the origins of contemporary france-3-第57部分

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the　élite　of　the　Parisian　population；　had　just　cheered　him　as　he

passed。＇77＇　　〃Hurrah　for　the　King！　Hurrah　for　Louis　XVI。！　He　is　our

King　and　we　want　no　other；　we　want　him　only！　Down　with　the　rioters！

Down　with　the　Jacobins！　We　will　defend　him　unto　death！　Let　him　put

himself　at　our　head！　Hurrah　for　the　Nation；　the　Law；　the　Constitution；

and　the　King；　which　are　all　one！　If　the　gunners　were　silent；　and

seemed　ill…disposed；＇78＇　it　was　simply　necessary　to　disarm　them

suddenly；　and　hand　over　their　pieces　to　loyal　men。　Four　thousand

rifles　and　eleven　pieces　of　artillery；　protected　by　the　walls　of　the

courts　and　by　the　thick　masonry　of　the　palace；　were　certainly

sufficient　against　the　nine　or　ten　thousand　Jacobins　in　Paris；　most　of

them　pikemen；　badly　led　by　improvised　or　rebellious　battalion

officers；＇79＇　and；　still　worse；　commanded　by　their　new　general；

Santerre；　who；　always　cautious；　kept　himself　aloof　in　the　H？tel…de…

ville；　out　of　harm's　way。　The　only　staunch　men　in　the　Carrousel　were

the　eight　hundred　men　from　Brest　and　Marseilles；　the　rest　consisted　of

a　rabble　like　that　of　July　14；　October　5；　and　June　20；＇80＇　the　palace；

says　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　was　attacked　by　the　vilest　canaille；

professional　rioters；　Maillard's　band；　and　the　bands　of　Lazowski；

Fournier；　and　Théroigne；　by　all　the　assassins；　indeed　of　the　previous

night　and　day；　and　of　the　following　day；　which　species　of　combatants；

as　was　proved　by　the　event；　would　have　scattered　at　the　first

discharge　of　a　cannon。　　But；　with　the　governing　as　with　the

governed；　all　notion　of　the　State　was　lost；　the　former　through

humanity　become　a　duty；　and　the　latter　through　insubordination　erected

into　a　right。　At　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　century；　in　the　upper　as

well　as　in　the　middle　class；　there　was　a　horror　of　blood；＇81＇　refined

social　ways；　coupled　with　an　idyllic　imagination；　had　softened　the

militant　disposition。　Everywhere　the　magistrates　had　forgotten　that

the　maintenance　of　society　and　of　civilization　is　a　benefit　of

infinitely　greater　importance　than　the　lives　of　a　parcel　of　maniacs

and　malefactors；　　that　the　prime　object　of　government；　as　well　as　of　a

police；　is　the　preservation　of　order　by　force；　that　a　gendarme　is　not

a　philanthropist；　that；　if　attacked　on　his　post；　he　must　use　his

sword；　and　that；　in　sheathing　it　for　fear　of　wounding　his　aggressors；

he　fails　to　do　his　duty。



This　time　again；　in　the　court　of　the　Carrousel；　the　magistrates　on　the

spot；　finding　that　〃their　responsibility　is　insupportable；〃　concern

themselves　only　with　how　to　〃avoid　the　effusion　of　blood；〃　it　is　with

regret；　and　this　they　state　to　the　troops；　〃in　faltering　tones；〃　that

they　proclaim　martial　law。＇82＇　They　〃forbid　them　to　attack；〃　merely

〃authorizing　them　to　repel　force　with　force；〃　in　other　words；　they

order　them　to　stand　up　to　the　first　fire；　〃you　are　not　to　fire　until

you　are　fired　upon。〃　　Still　better；　they　go　from　company　to　company；

〃openly　declaring　that　opposition　to　such　a　large　and　well…armed

assemblage　would　be　folly；　and　that　it　would　be　a　very　great

misfortune　to　attempt　it。〃　　〃I　repeat　to　you；〃　said　Leroux；　〃that　a

defense　seems　to　me　madness。〃　　Such　is　the　way　in　which；　for　more

than　an　hour；　they　encourage　the　National　Guard。　〃All　I　ask；〃　says

Leroux　again；　〃is　that　you　wait　a　little　longer。　I　hope　that　we　shall

induce　the　King　to　yield　to　the　National　Assembly。〃　　　Always　the

same　tactics：　　hand　the　fortress　and　the　general　over　rather　than　fire

on　the　mob。　To　this　end　they　return　to　the　King；　with　R？derer　at　their

head；　and　renew　their　efforts：　〃Sire；〃　says　R？derer；　〃time　presses；

and　we　ask　you　to　consent　to　accompany　us。〃　　　For　a　few　moments；　the

last　and　most　solemn　of　the　monarchy；　the　King　hesitates。＇83＇　　His

good　sense；　probably；　enabled　him　to　see　that　a　retreat　was

abdication；　but　his　phlegmatic　understanding　is　at　first　unable　to

clearly　define　its　consequences；　moreover；　his　optimism　had　never

explored　the　vastness　of　the　stupidity　of　the　people；　nor　sounded　the

depths　of　human　malice　and　spite；　he　cannot　imagine　that　slander　may

transform　his　determination　not　to　shed　blood　into　a　desire　to　shed

blood。＇84＇　Besides；　he　is　bound　by　his　past；　by　his　habit　of　always

yielding；　by　his　determination；　declared　and　maintained　for　the　past

three　years；　never　to　cause　civil　war；　by　his　obstinate

humanitarianism；　and　especially　by　his　religious　goodwill。　He　has

systematically　extinguished　in　himself　the　animal　instinct　of

resistance；　the　flash　of　anger　in　all　of　us　which　starts　up　under

unjust　and　brutal　aggressions；　the　Christian　has　supplanted　the　King；

he　is　no　longer　aware　that　duty　obliges　him　to　be　a　man　of　the　sword

that；　in　his　surrender；　he　surrenders　the　State；　and　that　to　yield

like　a　lamb　is　to　lead　all　honest　people；　along　with　himself；　to　the

slaughterhouse。　〃Let　us　go；〃　said　he；　raising　his　right　hand；　〃we　will

give；　since　it　is　necessary；　one　more　proof　of　our　self…

sacrifice。〃＇85＇　Accompanied　by　his　family　and　Ministers；　he　sets　out

between　two　lines　of　National　Guards　and　the　Swiss　Guard；＇86＇　and

reaches　the　Assembly；　which　sends　a　deputation　to　meet　him；　entering

the　chamber　he　says：　〃I　come　here　to　prevent　a　great　crime。　〃　　No

pretext；　indeed；　for　a　conflict　now　exists。　An　assault　on　the

insurgent　side　is　useless；　since　the　monarch；　with　all　belonging　to

him　and　his　government；　have　left　the　palace。　On　the　other　side；　the

garrison　will　not　begin　the　fight；　diminished　by　150　Swiss　and　nearly

all　the　grenadiers　of　the　Filles…Saint…Thomas；　who　served　as　the

King's　escort　to　the　Assembly；　it　is　reduced　to　a　few　gentlemen；　750

Swiss；　and　about　a　hundred　National　Guards；　the　others；　on　learning

that　the　King　is　going；　consider　their　services　at　an　end　and

disperse。＇87＇　　All　seems　to　be　over　in　the　sacrifice　of　royalty。

Louis　XVI。　imagines　that　the　Assembly；　at　the　worst；　will　suspend　him

from　his　functions；　and　that　he　will　return　to　the　Tuileries　as　a

private　individual。　　On　leaving　the　palace；　indeed；　he　orders　his

valet　to　keep　up　the　service　until　he　himself　returns　from　the

National　Assembly。＇88＇



He　did　not　count　on　the　exigencies；　blindness　and　disorders　of　the

riot。　Threatened　by　the　Jacobin　gunners　remaining　with　their　artillery

in　the　inside　courts；　the　gatekeepers　open　the　gates。　The　insurgents

rush　in；　fraternise　with　the　gunners；　reach　the　vestibule；　ascend　the

grand　staircase；　and　summon　the　Swiss　to　surrender。＇89＇　　These　show

no　hostile　spirit；　many　of　them；　as　a　mark　of　good　humor；　throw

packets　of　cartridges　out　of　the　windows；　some　even　go　so　far　as　to

let　themselves　be　embraced　and　led　away。　The　regiment；　however；

faithful　to　its　orders；　will　not　yield　to　force。＇90＇　　〃We　are　Swiss；〃

replies　the　sergeant；　Blaser；　〃the　Swiss　do　not　part　with　their　arms

but　with　their　lives。　We　think　that　we　do　not　merit　such　an　insult。

If　the　regiment　is　no　longer　wanted；　let　it　be　legally　discharged。

But　we　will　not　leave　our　post；　nor　will　we　let　our　arms　be　taken　from

us。〃　The　two　bodies　of　troops　remain　facing　each　other　on　the

staircase　for　three…quarters　of　an　hour；　almost　intermingled；　one

silent　and　the　other　excited；　turbulent；　and　active；　with　all　the

ardor　and　lack　of　discipline　peculiar　to　a　popular　gathering；　each

insurgent　striving　apart；　and　in　his　own　way；　to　corrupt；　intimidate；

or　constrain　the　Swiss　Guards。　Granier；　of　Marseilles；　at　the　head　of

the　staircase；　holds　two　of　them　at　arms'　length；　trying　in　a　friendly

manner　to　draw　them　down。＇91＇　　At　the　foot　of　the　staircase　the　crowd

is　shouting　and　threatening；　lighter　men；　armed　with　boat…hooks；

harpoon　the　sentinels　by　their　shoulder…straps；　and　pull　down　four　or

five；　like　so　many　fishes；　amid　shouts　of　laughter。　　Just　at　this

moment　a　pistol　goes　off；　nobody　being　able　to　tell　which　party　fired

it。＇92＇　The　Swiss；　firing　from　above；　clean　out　the　vestibule　and　the

courts；　rush　down　into　the　square　and　seize　the　cannon；　the　insurgents

scatter　and　fly　out　of　range。　The　bravest；　nevertheless；　rally　behind

the　entrances　of　the　houses　on　the　Carrousel；　throw　cartridges　into

the　courts　of　the　small　buildings　and　set　them　on　fire。　　During

another　half…hour；　under　the　dense　smoke　of　the　first　discharge　and　of

the　burning　buildings；　both　sides　fire　haphazard；　while　the　Swiss；　far

from　giving　way；　have　scarcely　lost　a　few　men；　when　a　messenger　from

the　King　arrives；　M。　d'Hervilly；　who　orders　in　his　name　the　firing　to

cease；　and　the　men　to　return　to　their　barracks。



Slowly　and　regularly　they　form　in　line　and　retire　along　the　broad

alley　of　the　garden。　　At　the　sight　of　these　foreigners；　however；　in

red　coats；　who　had　just　fired　on　Frenchmen；　the　guns　of　the　battalion

stationed　on　the　terraces　go　off　of　their　own　accord；　and　the　Swiss

column　divides　in　two。　　One　body　of　250　men　turns　to　the　right；

reaches　the　Assembly；　lays　down　its　arms　at　the　King's　order；　and

allows　itself　to　be　shut　up　in　the　Feuillants　churc