closing of the
club. But neither the Committee nor the Muscadins could destroy the
Jacobin himself.

Fleurus had been followed by continued success. Jourdan and Pichegru
drove the Austrians before them and overran the Low Countries to the
Rhine. Then in October Pichegru opened a winter campaign, invaded
Holland, and, pushing on through snow and ice, occupied Amsterdam in
January and captured the Dutch fleet, caught in the