6 - Federalism

Summary

From the beginning of the insurrection against the Convention, the Federalists acted like revolutionaries. As a result, they drew on parts of the repertory the Jacobins had also developed. The most dramatic part of the rebellion, the attempted march on Paris, was identical to any one of the marches of the Jacobins, including the march to overthrow the monarchy the previous year. The expression of solidarity with brothers elsewhere, the arrogation of sovereignty to themselves, the recourse to exceptional measures, and the justification of repressive measures by appeal to public safety were common to the Jacobins and anti-Jacobins. This made the anti-Jacobins revolutionaries in their methods. Replacement of the Convention by another body that would meet in Bourges was also revolutionary. They also never ceased to invoke the great days of the local revolution, especially the overthrow of the monarchy. But as experience would show, the doctrine of mass arousal and popular sovereignty also led them down a path that had proved so dangerous for the Jacobins: exemplary justice and exceptional measures of repression, including vigilante justice.

Federalism in Aubagne

Federalism in Aubagne reflected the struggle of factions, each one dependent on its outside counterparts for support. No faction in Aubagne could set itself against the predominant tendency in Marseille. Thus, the municipality had to accede to the Department's order on 22 May to open the Sections. As in Marseille, the Jacobins did not feel strong enough to call on their considerable support in the town for support.