the origins of contemporary france-3-第46部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


representative　of　the　French　people；　but　〃a　high　functionary；〃　that　is

to　say；　a　mere　employee；　fortunate　enough　to　sit　in　an　equally　good

chair　alongside　of　the　president　of　the　Assembly；　whom　they　style

〃president　of　the　nation。〃＇1＇　The　Assembly；　in　their　eyes；　is　sole

sovereign；　〃while　the　other　powers；〃　says　Condorcet；　〃can　act

legitimately　only　when　specially　authorized　by　a　positive　law；＇2＇　the

Assembly　may　do　anything　that　is　not　formally　prohibited　to　it　by　the

law；〃　'in　other　words；　interpret　the　constitution；　then　change　it；

take　it　to　pieces；　and　do　away　with　it。　Consequently；　in　defiance　of

the　constitution；　it　takes　upon　itself　the　initiation　of　war；　and；　on

rare　occasions；　on　the　King　using　his　veto；　it　sets　this　aside；　or

allows　it　to　be　set　aside。＇3＇　　In　vain　he　rejects；　as　he　has　a　legal

right　to　do；　the　decrees　which　sanction　the　persecution　of　unsworn

ecclesiastics；　which　confiscate　the　property　of　the　émigrés；　and　which

establish　a　camp　around　Paris。　At　the　suggestion　of　the　Jacobin

deputies；＇4＇　the　unsworn　ecclesiastics　are　interned；　expelled；　or

imprisoned　by　the　municipalities　and　Directories；　the　estates　and

mansions　of　the　émigrés　and　of　their　relatives　are　abandoned　without

resistance　to　the　jacqueries；　　the　camp　around　Paris　is　replaced　by

the　summoning　of　the　Federates　to　Paris。　　In　short；　the　monarch's

sanction　is　eluded　or　dispensed　with。　　As　to　his　ministers；　〃they

are　merely　clerks　of　the　Legislative　Body　decked　with　a　royal

leash。〃＇5＇　　In　full　session　they　are　maltreated；　reviled；　grossly

insulted；　not　merely　as　lackeys　of　bad　character；　but　as　known

criminals。　They　are　interrogated　at　the　bar　of　the　house；　forbidden　to

leave　Paris　before　their　accounts　are　examined；　their　papers　are

overhauled；　their　most　guarded　expressions　and　most　meritorious　acts

are　held　to　be　criminal；　denunciations　against　them　are　provoked；

their　subordinates　are　incited　to　rebel　against　them；＇6＇　committees　to

watch　them　and　calumniate　them　are　appointed；　the　perspective　of　a

scaffold　is　placed　before　them　in　every　relation；　acts　or　threats　of

accusation　being　passed　against　them；　as　well　as　against　their　agents；

on　the　shallowest　pretexts；　accompanied　with　such　miserable

quibbling；＇7＇　and　such　an　evident　falsification　of　facts　and　texts

that　the　Assembly；　forced　by　the　evidence；　twice　reverses　its　hasty

decision；　and　declares　those　innocent　whom　it　had　condemned　the

evening　before。＇8＇　　Nothing　is　of　any　avail；　neither　their　strict

fulfillment　of　the　law；　their　submission　to　the　committees　of　the

Assembly；　nor　their　humble　attitude　before　the　Assembly　itself；　〃they

are　careful　now　to　treat　it　politely　and　avoid　the　galleys。〃＇9＇　　But

this　does　not　suffice。　　They　must　become　Jacobins；　otherwise　the　high

court　of　Orleans　will　be　for　them　as　for　M。　Delessart；　the　ante…room

to　the　prison　and　the　guillotine。　　〃Terror　and　dismay；〃　says

Vergniaud；　pointing　with　his　finger　to　the　Tuileries；　〃have　often

issued　in　the　name　of　despotism　in　ancient　times　from　that　famous

palace；　let　them　to…day　go　back　to　it　in　the　name　of　law。〃＇10＇



Even　with　a　Jacobin　Minister；　terror　and　dismay　are　permanent。

Roland；　Clavières；　and　Servan　not　only　do　not　shield　the　King；　but

they　give　him　up；　and；　under　their　patronage　and　with　their

connivance；　he　is　more　victimized；　more　harassed；　and　more　vilified

than　ever　before。　Their　partisans　in　the　Assembly　take　turns　in

slandering　him；　while　Isnard　proposes　against　him　a　most　insolent

address。＇11＇　　Shouts　of　death　are　uttered　in　front　of　his　palace。　An

abbé　or　soldier　is　unmercifully　beaten　and　dragged　into　the　Tuileries

basin。　　One　of　the　gunners　of　the　Guard　reviles　the　queen　like　a　fish

woman；　and　exclaims　to　her；　〃How　glad　I　should　be　to　clap　your　head　on

the　end　of　my　bayonet！〃＇12＇　They　supposed　that　the　King　is　brought　to

heel　under　this　double　pressure　of　the　Legislative　Body　and　the

street；　they　rely　on　his　accustomed　docility；　or　at　least；　on　his

proven　lethargy；　they　think　that　they　have　converted　him　into　what

Condorcet　once　demanded；　a　signature　machine。＇13＇　　Consequently；

without　notifying　him；　just　as　if　the　throne　were　vacant；　Servan；　on

his　own　authority；　proposes　to　the　Assembly　the　camp　outside

Paris。＇14＇　　Roland；　for　his　part；　reads　to　him　at　a　full　meeting　of

the　council　an　arrogant；　pedagogical　remonstrance；　scrutinizing　his

sentiments；　informing　him　of　his　duties；　calling　upon　him　to　accept

the　new　〃religion；〃　to　sanction　the　decree　against　unsworn

ecclesiastics；　that　is　to　say；　to　condemn　to　beggary；　imprisonment；

and　transportation＇15＇　70；000　priests　and　nuns　guilty　of　orthodoxy；

and　authorize　the　camp　around　Paris；　which　means；　to　put　his　throne；

his　person；　and　his　family　at　the　mercy　of　20；000　madmen；　chosen　by

the　clubs　and　other　assemblages　expressly　to　do　him　harm；＇16＇　in

short；　to　discard　at　once　his　conscience　and　his　common　sense。　

Strange　enough；　the　royal　will　this　time　remains　staunch；　not　only

does　the　King　refuse；　but　he　dismisses　his　ministers。　So　much　the

worse　for　him；　for　sign　he　must；　cost　what　it　will；　if　he　insists　on

remaining　athwart　their　path；　they　will　march　over　him。　　Not　because

he　is　dangerous；　and　thinks　of　abandoning　his　legal　immobility。　　Up　to

the　10th　of　August；　through　a　dread　of　action；　and　not　to　kindle　a

civil　war；　he　rejects　all　plans　leading　to　an　open　rupture。　　Up　to　the

very　last　day　he　resigns　himself　even　when　his　personal　safety　and

that　of　his　family　is　at　stake；　to　constitutional　law　and　public

common　sense。　Before　dismissing　Roland　and　Servan；　he　desires　to

furnish　some　striking　proof　of　his　pacific　intentions　by　sanctioning

the　dissolution　of　his　guard　and　disarming　himself　not　only　for　attack

but　for　defense；　henceforth　he　sits　at　home　and　awaits　the

insurrection　with　which　he　is　daily　menaced；　he　resigns　himself　to

everything；　except　drawing　his　sword；　his　attitude　is　that　of　a

Christian　in　the　amphitheatre。＇17＇　　　The　proposition　of　a　camp

outside　Paris；　however；　draws　out　a　protest　from　8；000　Paris　National

Guards。　Lafayette　denounces　to　the　Assembly　the　usurpations　of　the

Jacobins；　the　faction　sees　that　its　reign　is　threatened　by　this

reawakening　and　union　of　the　friends　of　order。　A　blow　must　be　struck。

This　has　been　in　preparation　for　a　month　past；　and　to　renew　the　days

of　October　5th　and　6th；　the　materials　are　not　lacking。





II。



The　floating　and　poor　population　of　Paris。　　　Disposition　of　the

workers。　　Effect　of　poverty　and　want　of　work。　　　Effect　of　Jacobin

preaching。　　The　revolutionary　army。　…　Quality　of　its　recruits　　

Its　first　review。　　Its　actual　effective　force。







Paris　always　has　its　interloping；　floating　population。　A　hundred

thousand　of　the　needy；　one…third　of　these　from　the　departments；

〃beggars　by　race；〃　those　whom　Rétif　de　la　Bretonne　had　already　seen

pass　his　door；　Rue　de　Bièvre；　on　the　13th　of　July；　1789；　on　their　way

to　join　their　fellows　on　the　suburb　of　St。　Antoine；＇18＇　along　with

them　〃those　frightful　raftsmen；〃　pilots　and　dock…hands；　born　and

brought　up　in　the　forests　of　the　Nièvre　and　the　Yonne；　veritable

savages　accustomed　to　wielding　the　pick　and　the　ax；　behaving　like

cannibals　when　the　opportunity　offers；＇19＇　and　who　will　be　found

foremost　in　the　ranks　when　the　September　days　come。　Alongside　these

stride　their　female　companions　〃barge…women　who；　embittered　by　toil；

live　for　the　moment　only；〃　and　who；　three　months　earlier；　pillaged　the

grocer…shops。＇20＇　　All　this　〃is　a　frightful　crowd　which；　every　time　it

stirs；　seems　to　declare　that　the　last　day　of　the　rich　and　well…to…do

has　come；　tomorrow　it　is　our　turn；　to…morrow　we　shall　sleep　on

eiderdown。〃　　　Still　more　alarming　is　the　attitude　of　the　steady

workmen；　especially　in　the　suburbs。　And　first　of　all；　if　bread　is　not

as　expensive　as　on　the　5th　of　October；　the　misery　is　worse。　The

production　of　articles　of　luxury　has　been　at　a　standstill　for　three

years；　and　the　unemployed　artisan　has　consumed　his　small　savings。

Since　the　ruin　of　St。　Domingo　and　the　pillaging　of　grocers'　shops

colonial　products　are　dear；　the　carpenter；　the　mason；　the　locksmith；

the　market…porter；　no　longer　has　his　early　cup　of　coffee；＇21＇　while

they　grumble　every　morning　at　the　thought　of　their　patriotism　being

rewarded　by　an　increase　of　deprivation。



But　more　than　all　this　they　are　now　Jacobins；　and　after　nearly　three

years　of　preaching；　the　dogma　of　popular　sovereignty　has　taken　deep

root　in　their　empty　brains。　〃In　these　groups；〃　writes　a　police

commissioner；　〃the　Constitution　is　held　to　be　useless　and　the　people

alone　are　the　law。　The　citizens　of　Paris　on　the　public　square　think

themselves　the　people；　populus；　　what　we　call　the　universality　of

citizens。〃＇22＇　　It　is　of　no　use　to　tell　them　that；　alongside　of

Paris；　there　is　a　France。　Danton　has　shown　them　that　the　capital　〃　is

composed　of　citizens　belonging　one　way　or　another　to　the　eighty…three

departments；　that　is　has　a