Nesta Webster writes on depopulation: It was an attempt to realize the ideal of Rousseau—“ If there were a people of gods it would govern itself democratically.” The French, so far, were not gods, but they were to be made so.
But could a nation of 25,000,000 be thus transformed ? To the regenerators of France it seemed extremely doubtful ; already the country was rent with dissensions, and any scheme for universal contentment seemed impossible of attainment. Moreover, the plan of dividing things up into equal shares presented an insuperable difficulty, for it became evident that amongst a population of this size there was not enough money, not enough property, not enough employment, not even at this moment enough bread to go round ; no one would be satisfied with his share, and instead of universal contentment, universal dissatisfaction would result. What was to be done ? The population was too large for the scheme of the leaders to be carried out successfully, therefore either the scheme must be abandoned or the population must be diminished.
To this conclusion the surgeons operating on the State had at last been brought. In vain they had amputated the gangrened limb of the nobility and the clergy, had paralysed the brain by attacking the intellectual classes, had turned (as in Æsop’s fable) upon the stomach, that is to say, the industrial system, by which the whole body of the State was fed, and denied it sustenance—all these means to restore health to the State had failed, and they were now reduced to a last and desperate expedient : the size of the whole body must be reduced. In other words, a plan of systematic depopulation must be carried out all over France.
That this idea, worthy of a mad Procrustes, really existed it is impossible to doubt, since it has been revealed to us by innumerable revolutionaries who were behind the scenes during the Terror. Thus Courtois, in his report on the papers seized at Robespierre’s house after Thermidor, wrote : “ These men, in order to bring us to the happiness of Sparta, wished to annihilate twelve or fifteen millions of the French people, and hoped after this revolutionary transfiguration to distribute to each one a plough and some land to clear, so as to save us from the dangers of the happiness of Persepolis.” (Chapter 7 of her book.)
For a literature review of conspiracy thought on the French Revolution see the Jstor article. You may subscribe for free. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24690289?newaccount=true&read-now=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Nesta Webster writes on depopulation: It was an attempt to realize the ideal of Rousseau—“ If there were a people of gods it would govern itself democratically.” The French, so far, were not gods, but they were to be made so.
But could a nation of 25,000,000 be thus transformed ? To the regenerators of France it seemed extremely doubtful ; already the country was rent with dissensions, and any scheme for universal contentment seemed impossible of attainment. Moreover, the plan of dividing things up into equal shares presented an insuperable difficulty, for it became evident that amongst a population of this size there was not enough money, not enough property, not enough employment, not even at this moment enough bread to go round ; no one would be satisfied with his share, and instead of universal contentment, universal dissatisfaction would result. What was to be done ? The population was too large for the scheme of the leaders to be carried out successfully, therefore either the scheme must be abandoned or the population must be diminished.
To this conclusion the surgeons operating on the State had at last been brought. In vain they had amputated the gangrened limb of the nobility and the clergy, had paralysed the brain by attacking the intellectual classes, had turned (as in Æsop’s fable) upon the stomach, that is to say, the industrial system, by which the whole body of the State was fed, and denied it sustenance—all these means to restore health to the State had failed, and they were now reduced to a last and desperate expedient : the size of the whole body must be reduced. In other words, a plan of systematic depopulation must be carried out all over France.
That this idea, worthy of a mad Procrustes, really existed it is impossible to doubt, since it has been revealed to us by innumerable revolutionaries who were behind the scenes during the Terror. Thus Courtois, in his report on the papers seized at Robespierre’s house after Thermidor, wrote : “ These men, in order to bring us to the happiness of Sparta, wished to annihilate twelve or fifteen millions of the French people, and hoped after this revolutionary transfiguration to distribute to each one a plough and some land to clear, so as to save us from the dangers of the happiness of Persepolis.” (Chapter 7 of her book.)