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the origins of contemporary france-3-第15部分
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right to remove。 He welcomes insurrection because; through it; the
people recover their sovereignty with no limitations。 Moreover; as
with casuists; 〃the end justifies the means。〃'59' 〃Let the colonies
perish;〃 exclaims a Jacobin in the Constituent Assembly; 〃rather than
sacrifice a principle。〃 〃Should the day come;〃 says St。 Just; 〃when I
become convinced that it is impossible to endow the French with mild;
vigorous; and rational ways; inflexible against tyranny and injustice;
that day I will stab myself。〃 Meanwhile he guillotines the others。
〃We will make France a graveyard;〃 exclaimed Carrier; 〃rather than not
regenerating it our own way!〃'60' They are ready to risk the ship in
order to seize the helm。 From the first; they organize street riots
and jacqueries in the rural districts; they let loose on society
prostitutes and ruffians; vile and savage beasts。 Throughout the
struggle they take advantage of the coarsest and most destructive
passions; of the blindness; credulity; and rage of an infatuated
crowd; of dearth; of fear of bandits; of rumors of conspiracy; and of
threats of invasion。 At last; having seized power through a general
upheaval; they hold on to it through terror and executions。
Straining will to the utmost; with no curb to check it; steadfastly
believing in its own right and with utter contempt for the rights of
others; with fanatical energy and the expedients of scoundrels; a
minority may; in employing such forces; easily master and subdue a
majority。 So true is that; with faction itself; that victory is
always on the side of the group with the strongest faith and the least
scruples。 Four times between 1789 and 1794; political gamblers take
their seats at a table where the stake is supreme power; and four
times in succession the 〃Impartiaux;〃 the 〃Feuillants;〃 the
〃Girondins;〃 and the 〃Dantonists;〃 form the majority and lose the
game。 Four times in succession the majority has no desire to break
customary rules; or; at the very least; to infringe on any rule
universally accepted; to wholly disregard the teachings of experience;
the letter of the law; the precepts of humanity; or the suggestions of
pity。 The minority; on the contrary; is determined beforehand to
win at any price; its views and opinion are correct; and if rules are
opposed to that; so much the worse for the rules。 At the decisive
moment; it claps a pistol to its adversary's head; overturns the
table; and collects the stakes。
____________________________________________________________________
NOTES:
'1' See the figures further on。
'2' Mallet du Pan; II。 491。 Danton; in 1793; said one day to one of
his former brethren an advocate to the Council。 : 〃The old régime made
a great mistake。 It brought me up on a scholarship in Plessis College。
I was brought up with nobles; who were my comrades; and with whom I
lived on familiar terms。 On completing my studies; I had nothing; I
was poor and tried to get a place。 The Paris bar was very expensive;
and it required extensive efforts to be accepted。 I could not get into
the army; having neither rank nor patronage。 There was no opening for
me in the Church。 I could purchase no employment; for I hadn't a cent。
My old companions turned their backs on me。 I remained without a
situation; and only after many long years did I succeed in buying the
post of advocate in the Royal Council。 The Revolution came; when I;
and all like me; threw themselves into it。 The ancient régime forced
us to do so; by providing a good education for us; without providing
an opening for our talents。〃 This applies to Robespierre; C。
Desmoulins; Brissot; Vergniaud; and others。
'3' Religious order founded in Rome in 1654 by saint Philippe Neri
and who dedicated their efforts to preaching and the education of
children。 (SR)
'4' Dauban; 〃La Demagogie à Paris en 1793;〃 and 〃Paris in 1794。〃 Read
General Henriot's orders of the day in these two works。 Comparton;
〃Histoire du Tribunal Révolutionaire de Paris;〃 a letter by Trinchard;
I。 306 (which is here given in the original; on account of the
ortography): 〃Si tu nest pas toute seulle et que le compagnion soit a
travailler tu peus ma chaire amie ventir voir juger 24 mesieurs tous
si devent président ou conselier au parlement de Paris et de Toulouse。
Je t'ainvite a prendre quelque chose aven de venir parcheque nous
naurons pas fini de 3 hurres。 Je t'embrase ma chaire amie et épouge。〃…
Ibid。 II。 350; examination of André Chenier。 … Wallon; 〃Hist。 Du
Trib。 Rév。〃; I; 316。 Letter by Simon。 〃Je te coitte le bonjour mois
est mon est pousse。〃
'5' Cf。 〃The Revolution;〃 page 60。
'6' Cf。 On this point the admissions of the honest Bailly
(〃Mémoires;〃 passim)
'7' Rétif de la Bretonne: 〃Nuits de Paris;〃 11éme nuit; p。 36。 〃I
lived in Paris twenty…five years as free as air。 All could enjoy as
much freedom as myself in two ways … by living uprightly; and by not
writing pamphlets against the ministry。 All else was permitted; my
freedom never being interfered with。 It is only since the Revolution
that a scoundrel could succeed in having me arrested twice。〃
'8' Cf。 〃The Revolution;〃 vol。 I。 p。264。
'9' Moniteur; IV。 495。 (Letter from Chartres; May 27; 1790。)
'10' Sauzay; I。147; 195 218; 711。
'11' Mercure de France; numbers of August 7; 14; 26; and Dec。 18;
1790。
'12' Ibid。 number of November 26; 1790。 Pétion is elected mayor of
Paris by 6;728 out of 10;632 voters。 〃Only 7;000 voters are found at
the election of the electors who elect deputies to the legislature。
Primary and municipal meetings are deserted in the same proportion。〃 …
…Moniteur; X。 529 (Number of Dec。 4; 1791)。 Manuel is elected Attorney
of the Commune by 3;770 out of 5;311 voters。 Ibid。 XI。 378。 At the
election of municipal officers for Paris; Feb。10 and 11; 1792; only
3;787 voters present themselves; Dussault; who obtains the most votes;
has 2;588; Sergent receives 1;648。 Buchez et Roux; XI。 238 (session
of Aug。12; 1791)。 Speech by Chapelier; 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F。6
(carton); 21。 Primary meeting of June 13; 1791; canton of Bèze (Cote
d'Or)。 Out of 460 active citizens; 157 are present; and; on the final
ballot; 58。 Ibid。; F7; 3235; (January; 1792)。 Lozerre: 〃1;000
citizens; at most; out of 25;000; voted in the primary meetings。 At。
Saint…Chèly; capital of the district; a few armed ruffians succeed in
forming the primary meeting and in substituting their own election for
that of eight parishes; whose frightened citizens who withdrew from
it。 。 。 At Langogne; chief town of the canton and district; out of
more than 400 active citizens; 22 or 23 at most just what one would
suppose them to be when their presence drove away the rest alone
formed the meeting。〃
'13' This power; with its gratifications; is thus shown; Beugnot; I。
140; 147。 〃On the publication of the decrees of August 4; the
committee of surveillance of Montigny; reinforced by all the patriots
of the country; came down like a torrent on the barony of Choiseul;
and exterminated all the hares and partridges。 。 。 They fished out the
ponds 。 At Mandres we find; in the best room of the inn; a dozen
peasants gathered around a table decked with tumblers and bottles;
amongst which we noticed an inkstand; pens; and something resembling a
register。 'I don't know what they are about;' said the landlady;
'but there they are; from morning till night; drinking; swearing; and
storming away at everybody; and they say that they are a committee。'〃
'14' Albert Babeau; I。 206; 242。 The first meeting of the
revolutionary committee of Troyes in the cemetery of St。 Jules;
August; 1789。 This committee becomes the only authority in the town;
after the assassination of the mayor; M。 Huez (Sept 10; 1790)。
'15' 〃The French Revolution;〃 Vol。I。 pp。 235; 242; 251。 … Buchez et
Roux; VI; 179。 … Guillon de Montléon; 〃Histoire de la Ville de Lyon
pendant la Revolution;〃 I。 87。 Guadet; 〃Les Girondins。〃
'16' Michelet; 〃Histoire de la Révolution;〃 II。47。
'17' The rules of the Paris club state that members must 〃labor to
establish and strengthen the Constitution; according to the spirit of
the club。〃
'18' Mercure de France; Aug。11; 1790。 〃Journal de la Société des
Amis la Constitution;〃 Nov。21; 1790。 Ibid。; March; 1791。 … Ibid。;
March; 1791。 … Ibid。; Aug。14; 1791 (speech by R?derer) Buchez et
Roux; XI。 481。
'19' Michelet; II。 407。 Moniteur; XII 347 (May 11; 1792); article
by Marie…Joseph Chénier; according to whom 800 Jacobin clubs exist at
this date。 Ibid。; XII。 753 (speech by M。 Delfaux session of June
25; 1792)。 …R?derer; preface to his translation of Hobbes。
'20' 〃Les Révolutions de Paris;〃 by Prudhomme; number 173。
'21' Constant; 〃Histoire d'un Club Jacobin en province; 〃passim
(Fontainbleau Club; founded May 5; 1791)。 Albert Babeau; I。434 and
following pages (foundation of the T
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