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the origins of contemporary france-3-第48部分
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chairs; while similar provocations daily flow from the committee
installed in Santerre's establishment; now in the shape of displays
posted in the faubourgs; now in that of petitions circulated in the
clubs and sections; now through motions which are gotten up 〃among the
groups in the Tuileries; in the Palais…Royal; in the Place de Grève
and especially on the Place de la Bastille。〃 After the 2nd of June the
leaders founded a new club in the church of the 〃Enfants Trouvés〃
that they might have their special laboratory and thus do their work
on the spot。'31' Like Plato's demagogues; they understand their
business。 They have discovered the cries which make the popular animal
take note; what offense offends him; what charm attracts him; and on
what road he should be made to follow。 Once drawn in and under way; he
will march blindly on; borne along by his own involuntary inspiration
and crushing with his mass all that he encounters on his path。
IV。
The 20th of June。 The programme。 The muster。 The
procession before the Assembly。 Irruption into the Chateau。 The
King in the presence of the people。
The bait has been carefully chosen and is well presented。 It takes the
form of a celebration of the anniversary of the oath of the Tennis…
court。 A tree of Liberty will be planted on the terrace of the
Feuillants and 〃petitions relating to circumstances〃 will be presented
in the Assembly and then to the King。 As a precaution; and to impose
on the ill…disposed; the petitioners provide themselves with arms and
line the approaches。'32' A popular procession is an attractive
thing; and there are so many workers who do not know what to do with
their empty day! And; again; it is so pleasant to appear in a
patriotic opera while many; and especially women and children; want
very much to see Monsieur and Madame Veto。 The people from the
surrounding suburbs are invited;'33' the homeless prowlers and beggars
will certainly join the party; while the numerous body of Parisian
loafers; the loungers that join every spectacle can be relied on; and
the curious who; even in our time; gather by hundreds along the quays;
following a dog that has chanced to tumble into the river。 All this
forms a body which; without thinking; will follow its head。
At five o'clock in the morning on the 20th of June groups are already
formed in the faubourgs St。 Antoine and St。 Marcel; consisting of
National Guards; pikemen; gunners with their cannon; persons armed
with sabers or clubs; and women and children。 A notice; indeed;
just posted on the walls; prohibits any assemblage; and the municipal
officers appear in their scarves and command or entreat the crowd not
to break the law。'34' But; in a working…class brain; ideas are as
tenacious as they are short…lived。 People count on a civic procession
and get up early in the morning to attend to it; the cannon have been
hitched up; the maypole tree is put on wheels and all is ready for the
ceremony; everybody takes a holiday and none are disposed to return
home。 Besides; they have only good intentions。 They know the law as
well as the city officials; they are 〃armed solely to have it observed
and respected。〃 Finally; other armed petitioners have already filed
along before the National Assembly; and; as one is as good as another;
〃the law being equal for all;〃 others must be admitted as well。 In
any event they; too; will ask permission of the National Assembly and
they go expressly。 This is the last and the best argument of all; and
to prove to the city officials that they have no desire to engage in a
riot; they request them to join the procession and march along with
them。
Meanwhile; time passes。 In a crowd irritated by delay; the most
impatient; the rudest; those most inclined to commit violence; always
lead the rest。 At the head…quarters of the Val…de…Grace'35' the
pikemen seize the cannon and drag them along; the National Guards let
things take their course; Saint…Prix and Leclerc; the officers in
command; threatened with death; have nothing to do but to yield with a
protest。 There is the same state of things in the Montreuil
section; the resistance of four out of six of the battalion officers
merely served to give full power to the instigator of the
insurrection; and henceforth Santerre becomes the sole leader of the
assembled crowd。 About half…past eleven he leaves his brewery; and;
followed by cannon; the flag; and the truck which bears the poplar
tree; he places himself at the head of the procession 〃consisting of
about fifteen hundred persons including the bystanders。〃'36' Like a
snowball; however; the troop grows as it marches along until; on
reaching the National Assembly; Santerre has behind him from seven to
eight thousand persons。'37' Guadet and Vergniaud move that the
petitioners be introduced; their spokesman; Huguenin; in a bombastic
and threatening address; denounces the ministry; the King; the accused
at Orleans; the deputies of the 〃Right;〃 demands 〃blood;〃 and informs
the Assembly that the people 〃resolute〃 is ready to take the law in
their own hands。'38' Then; with drums beating and bands playing; the
crowd defiles for more than an hour through the chamber under the eyes
of Santerre and Saint…Huruge: here and there a few files of the
National Guard pass mingled with the throng and lost in 〃the moving
forest of pikes〃; all the rest is pure rabble; 〃hideous faces;〃'39'
says a deputy; on which poverty and loose living have left their
marks; ragamuffins; men 〃without coats;〃 in their shirt…sleeves; armed
in all sorts of ways; with chisels and shoe…knives fastened on sticks;
one with a saw on a pole ten feet long; women and children; some of
them brandishing a saber。'40' In the middle of this procession; an
old pair of breeches 'culottes' borne on a pike with this motto:
Vivent les Sans…Culottes! and; on a pitch…fork; the heart of a calf
with this inscription: C?ur d'aristocrate; both significant emblems of
the grim humor the imaginations of rag…dealers or butchers might come
up with for a political carnival。 This; indeed; it is; they have
been drinking and many are drunk。'41' A parade is not enough; they
want also to amuse themselves: traversing the hall they sing ?a ira
and dance in the intervals。 They at the same time show their civism by
shouting Vive les patriotes! A bas le Veto! They fraternise; as they
pass along; with the good deputies of the 〃Left〃; they jeer those of
the 〃Right〃 and shake their fists at them; one of these; known by his
tall stature; is told that his business will be settled for him the
first opportunity。'42' Thus do they flaunt their collaborators to the
Assembly; everyone prepared and willing to act; even against the
Assembly itself。 And yet; with the exception of an iron…railing
pushed in by the crowd and an irruption on to the terrace of the
〃Feuillants;〃 no act of violence was committed。 The Paris population;
except when in a rage; is rather voluble and curious than ferocious;
besides; thus far; no one had offered any resistance。 The crowd is
now sated with shouting and parading; many of them yawn with boredom
and weariness;'43' at four o'clock they have stood on their legs for
ten or twelve hours。 The human stream issuing from the Assembly and
emptying itself into the Carrousel remains stagnant there and seems
ready to return to its usual channels。 This is not what the leaders
had intended。 Santerre; on arriving with Saint…Huruge; cries out to
his men; 〃Why didn't you enter the chateau? You must go in that is
what we came here for。〃'44' A lieutenant of the Val…de…Grace gunners
shouts: 〃We have forced open the Carrousel; we must force open the
chateau too! This is the first time the Val…de…Grace gunners march
they are not j。。。。 f。。。。 Come; follow me; my men; on to the
enemy!'45' … 〃Meanwhile; outside the gate; some of the municipal
officers selected by Pétion amongst the most revolutionary members of
the council; overcome resistance by their speeches and commands。
'After all;〃 says one of them; named Mouchet; 〃the right of petition
is sacred。〃 〃 Open the gate!〃 shout Sergent and Boucher…René;
〃nobody has a right to shut it。 Every citizen has a right to go
through it!〃'46' A gunner raises the latch; the gate opens and the
court fills in the winkling of an eye;'47' the crowd rushes under the
archway and up the grand stairway with such impetuosity that a cannon
borne along by hand reaches the third room on the first story before
it stops。 The doors crack under the blows of axes and; in the large
hall of the Oeil de B?uf; the multitude find themselves face to face
with the King。
In such circumstances the representatives of public authority; the
directories; the municipalities; the military chiefs; and; on the 6th
of October; the King himself; have all thus far yielded; they have
either yielded or perished。 Santerre; certain of the issue;
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