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