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the origins of contemporary france-3-第10部分

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〃Journal du Soir;〃 the 〃Journal de la Montagne;〃 〃Pêre Duchesne;〃 the

〃Révolutions de Paris;〃  and 〃Laclos' Gazette。〃 Revolutionary songs

are sung; and; if a good speaker happens to be present; a former monk

(oratorien); lawyer; or school…master; he pours out his stock of

phrases; speaking of  the Greeks and Romans; proclaiming the

regeneration of the human species。 One of them; appealing to the

women; wants to see



 〃the declaration of the Rights of Man suspended on the walls of their

bedrooms as their principal ornament; and; should war break out; these

virtuous supporters; marching at the head of our armies like new

bacchantes with flowing hair; the wand of Bacchus in their hand。〃



Shouts of applause greet this sentiment。 The minds of the listeners;

swept away by this gale of declamation; become overheated and ignite

through mutual contact; like half…consumed embers that would die out

if let alone; they kindle into a blaze when gathered together in a

heap。 … … Their convictions; at the same time; gain strength。 There is

nothing like a coterie to make these take root。 In politics; as in

religion; faith generating the church; the latter; in its turn;

nourishes faith。 In the club; as in the private religious meeting;

each derives authority from the common unanimity; every word and

action of the whole tending to prove each in the right。 And all the

more because a dogma which remains uncontested; ends in seeming

incontestable; as the Jacobin lives in a narrow circle; carefully

guarded; no contrary opinions find their way to him。 The public; in

his eyes; seems two hundred persons; their opinion weighs on him

without any counterpoise; and; outside of their belief; which is his

also; every other belief is absurd and even culpable。 Moreover; he

discovers through this constant system of preaching; which is nothing

but flattery; that he is patriotic; intelligent; virtuous; of which he

can have no doubt; because; before being admitted into the club; his

civic virtues have been verified and he carries a printed certificate

of them in his pocket。 … … Accordingly; he is one of an élite corps; a

corps which; enjoying a monopoly of patriotism; holds itself aloof;

talks loud; and is distinguished from ordinary citizens by its tone

and way of conducting things。 The club of Pontarlier;'22' from the

first; prohibits its members from using the common forms of

politeness。



 〃Members are to abstain from saluting their fellow…citizens by

removing the hat; and are to avoid the phrase; 'I have the honor to

be;' and others of like import; in addressing persons。〃



A proper idea of one's importance is indispensable。



〃Does not the famous tribune of the Jacobins in Paris inspire traitors

and impostors with fear? And do not anti…Revolutionaries return to

dust on beholding it?〃



All this is true; in the provinces as well as at the capital; for;

scarcely is a club organized before it sets to work on the population。

In may of the large cities; in Paris; Lyons; Aix and Bordeaux; there

are two clubs in partnership;'23' one; more or less respectable and

parliamentary; 〃composed partly of the members of the different

branches of the administration and specially devoted to purposes of

general utility;〃 and the other; practical and active; made up of bar…

room politicians and club…haranguers; who indoctrinate workmen;

market…gardeners and the rest of the lower bourgeois class。 The latter

is a branch of the former; and; in urgent cases; supplies it with

rioters。



 〃We are placed amongst the people;〃 says one of these subaltern

clubs; 〃we read to them the decrees; and; through lectures and

counsel; we warn them against the publications and intrigues of the

aristocrats。 We ferret out and track plotters and their machinations。

We welcome and advise all complainants; we enforce their demands; when

just; finally; we; in some way; attend to all details。〃



Thanks to these vulgar auxiliaries; but whose lungs and arms are

strong; the party soon becomes dominant; it has force and uses it;

and; denying that its adversaries have any rights; it re…establishes

all the privileges for its own advantage。'24'







III。



How they view the liberty of the press。 … Their political doings。



Let us consider its mode of procedure in one instance and upon a

limited field; the freedom of the press。'25'  In December; 1790; M。

Etienne; an engineer; whom Marat and Fréron had denounced as a spy in

their periodicals; brought a suit against them in the police court。

The numbers containing the libel were seized; the printers summoned to

appear; and M。 Etienne claimed a public retraction or 25;000 francs

damages with costs。 At this the two journalists; considering

themselves infallible as well as exempt from arrest; are indignant。



〃 It is of the utmost importance;〃 writes Marat; 〃that the informer

should not be liable to prosecution as he is accountable only to the

public for what he says and does for the public good。〃



M。 Etienne (surnamed Languedoc); therefore; is a traitor:  〃Monsieur

Languedoc; I advise you to keep your mouth shut; if I can have you

hung I will。〃  M。 Etienne; nevertheless; persists and obtains a first

decision in his favor。 Fire and flame are at once belched forth by

Marat and Fréon:



 〃Master Thorillon;〃 exclaims Fréron to the commissary of police; 〃you

shall be punished and held up to the people as an example; this

infamous decision must be canceled。〃   〃Citizens;〃 writes Marat; 〃go

in a body to the H?tel…de…Ville and do not allow one of the guards to

enter the court…room。 〃  On the day of the trial; and in the most

condescending spirit; but two grenadiers are let in。 Even these;

however; are too many and shouts from the Jacobin crowd arise 〃Turn

'em out! We rule here;〃 upon which the two grenadiers withdraw。 On the

other hand; says Fréron triumphantly; that there were in the court…

room 〃sixty of the victors at the Bastille led by the brave Santerre;

who intended to interfere in the trial。〃 … They intervene; indeed; and

first against the plaintiff。  M。 Etienne is attacked at the entrance

of the court…room and nearly knocked down He is so maltreated that he

is obliged to seek shelter in the guard…room。 He is spit upon; and

they 〃move to cut off his ears。〃  His friends receive 〃hundreds of

kicks;〃 while he runs away; and the case is postponed。   It is

called up again several times; so no the judges have to be restrained。

A certain Mandart in the audience; author of a pamphlet on 〃Popular

Sovereignty;〃 springs to his feet and; addressing Bailly; mayor of

Paris; and president of the tribunal; challenges the court。 As usual

Bailly yields; attempting to cover up his weakness with an honorable

pretext: 〃Although a judge can be challenged only by the parties to a

suit; the appeal of one citizen is sufficient for me and I leave the

bench。〃 The other judges; who are likewise insulted and menaced; yield

also; and; through a sophism which admirably illustrates the times;

they discover in the oppression to which the plaintiff is subject a

legal device by which they can give a fair color to their denial of

justice。 M。 Etienne having signified to them that neither he nor his

counsel could attend in court; because their lives were in danger; the

court decides that M。 Etienne; 〃failing to appear in person; or by

counsel; is non…suited。〃  Victorious shouts at once proceed from the

two journalists; while their articles on the case disseminated

throughout France set a precedence contained in the 。ruling。  Any

Jacobin may after this with impunity denounce; insult; and calumniate

whomsoever he pleases; sheltered as he is from the action of courts;

and held superior to the law。



Let us see; on the other hand; what liberty they allow their

adversaries。 A fortnight before this; Mallet du Pan; a writer of great

ability; who; in the best periodical of the day; discusses questions

week after week free of all personalities; the most independent;

straight…forward; and honorable of men; the most eloquent and

judicious advocate of public order and true liberty; is waited upon by

a deputation from the Palais…Royal;'26' consisting of about a dozen

well…dressed individuals; civil enough and not too ill…disposed; but

quite satisfied that they have a right to interfere。 The conversation

which ensues shows to what extent the current political creed had

turned peoples' heads。



〃One of the party; addressing me; informed me that he and his

associates were deputies of the Palais…Royal clubs; and that they had

called to notify me that I would do well to change my principles and

stop attacking the constitution; otherwise extreme violence would be

brought to bear on me。  I replied that I recognized no authority but

the law and that of the courts; the law is your master and mine; and

no respect is shown to the constitution by assailing the freedom of

the press。〃





〃The constitution is the common will; resumed the spokesman。  The law;

is the authority of the strongest。  You are subject to the strongest

and you ought to submit。  We notify you of the will of the nation and

that is the law。'〃





Mallet du Pan stated to them that he was not in favor of the ancient

régime; but that he did approve of royal authority。







〃Oh!〃 exclaimed all together; 〃 we should be sorry not to have a king。

We respect the King and maintain his authority。  But you are forbidden

to oppose the dominant opinion and the liberty which is decreed by the

National Assembly。〃







Mallet du Pan; apparently; knows more about this than they do; for he

is a Swiss by birth; and has lived under a republic for twenty years。

But this does not concern them。 They persist all the same; five or six

talking at once; misconstruing the sense the words they use; and each

contradicting the other in point of detail; but all agreeing to impose

silenc
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