They might have imagined themselves enlightened but it doesn't change the facts of what they did or the powers they wanted.
The Terror also influenced other historical acts. Nazi Germany being the most obvious example. While the ultimate truth about Nazism was that it was a rightwing movement. The initial use of terror and attacks against opponents to demonstrate the political will destroy everything.
Also 35,000 people were killed by officials for no reason. It all happened about two year after Louis XVI was beheaded. Was using control with fear a good idea? No, it wasn’t. They just wanted control