Antoine-François Momoro | |
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 Antoine-François Momoro | |
| Born | 1756 Besançon, France |
| Died | 24 March 1794 (1794-03-25) (aged 37) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Printer |
| Known for | Originator of the phrase″Unité, Indivisibilité de la République;Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la mort″, one of the mottos of the French Republic |
| Spouse | Sophie Momoro (1786–1794) |
| Children | 4 |
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Antoine-François Momoro (French pronunciation:[ɑ̃twanfʁɑ̃swamɔmɔʁo]; 1756 – 24 March 1794) was a French printer, bookseller and politician during theFrench Revolution. An important figure in theCordeliers club and inHébertisme, he is the originator of the phrase″Unité, Indivisibilité de la République;Liberté, égalité, fraternité ou la mort″, one of the mottoes of theFrench Republic.[1][2][3]
Momoro's family was originally from Spain but settled in theFranche-Comté region of eastern France. Antoine-François Momoro studied in his home town and moved to Paris while still very young. He showed a particular talent as atypographer and he was admitted to the Parisian printers' guild in 1787. He was one of many publishers in the French capital, but he established his credentials quickly by issuing his own highly regarded printer's manual,Traité élémentaire de l'imprimerie, ou le manuel de l'imprimeur (1793). The outbreak of the Revolution and the declaration of thefreedom of the press in August 1789 massively boosted his output and would change his destiny.
An open opponent of even a constitutional monarchy and of the Roman Catholic religion, Momoro keenly threw himself into the revolutionary cause and put his abilities at the service of the new ideas. At the start of the Revolution he bought up several presses, opened a press at 171rue de la Harpe and launched himself into politics. His initial output remained cautious however, as shown by his refusal, in June 1789, to be the first publisher ofLa France Libre byCamille Desmoulins.[4] He won the exclusive concession to typography and printing from theParis Commune and became secretary to theSociété des droits de l'homme, which later became theClub des Cordeliers, whose journal he published as well as becoming one of its loudest orators.
Momoro was also among the signatories of the anti-monarchical petition which led to theChamp de Mars massacre, an event that would end in formalizing the split between the moderates and extremists. In the wake of this affair, which led to his imprisonment until September 1791, Momoro resumed his printing activities under his self-given title of "first printer of the national liberty", publishingJacques-René Hébert's radical newspaper,Le Père Duchesne.
A member of thesection du Théâtre-Français, in June 1792 he,Danton andChaumette wrote and signed a declaration which suppressed the distinction between passive and active citizens in the section. He then took an active part in theinsurrection of 10 August 1792. He more and more supported theenragés more than the more moderateindulgents. He was elected by the section to theDirectoire du département de Paris and it was then that he and mayorPache inscribed the mottoUnité, Indivisibilité de la République; Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité ou la mort on the façades of all public buildings.[5] After a recruiting mission in Calvados and Eure, he returned to Paris where he was made president of thesection du Théâtre-Français.
He took an active part indechristianisation and was a principal proponent of theCult of Reason. It was his wife, Sophie Momoro (née Fournier), who played the part of theGoddess at the "Festival of Reason" on 20 Brumaire, Year II (10 November 1793).[citation needed]
He was sent into theVendée in May 1793, where he acted as deputy toCharles-Philippe Ronsin at the siege of the état-major atSaumur, in a mission to ensure the army fighting against therevolt there was well supplied. On his return to Paris, in a longRapport sur la politique de la Vendée fait au comité de Salut Public, he explained the reasons for setbacks to Ronsin's strategy in the Vendée and defended GeneralRossignol, contributing to his rehabilitation.
WhenMarat was assassinated on 13 July 1793 byCharlotte Corday, Momoro aspired to succeed him as champion of the people and their cause. He persuaded the Cordeliers to go ahead with the publication of theL'Ami du Peuple at his press.
After working for the fall of theGirondists in the struggle between the commune and the convention, he participated in attacks onDanton,Robespierre (whom he accused ofmodérantisme),[6] and theCommittee of Public Safety. Pushed onwards by a report by Saint-Just to the Convention denouncing the "complot de l'étranger" woven by theIndulgents and Exagérés, the committee decided on the arrest of the Hébertistes on 13 March 1794. TheRevolutionary Tribunal condemned Momoro to death, and he loudly replied "You accuse me, who has given everything for the Revolution!" He wasguillotined with Hébert,Ronsin,Vincent and other leading Hébertistes (Cloots,Jean Conrad de Kock) the following afternoon, 4 Germinal, Year II (24 March 1794).[7] Their death of was a sort of carnival, a pleasant spectacle according toMichelet's witnesses.
Antoine-François Momoro Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.
