the origins of contemporary france-3-第13部分

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because　its　seat　is　at　the　capital。　Its　statutes；　its　regulations；　its

spirit；　are　all　imitated；　it　becomes　the　alma　mater　　of　other

associations　and　they　its　adopted　daughters。　It　publishes；

accordingly；　a　list　of　all　clubs　conspicuously　in　its　journal；

together　with　their　denunciations；　　it　insists　on　their　demands；

henceforth；　every　Jacobin　in　the　remotest　borough　feels　the　support

and　endorsement；　not　only　of　his　local；　club；　but　again　of　the　great

club　whose　numerous　offshoots　reached　the　entire　territory　and　which

extends　its　all…powerful　protection　to　the　least　of　its　adherents。　In

return　for　this　protection；　each　associated　club　obeys　the　word　of

command　given　at　Paris；　and　to　and　from；　from　the　center　to　the

extremities；　a　constant　correspondence　maintains　the　established

harmony。　A　vast　political　machine　is　thus　set　agoing；　a　machine　with

thousands　of　arms；　all　working　at　once　under　one　impulsion；　and　the

lever　which　the　motions　is　in　the　hands　of　a　few　master　spirits　in　the

Rue　St。　Honoré。



No　machine　could　be　more　effective；　never　was　one　seen　so　well

contrived　for　manufacturing　artificial；　violent　public　opinion；　for

making　this　appear　to　be　national；　spontaneous　sentiment；　for

conferring　the　rights　of　the　silent　majority　on　a　vociferous　minority；

for　forcing　the　surrender　of　the　government。



　〃Our　tactics　were　very　simple；〃　says　Grégoire＇32＇。　　〃It　was

understood　that　one　of　us　should　take　advantage　of　the　first　favorable

opportunity　to　propose　some　measure　in　the　National　Assembly　that　was

sure　to　be　applauded　by　a　small　minority　and　cried　down　by　the

majority。　But　that　made　no　difference。　The　proposer　demanded；　which

was　granted；　that　the　measure　should　be　referred　to　a　committee　in

which　its　opponents　hoped　to　see　it　buried。　Then　the　Paris　Jacobins

took　hold　of　it。　A　circular　was　issued；　after　which　an　article　on　the

measure　was　printed　in　their　journal　and　discussed　in　three　or　four

hundred　clubs　that　were　leagued　together。　Three　weeks　after　this　the

Assembly　was　flooded　with　petitions　from　every　quarter；　demanding　a

decree　of　which　the　first　proposal　had　been　rejected；　and　which　is　now

passed　by　a　great　majority　because　a　discussion　of　it　had　ripened

public　opinion。〃



In　other　words；　the　Assembly　must　go　ahead　or　it　will　be　driven　along；

in　which　process　the　worst　expedients　are　the　best。　Those　who　conduct

the　club；　whether　fanatics　or　intriguers；　are　fully　agreed　on　this

point。



At　the　head　of　the　former　class　is　Duport；　once　a　counselor　in　the

parliament；　who；　after　1788；　knew　how　to　turn　riots　to　account。　The

first　revolutionary　consultations　were　held　in　his　house。　He　wants　to

plough　deep；　and　his　devices　for　burying　the　ploughshare　are　such　that

Sieyès；　a　radical；　if　there　ever　was　one；　dubbed　it　a　〃cavernous

policy。〃＇33＇　Duport；　on　the　28th　of　July；　1789；　is　the　organizer　of

the　Committee　on　Searches；　by　which　all　favorably　disposed　informers

or　spies　form　in　his　hands　a　supervisory　police；　which　fast　becomes　a

police　of　provocation。　He　finds　recruits　in　the　lower　hall　of　the

Jacobin　club；　where　workmen　come　to　be　catechized　every　morning；　while

his　two　lieutenants；　the　brothers　Laurette；　have　only　to　draw　on　the

same　source　for　a　zealous　staff　in　a　choice　selection　of　their

instruments。　〃Ten　reliable　men　receive　orders　there　daily；＇34＇　each　of

these　in　turn　gives　his　orders　to　ten　more；　belonging　to　different

battalions　in　Paris。　In　this　way　each　battalion　and　section　receives

the　same　insurrectionary　orders；　the　same　denunciations　of　the

constituted　authorities；　of　the　mayor　of　Paris；　of　the　president　of

the　department；　and　of　the　commander　of　the　National　Guard；〃

everything　taking　place　secretly。　These　are　dark　deeds：　the　leaders

themselves　call　it　'the　Sabbath'　and；　along　with　fanatics　they　enlist

ruffians。　〃They　spread　the　rumor　that；　on　a　certain　day；　there　will　be

a　great　commotion　with　assassinations　and　pillage；　preceded　by　the

payment　of　money　distributed　from　hand　to　hand　by　subaltern　officers

among　those　that　can　be　relied　on；　and　that　these　bands　are　to

assemble；　as　advertised；　within　a　radius　of　thirty　or　forty

leagues。〃＇35＇　　One　day；　to　provoke　a　riot；　〃half　a　dozen　men；　who

have　arranged　the　thing；　form　a　small　group；　in　which　one　of　them

holds　forth　vehemently；　at　once　a　crowd　of　about　sixty　others　gathers

around　them。　Then　the　six　men　move　on　from　place　to　place；〃　to　form

fresh　groups　making　their　apparent　excitement　pass　for　popular

irritation。　　Another　day；　〃about　forty　fanatics；　with　powerful

lungs；　and　four　or　five　hundred　paid　men；〃　scatter　themselves　around

the　Tuileries；　〃yelling　furiously；〃　and；　gathering　under　the　windows

of　the　Assembly；　〃move　resolutions　to　assassinate。〃　　〃Our　ushers；〃

says　a　deputy　to　the　Assembly；　〃whom　you　ordered　to　suppress　this

tumult；　heard　reiterated　threats　of　bringing　you　the　heads　of　those

the　crowd　wished　to　proscribe。　That　very　evening；　in　the　Palais…Royal；

〃I　heard　a　subordinate　leader　of　this　factious　band　boast　of　having

charged　your　ushers　to　take　this　answer　back；　adding　that　there　was

time　enough　yet　for　all　good　citizens　to　follow　his　advice。〃　The

watchword　of　these　agitators　is；　are　you　true　and　the　response　is；　a

true　man。　Their　pay　is　twelve　francs　a　day；　and　when　in　action　they

make　engagements　on　the　spot　at　that　rate。　〃From　several　depositions

taken　by　officers　of　the　National　Guard　and　at　the　mayoralty；〃　it　is

ascertained　that　twelve　francs　a　day　were　tendered　to　〃honest　people

to　join　in　with　those　you　may　have　heard　shouting；　and　some　of　them

actually　had　the　twelve　francs　put　into　their　hands。〃　　The　money

comes　from　the　coffers　of　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　and　they　are　freely

drawn　upon；　at　his　death；　with　a　property　amounting　to　114；000；000

francs；　his　debts　amount　to　74；000；000。＇36＇　　Being　one　of　the　faction；

he　contributes　to　its　expenses；　and；　being　the　richest　man　in　the

kingdom；　he　contributes　proportionately　to　his　wealth。　Not　because　he

is　a　party　leader；　for　he　is　too　effeminate；　too　nervous；　but　〃his

petty　council；〃＇37＇　and　especially　one　of　his　private　secretaries；

Laclos；　cherishes　great　designs　for　him；　their　object　being　to　make

him　lieutenant…general　of　the　kingdom；　afterwards　regent；　and　even

king；＇38＇　so　that　they　may　rule　in　his　name　and　〃share　the　profits。〃　…

…　In　the　mean　time　they　turn　his　whims　to　the　best　account；

particularly　Laclos；　who　is　a　kind　of　subordinate　Macchiavelli；

capable　of　anything；　profound；　depraved；　and　long　indulging　his

fondness　for　monstrous　combinations；　nobody　ever　so　coolly　delighted

in　indescribable　compounds　of　human　wickedness　and　debauchery。　In

politics；　as　in　romance；　his　department　is　〃Les　Liaisons　Dangereuses。〃

Formerly　he　maneuvered　as　an　amateur　with　prostitutes　and　ruffians　in

the　fashionable　world；　now　he　maneuvers　in　earnest　with　the

prostitutes　and　ruffians　of　the　sidewalks。　　On　the　5th　of　October

1789；　he　is　seen；　〃dressed　in　a　brown　coat；〃＇39＇　foremost　among　the

women　starting　for　Versailles；　while　his　hand＇40＇　is　visible　〃in　the

Réveillon　affair；　also　in　the　burning　of　barriers　and　Chateaux；〃　and

in　the　widespread　panic　which　aroused　all　France　against　imaginary

bandits。　　His　operations；　says　Malouet；　〃were　all　paid　for　by　the　Duke

of　Orleans〃；　he　entered　into　them　〃for　his　own　account；　and　the

Jacobins　for　theirs。〃　　At　this　time　their　alliance　is　plain　to

everybody。　　On　the　21st　of　November；　1790；　Laclos　becomes　secretary　of

the　club；　chief　of　the　department　of　correspondence；　titular　editor　of

its　journal；　and　the　invisible；　active；　and　permanent　director　of　all

its　enterprises。　Whether　actual　demagogues　or　prompted　by　ambition；

whether　paid　agents　or　earnest　revolutionaries；　each　group　works　on

its　own　account；　both　in　concert；　both　in　the　same　direction；　and　both

devoted　to　the　same　undertaking；　which　is　the　conquest　of　power　by

every　possible　means。





V。



Small　number　of　Jacobins。　…　Sources　of　their　power。　…　They　form　a

league。　…　They　have　faith。　…　Their　unscrupulousness。　…　The　power　of

the　party　vested　in　the　group　which　best　fulfills　these　conditions。



At　first　sight　their　success　seems　doubtful；　for　they　are　in　a

minority；　and　a　very　small　one。　At　Besan？on；　in　November；　1791；　the

revolutionaries　of　every　shade　of　opinion　and　degree；　whether

Girondists　or　Montagnards；　consist　of　about　500　or　600　out　of　3；000

electors；　and；　in　November；　1792；　of　not　more　than　the　same　number　out

of　6；000　and　7；000。＇41＇　　At　Paris；　in　November；　1791；　there　are　6；700

out　of　more　than　81；000　on　the　rolls；　in　October；　1792；　there　are　less

than　14；000　out　of　160；000。＇42＇　　At　Troyes；　in　1792；　there　are　found

only　400　or　500　out　of　7；000　electors；　and　at　Strasbourg　the　same

number　out　of　8；000　electors。＇43＇　　Accordingly　only　about　one…tenth　of

the　electoral　population　are　revolutionaries；　and　if　we　leave　out　the

Girondists　and　the　semi…conservatives；　the　number　is　reduced　by