the origins of contemporary france-3-第23部分

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competent　in　the　affairs　of　both　worlds；　in　reality　he　is　one　of　those

presuming；　threadbare；　talkative　fellows；　who；　living　in　a　garret；

lecture　foreign　cabinets　and　reconstruct　all　Europe。　Things；　to　them；

seem　to　be　as　easily　worked　out　as　words　and　sentences：　one　day；＇5＇　to

entice　the　English　into　an　alliance　with　France；　Brissot　proposes　to

place　two　towns；　Dunkirk　and　Calais；　in　their　hands　as　security；

another　day；　he　proposes　〃to　make　a　descent　on　Spain；　and；　at　the　same

time；　to　send　a　fleet　to　conquer　Mexico。〃　　The　leading　member　on　the

committee　on　finances　is　Cambon；　a　merchant　from　Montpellier；　a　good

accountant；　who；　at　a　later　period；　is　to　simplify　accounting　and

regulate　the　Grand　Livre　of　the　public　debt；　which　means　public

bankruptcy。　Mean…while；　he　hastens　this　on　with　all　his　might　by

encouraging　the　Assembly　to　undertake　the　ruinous　and　terrible　war

that　is　to　last　for　twenty…three　years；　according　to　him；　〃there　is

more　money　than　is　needed　for　it。〃＇6＇　　In　actual　fact；　the　guarantee

of　assignats　is　used　up　and　the　taxes　do　not　come　in。　They　live　only

on　the　paper　money　they　issue。　The　assignats　lose　forty　per　centum；

and　the　ascertained　deficit　for　1792　is　four　hundred　millions。＇7＇　But

this　revolutionary　financier　relies　upon　the　confiscations　which　he

instigates　in　France；　and　which　are　to　be　set　agoing　in　Belgium；　here

lies　all　his　invention；　a　systematic　robbery　on　a　grand　scale　within

and　without　the　kingdom。



As　to　the　legislators　and　manufacturers　of　constitutions；　we　have

Condorcet；　a　cold…blooded　fanatic　and　systematic　leveler；　satisfied

that　a　mathematical　method　suits　the　social　sciences　fed　on

abstractions；　blinded　by　formul？；　and　the　most　chimerical　of　perverted

intellects。　Never　was　a　man　versed　in　books　more　ignorant　of　mankind；

never　did　a　lover　of　scientific　precision　better　succeed　in　changing

the　character　of　facts。　It　was　he　who；　two　days　before　the　20th　of

June；　amidst　the　most　brutal　public　excitement；　admired　〃the　calmness〃

and　rationality　of　the　multitude；　〃considering　the　way　people

interpret　events；　it　might　be　supposed　that　they　had　given　some　hours

of　each　day　to　the　study　of　analysis。〃　　It　is　he　who；　two　days　after

the　20th　of　June；　extolled　the　red　cap　in　which　the　head　of　Louis　XVI。

had　been　muffled。　〃That　crown　is　as　good　as　any　other。　　Marcus

Aurelius　would　not　have　despised　it。〃＇8＇　　Such　is　the　discernment

and　practical　judgment　of　the　leaders；　from　these　one　can　form　an

opinion　of　the　flock。　It　consists　of　novices　arriving　from　the

provinces　and　bringing　with　them　the　principles　and　prejudices　of　the

newspaper。　So　remote　from　the　center；　having　no　knowledge　of　general

affairs　or　of　their　unity；　they　are　two　years　behind　their　brethren　of

the　Constituent　Assembly。　They　are　described　in　the　following　manner

by　Malouet；＇9＇



〃Most　of　them；　without　having　decided　against　a　monarchy；　had　decided

against　the　court；　the　aristocracy；　and　the　clergy；　ever　imagining

conspiracies　and　believing　that　defense　consisted　solely　in　attack。

There　were　still　many　men　of　talent　among　them；　but　with　no

experience；　they　even　lacked　that　which　we　had　obtained。　Our　patriot

deputies；　in　great　part；　were　aware　of　their　errors；　　the　novices　were

not；　they　were　ready　to　begin　all　over　again。〃



Moreover；　they　have　their　own　political　bent；　for　nearly　all　of　them

are　upstarts　of　the　new　régime。　We　find　in　their　ranks　264　department

administrators；　109　district　administrators；　125　justices　and

prosecuting…attorneys；　68　mayors　and　town　officers；　besides　about

twenty　officers　of　the　National　Guard；　constitutional　bishops　and

curés。　The　whole　amounting　to　566　of　the　elected　functionaries；　who；

for　the　past　twenty　months；　have　carried　on　the　government　under　the

direction　of　their　electors。　　We　have　seen　how　this　was　done　and　under

what　conditions；　with　what　compliances　and　with　what　complicity；　with

what　deference　to　clamorous　opinion；　with　what　docility　in　the

presence　of　rioters；　with　what　submission　to　the　orders　of　the　mob；

with　what　a　deluge　of　sentimental　phrases　and　commonplace

abstractions。　　Sent　to　Paris　as　deputies；　through　the　choice　or

toleration　of　the　clubs；　they　bear　along　with　them　their　politics　and

their　rhetoric。　The　result　is　an　assemblage　of　narrow；　perverted；

hasty；　inflated　and　feeble　minds；　at　each　daily　session；　twenty　word…

mills　turn　to　no　purpose；　the　greatest　of　public　powers　at　once

becoming　a　manufactory　of　nonsense；　a　school　of　extravagancies；　and　a

theatre　for　declamation。





II。



Degree　and　quality　of　their　intelligence　and　Culture。



Is　it　possible　that　serious　men　could　have　listened　to　such　weird

nonsense　until　the　bitter　end？



　〃I　am　a　tiller　of　the　soil；〃＇10＇　says　one　deputy；　〃I　now　dare　speak

of　the　antique　nobility　of　my　plow。　A　yoke　of　oxen　once　constituted

the　pure；　incorruptible　legal　worthies　before　whom　my　good　ancestors

executed　their　contracts；　the　authenticity　of　which；　far　better

recorded　on　the　soil　than　on　flimsy　parchment；　is　protected　from　any

species　of　revolution　whatever。〃



Is　it　conceivable　that　the　reporter　of　a　law；　that　is　about　to　exile

or　imprison　forty　thousand　priests；　should　employ　in　an　argument　such

silly　bombast　as　the　following？＇11＇



　〃I　have　seen　in　the　rural　districts　the　hymeneal　torch　diffusing　only

pale　and　somber　rays；　or；　transformed　into　the　flambeaux　of　furies；

the　hideous　skeleton　of　superstition　seated　even　on　the　nuptial　couch；

placed　between　nature　and　the　wedded；　and　arresting；　etc。　。　。　。　　Oh

Rome；　art　thou　satisfied？　　Art　thou　then　like　Saturn；　to　whom　fresh

holocausts　were　daily　imperative？　。　。　。　Depart；　ye　creators　of

discord！　The　soil　of　liberty　is　weary　of　bearing　you。　Would　ye　breathe

the　atmosphere　of　the　Aventine　mount？　The　national　ship　is　already

prepared　for　you。　　I　hear　on　the　shore　the　impatient　cries　of　the

crew；　I　see　the　breezes　of　liberty　swelling　its　sails。　　Like

Telemachus；　ye　will　go　forth　on　the　waters　to　seek　your　father；　but

never　will　you　have　to　dread　the　Sicilian　rocks；　nor　the　seductions　of

a　Eucharis。〃







Courtesies　of　pedants；　rhetorical　personifications；　and　the　invective

of　maniacs　is　the　prevailing　tone。　The　same　defect　characterizes　the

best　speeches；　namely；　an　overexcited　brain；　a　passion　for　high…

sounding　terms；　the　constant　use　of　stilts　and　an　incapacity　for

seeing　things　as　they　are　and　of　so　describing　them。　　Men　of　talent；

Isnard；　Guadet；　Vergniaud　himself；　are　carried　away　by　hollow　sonorous

phrases　like　a　ship　with　too　much　canvas　for　its　ballast。　Their　minds

are　stimulated　by　souvenirs　of　their　school　lessons；　the　modern　world

revealing　itself　to　them　only　through　their　Latin　reminiscences。　

Fran？ois　de　Nantes　is　exasperated　at　the　pope　〃who　holds　in　servitude

the　posterity　of　Cato　and　of　Sc？vola。〃　　Isnard　proposes　to　follow

the　example　of　the　Roman　senate　which；　to　allay　discord　at　home；　got

up　an　outside　war：　between　old　Rome　and　France　of　1792；　indeed；　there

is　a　striking　resemblance。　　Roux　insists　that　the　Emperor　（of

Austria）　should　give　satisfaction　before　the　1st　of　March；　〃in　a　case

like　this　the　Roman　people　would　have　fixed　the　term　of　delay；　why

shouldn't　the　French　people　fix　one？　。　。　。〃　　〃The　circle　of　Popilius〃

should　be　drawn　around　those　petty；　hesitating　German　princes。　When

money　is　needed　to　establish　camps　around　Paris　and　the　large　towns；

Lasource　proposes　to　dispose　of　　the　national　forests　and　is　amazed　at

any　objection　to　the　measure。　〃C？sar's　soldiers；〃　he　exclaims；

〃believing　that　an　ancient　forest　in　Gaul　was　sacred；　dared　not　lay

the　axe　to　it；　are　we　to　share　their　superstitious　respect？〃＇12＇　　　…

Add　to　this　collegiate　lore　the　philosophic　dregs　deposited　in　all

minds　by　the　great　sophist　then　in　vogue。　　Larivière　reads　in　the

tribune＇13＇　that　page　of　the　〃Contrat　Social；〃　where　Rousseau　declares

that　the　sovereign　may　banish　members　〃of　an　unsocial　religion；〃　and

punish　with　death　〃one　who；　having　publicly　recognized　the　dogmas　of

civil　religion；　acts　as　if　he　did　not　believe　in　them。〃　　On　which；

another　hissing　parrot；　M。　Filassier；　exclaims；　〃I　put　J。　J。

Rousseau's　proposition　into　the　form　of　a　motion　and　demand　a　vote　on

it。〃　　In　like　manner　it　is　proposed　to　grant　very　young　girls　the

right　of　marrying　in　spite　of　their　parents　by　stating；　according　to

the　〃Nouvelle　Héloise〃



〃that　a　girl　thirteen　or　fourteen　years　old　begins　to　sigh　for　the

union　which　nature　dictates。　She　struggles　between　passion　and　duty；

so　that；　if　she　triumphs；　she　becomes　a　martyr；　something　that　is　rare

in　nature。　It　may　happen　that　a　young　person　prefers　the　serene　shame

of　defeat　to　a　wearisome　eight　year　long　struggle。〃



　　Divorce　is　inaugurated　to　〃preserve　in　matrimony　that　happy　peace　of

mind　which　renders　the　sentiments　livelier。〃＇14＇　Henceforth　this　will

no　longer　be　a　chain　but　〃the　acquittance　of　an　agreeable　debt　which