Couthon

Couthon

How often do you ask yourself “What Couthon thought about it?” when you read Robespierre’s and Saint-Just’s opinions about something?

It seems to me (at least this evening) that Thermidorian propaganda was most cruel, albeit unintentionally, to Couthon.

Both Robespierre and Saint-Just were demonized, one as a bloody dictator, another as an “Archangel of Terror”. But these images, though far from reality, were magnetizing. Thermidorian propaganda turned people into a kind of myths characters, into symbols. And they are attrecting (not attective), they make you want to learn more.

What French Revolution movies tend to depict? The Reign of Terror. What people far from the Revolution remember the best? Bastille and the Terror – and so they know Robespierre as a dictator, and maybe they know about Saint-Just, his supporter.

And now we have two points:

Couthon didn’t get a dark legend that could attract. His function was to be the third in Triumvirate, while the ones who were usually named, acted in person and really bothered and offended thermidorians were Robespierre and Saint-Just. That deprives Couthon of his identity, so when he is finally named it’s like: Couthon in Lyon acts the way triumvirs thought was right; Couthon in Prairial suggested the Robespierre’s law.

Couthon was a deputy of Legislative Assembly, but who cares? Legislative Assembly is an approaching of the war, is the beginning of the ‘suspects’ politics, is a march to the republic, is Girondins rise and shine.

 On 5th October 1791 Couthon gave a stunning speech about why the pomp around the executive should be reduced and the king should be addressed only by “the king of French” (the decree was enacted the same meeting, repealed the next day). Moniteur

On 7th October 1791 Couthon gave a speech criticizing the priests who didn’t take a civil oath. It was the first speech of that type given in the Legislative Assembly. Moniteur And then disappears from history books until he meets Dumouriez and then until the National Convention. I can’t believe he ceased acting. But I have no time to search for his name in every issue of the Assembly period.

I don’t say no one studies him. My point is different.

When I searched for “Couthon” on Internet Archive, I got this:

With “Couthon” in a title:

On Gallica with “Couthon” in a title:

And this:

How is he usually depicted in movies? Sitting here and there in his wheelchair.

What will someone without special interest in him mostly remember about him?

Lyon mission

Prairial law

A dog

Paralytic

Member of CPS, Triumvirate

A friend of Dumouriez before his treason

Not much, and not much politics.

And that is my point: Thermidorian propaganda put a “Nothing interesting here” sign on him.

That big one, that what made me seriously think about Couthon was a biography of Vergniaud, where he acted by his own.

If anyone knows a good biography of Couthon, please, share it.