King’s Trial: St. Just’s Side

In this report, I will briefly summarize the arguments that St. Just put forward in the first of the two speeches he had given in front of the Convention during the trial of Louis XVI. It occurred on 13 November 1792, and it was young St. Just’s inaugural speech. Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristics of St. Just’s speech were its theoretical bent, its abstract spirit, and magnificent (or intolerable, depending on one’s taste) aura …

…and that the deputies should be accused of perfidy. It seems that St. Just tried to appeal to both the bright (principled, Republican) and dark (scared, shameless politicking) sides of his colleagues to get what he deemed right. While I am a big admirer of St. Just’s, I admit that in his speech he comes dangerously close to breathing life into the anemic and distinctly un-Republican mantra of Jesuits—the ends justify the means.