We welcome and advise all complainants; we enforce their demands, when just; finally, we, in some way, attend to all details." Thanks to these vulgar auxiliaries, but whose lungs and arms are strong, the party soon becomes dominant; it has force and uses it, and, denying that its adversaries have any rights, it re-establishes all the privileges for its own advantage.[1224] III .-- How they view the liberty of the press.
Their political doings.
Let us consider its mode of procedure in one instance and upon a limited field, the freedom of the press.[1225] In December, 1790, M.Etienne, an engineer, whom Marat and Freron had denounced as a spy in their periodicals, brought a suit against them in the police court.

The numbers containing the libel were seized, the printers summoned to appear, and M.Etienne claimed a public retraction or 25,000 francs damages with costs.

At this the two journalists, considering themselves infallible as well as exempt from arrest, are indignant.
"It is of the utmost importance," writes Marat, "that the informer should not be liable to prosecution as he is accountable only to the public for what he says and does for the public good." M.Etienne (surnamed Languedoc), therefore, is a traitor: "Monsieur Languedoc, I advise you to keep your mouth shut; if I can have you hung I will." M.Etienne, nevertheless, persists and obtains a first decision in his favor.

Fire and flame are at once belched forth by Marat and Freon: "Master Thorillon," exclaims Freron to the commissary of police, "you shall be punished and held up to the people as an example; this infamous decision must be canceled."-- "Citizens," writes Marat, "go in a body to the Hotel-de-Ville and do not allow one of the guards to enter the court-room.

"-- On the day of the trial, and in the most condescending spirit, but two grenadiers are let in.