In government, a republic is a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of the citizens and they have the right to freedom of speech. Though the COPS were trying to protect their republic and make sure it did not go back to the form of government in which one person is dominant over other citizens, they unintentionally became what they were trying to prevent. The Law of Suspects, a list of laws created by the COPS, states the types of people that are considered “enemies of the republic”. In the first law, it states that anyone that “talks” or “writes” in a way that proves them to be enemies of liberty will be executed (Document B). This statement proves the COPS has control over the expression of the citizens, whether it be oral or in writing. A republic requires the right to freedom of speech, and since citizens are not being provided this right, the…show more content… The Decree Against Profiteers, laws passed by the COPS, accused profiteers of monopolizing, or controlling, grain. In their first law, they stated that monopoly of any sort is a “capital crime” (Document A). This means that complete control is not allowed. Since the COPS wished to keep the revolution growing, they did not want any acts of the citizens that resemble monarchy, the specific form of government they are trying to stay away from. Through this law, they proved themselves focused on protecting the revolution from its enemies. However, there is another law within this document that states that those who make “false declarations” or those who “protect monopolists” would be sentenced by death (Document A). This is a severe punishment, therefore showing themselves to be hypocritical, as they had just previously stated that extreme control was a crime. Death sentences are inarguably serious, and the COPS’s authority over those who are sentenced are very
