Click to close [X]

Click image to enlarge

MARAT, JEAN PAUL. (1743-1793). Swiss-born, French physician, journalist, and revolutionary. AMs. Unsigned. ½p. Folio. N.p., N.d. In French with translation.

Fraternal societies

Having examined the course of affairs of the state and society, on January 17, 1790, the author exclaims, “I have said it before and I repeat that we are more enslaved than ever. Instead of one master we have one thousand; and if the honest citizens don’t see to it quickly and unite themselves like the enemies of the fatherland, we’ll be done for forever.” 

The Friend of the People is the father of all patriotic societies of the capital and consequently of the entire kingdom. It is a known fact that these fraternal associations have helped put an end to the plans of the enemies of liberty, by propagating good citizenship and encouraging public spirit. If they had followed the plan they presented on January 9, liberty would be triumphant today.

As France marched toward revolution, Marat left his career as a scientist and physician and began printing tracts and newspapers criticizing those in power. He published his L’Ami du Peuple (The Friend of the People) from September 12, 1789 until his assassination, suspending publication only when forced into hiding, at various times in London or the sewers of Paris. “Above all, a journal of denunciation,” L’Ami spared no one save Robespierre, (Histoire et Dictionnaire de la Revolution francaise, Tulard, et. al.). The daily eight-page issue offered Marat’s radical and violent solutions to the bankrupt social order. Ironically, its relatively high price precluded a popular readership; instead, its opinions were disseminated through public readings in clubs, cafes and the garden of the Palais-Royal. In addition to his newspaper, Marat also produced numerous pamphlets including his January 1790 “Denunciation against Mr. Necker, First Minister of Finances, made by Mr. Marat, the Friend of the People, in presence of the Public’s Court.” In March 1790, Marat fled to England where he spent three months.

Our letter discusses the importance of political clubs during the French Revolution, the most famous of which is the Jacobin Club. A similar club was the Club Cordeliers (officially the Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen)of which Marat was a member. Fellow members included Camille Desmoulins and Georges Danton. In July 1791, the club held an event on the Champs de Mars in opposition to King Louis XVI. Thousands of people attended, prompting the mayor of Paris to declare martial law. The Marquis de Lafayette, head of the National Guard, disbursed the crowd several times, but after the mob began to throw stones, he ordered his troops to shoot – the event becoming known as the Champs de Mars Massacre. As a result, some political clubs were shuttered and L’Ami du Peuple was banned, sending Marat into hiding once again for a time. Lafayette was also opposed to political clubs and, in 1792, he warned the Assembly of their growing influence, urging their closing. His criticism eventually led to a warrant for Lafayette’s arrest. While attempting to flee France he was captured by enemy troops and held prisoner for five years. Although our manuscript is undated, it is likely a response to the criticisms of political clubs and Marat’s newspaper that prompted the writing of these lines.

Marat was elected to the National Convention in 1792 and, after the declaration of the French Republic, named L’Ami du Peuple the journal of the republic. Poor health led to his retirement from the National Convention and, in July 1793, while soaking in a therapeutic bath, he was stabbed to death by Charlotte Corday, transforming him into a martyr and intensifying the bloodshed during the Reign of Terror. His assassination was immortalized in Jacques-Louis David’s famous painting.

Some foxing, especially around the edges, otherwise in fine condition. Very Rare.

Item #17217  

Price: $9,500