Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/347

 BETWEEN THE CZAH AND THE SULTAN. 305 there were some who, in their fury, went beyond c H a p. all the bounds of what could be dictated by any- * thing like policy, even though of the most fero- cious kind. In the department of the Allier, for instance, it was decreed, not only that all who were ' known ' to have taken up arms against the Government should be tried by Court-Martial, but that 'those whose Socialist opinions were noto- ' rious ' should be transported by the mere order of the Administration, and have their property sequestered. The bare mental act of holding a given opinion was thus put into the category of black crimes ; and either the prisoner was to have no trial at all, or else he was to be tried, as it were, by the hangman. This decree was issued by a man called General Eynard, and was at once adopted and promulgated by the Executive Government.* XV. The violence with which the brethren of the Motives for tliG ferocity Elysee were raging, took its origin, no doubt, ofthemea- . ., , , . , sures taken Irom their terror; but now that they were able i.y the Exe- • cutive. to draw breath, another motive began to govern them, and to drive them along the same road: for by this time, they were able to give to their actions a colour which tended to bring them the support and goodwill of whole multitudes — whole multitudes distracted with fear of the democrats, and only longing for safety. For more than three years people had lived in dread of the ' Socialists;' VOL. I u '
 * 'Monitcur,' 28th Dec.