the origins of contemporary france-3-第100部分

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federation　for　the　10th　of　August　following；　and　goes　off　to

fraternize　with　the　battalions　in　the　PalaisRoyal；　in　battle　array

against　each　other　through　the　calumnies　of　the　Commune；　and　which；

set　right　at　the　last　moment；　now　embrace　instead　of　cutting　each

other's　throats。



This　time；　again；　the　advantage　is　on　the　side　of　the　Commune。　　Not

only　have　many　of　its　requirements　been　converted　into　decrees；　but

again；　its　revolutionary　baptism　remains　in　full　force；　its　executive

committee　is　tacitly　recognized；　the　new　government　performs　its

functions；　its　usurpations　are　endorsed；　its　general；　Henriot；　keeps

command　of　the　entire　armed　force；　and　all　its　dictatorial　measures

are　carried　out　without　let　or　hindrance。　　There　is　another　reason

why　they　should　be　maintained　and　aggravated。　　〃Your　victory　is　only

half…won；〃　writes　Hébert　in　his　Père　Duchesne；　〃all　those　bastards　of

intriguers　still　live！　〃　　　On　the　evening　of　the　31st　of　May　the

Commune　issues　warrants　of　arrest　against　the　ministers　Clavière　and

Lebrun；　and　against　Roland　and　his　wife。　　That　same　evening　and

throughout　the　following　day　and　night；　and　again　the　day　after；　the

Committees　of　Supervision　of　the　forty…eight　sections；　according　to

instructions　from　the　H？tel…de…ville＇148＇　study　the　lists　of　their

quarters；＇149＇　add　new　names　to　these；　and　send　commissaries　to　disarm

and　arrest　the　suspected。　Whoever　has　spoken　against　revolutionary

committees；　or　disapproved　of　the　assaults　of　the　31st　of　May；　or　not

openly　shown　himself　on　the　10th　of　August；　or　voted　on　the　wrong　side

in　the　old　Legislative　Assembly；　might　be　arrested。　It　is　a　general；

simultaneous　raid；　in　all　the　streets　we　see　nothing　but　people　seized

and　under　escort　sent　to　prison；　or　put　before　the　section　committee。

〃Anti…patriotic〃　journalists　are　arrested　first　of　all；　the　entire

impression　of　their　journals　being　additionally　confiscated；　and　the

journal　suppressed；　the　printing…rooms　of　Gorsas　are　sacked；　seals

placed　on　his　presses；＇150＇　and　Prudhomme　himself　is　locked　up。　All

resistance　is　overcome　in　the　Contrat…Social；　Fraternity；　Marais　and

Marseilles　sections；　leaving　the　Commune　free；　as　far　as　the　street　is

concerned；　to　recommence　its　attack　on　the　Convention。　〃Lists　of　sans…

culottes　workmen〃　have　been　drawn　up　in　each　section；　and　six　francs　a

head　is　allowed　them；　payable　by　the　Convention；　as　indemnity　for

their　temporary　suspension　from　work；＇151＇　　this　is　a　premium　offered

to　voters；　and　as　nothing　is　more　potent　than　cash　in　hand；　Pache

provides　the　funds　by　diverting　150；000　francs　intended　for　the

colonists　in　San　Domingo；　the　whole　day　on　the　2nd　　of　June；　trusted

men　go　about　among　the　ranks　distributing　five…franc　assignats。＇152＇

Vehicles　loaded　with　supplies　accompany　each　battalion；　the　better　to

keep　the　men　under　arms；＇153＇　the　stomach　needs　filling　up；　and　a　pint

of　wine　is　excellent　for　strengthening　patriotic　sentiment。　　Henriot

has　ordered　back　from　Courbevoie　the　battalions　of　volunteers　which　a

few　days　before　had　been　enlisted　for　La　Vendée；＇154＇　crooked

adventurers　and　looters；　later　known　as　〃the　heroes　of　the　500

francs。〃　Besides　these　he　has　under　his　thumb　Rosenthal's　hussars；　a

body　of　German　veterans　who　do　not　understand　French；　and　will　remain

deaf　to　any　legal　summons。　　Finally；　he　surrounds　the　Convention　with

a　circle　of　picked　sans…culottes；　especially　the　artillerists；　the

best　of　Jacobins；＇155＇　who　drag　along　with　them　the　most　formidable

park　of　artillery；　163　cannons；　with　grates　and　charcoal　to　heat　the

balls。　The　Tuileries　is　thus　encircled　by　bands　of　roughs　and

fanatics；　the　National　Guard；　five　or　six　times　as　many；＇156＇　brought

out　〃to　give　an　appearance　of　a　popular　movement　to　the　proceedings　of

five　or　six　thousand　bandits；〃　cannot　come　to　the　aid　of　the

Convention；　it　being　stationed　out　of　reach；　beyond　the　Pont　Tournant；

which　is　raised；　and　behind　the　wooden　fence　separating　the　Carrousel

from　the　palace。　　Kept　in　its　position　by　its　orders；　merely　serving

as　a　stationary　piece　of　scenery；　employed　against　itself　unbeknown　to

itself；＇157＇　it　can　do　no　more　than　let　the　factionists　act　who　serve

as　its　advanced　guard。　　Early　in　the　morning　the　vestibules；　stairs

and　passages　in　the　hall　of　the　convention　have　been　invaded　by　the

frequenters　of　the　galleries　and　the　women　under　pay。　The　commandant

of　the　post；　with　his　officers；　have　been　confined　by　〃men　with

moustaches；〃　armed　with　sabers　and　pistols；　the　legal　guard　has　been

replaced　with　an　extraordinary　guard；＇158＇　and　the　deputies　are

prisoners。　　If　one　of　them　is　obliged　to　go　out　for　a　moment；　it　is

under　the　supervision　of　four　fusiliers；　〃who　conduct　him；　wait　for

him；　and　bring　him　back。〃＇159＇　　Others；　in　trying　to　look　out　the

windows；　are　aimed　at；　the　venerable　Dussaulx　is　struck；　and　Boissy

d'Anglas；　seized　by　the　throat；　returns　with　his　cravat　and　shirt　all

in　shreds。　　For　six　hours　by　the　clock　the　Convention　is　under　arrest；

and　when　the　decree　is　passed；　ordering　the　removal　of　the　armed　force

bearing　upon　it；　Henriot　replies　to　the　officer　who　notifies　him　of

it：　〃Tell　your　damned　president　that　he　and　his　Assembly　may　go　to

hell。　If　he　don't　surrender　the　Twenty…two　in　an　hour；　I'll　send　him

there！〃＇160＇



In　the　hall　the　majority；　abandoned　by　its　recognized　guides　and　its

favorite　spokesmen；　grows　more　and　more　feeble　from　hour　to　hour。

Brissot；　Pétion；　Guadet；　Gensonné；　Buzot；　Salle；　Grangeneuve；　and

others；　two…thirds　of　the　Twenty…two；　kept　away　by　their　friends；

remain　at　home。＇161＇　　Vergniaud；　who　had　come；　remains　silent；　and

then　leaves；　the　〃Mountain；〃　probably；　gaining　by　his　absence；　allows

him　to　pass　out。　Four　other　Girondists　who　remain　in　the　Assembly　to

the　end；　Isnard；　Dussaulx；　Lauthenas；　and　Fauchet；　consent　to　resign；

when　the　generals　give　up　their　swords；　the　soldiers　soon　lay　down

their　arms。　　Lanjuinais；　alone；　who　is　not　a　Girondist；　but　a　Catholic

and　Breton；　speaks　like　a　man　against　this　outrageous　attack　on　the

nation's　representatives　They　rush　at　him　and　assail　him　in　the

tribune；　the　butcher；　Legendre；　simulating　〃the　cleaver's　blow；〃　cries

out　to　him；　〃Come　down　or　I'll　knock　you　down！　A　group　of　Montagnards

spring　forward　to　help　Legendre；　and　one　of　them　claps　a　pistol　to　his

throat；＇162＇　he　clings　fast　to　the　tribune　and　strives　in　vain；　for

his　party　around　him　are　losing　courage。　　At　this　moment　Barrère；

remarkable　for　expedients；　proposes　to　the　Convention　to　adjourn；　and

hold　the　session　〃amidst　the　armed　force　that　will　afford　it

protection。〃＇163＇　All　other　things　failing；　the　majority　avails　itself

of　this　last　straw。　It　rises　in　a　body；　in　spite　of　the　vociferations

in　the　galleries；　descends　the　great　staircase；　and　proceeds　to　the

entrance　of　the　Carrousel。　There　the　Montagnard　president；　Hérault…

Séchelles；　reads　the　decree　of　Henriot；　which　enjoins　him　to　withdraw；

and　he　officially　and　correctly　summons　him　in　the　usual　way。　But　a

large　number　of　the　Montagnards　have　followed　the　majority；　and　are

there　to　encourage　the　insurrection；　Danton　takes　Henriot's　hand　and

tells　him；　in　a　low　voice；　〃Go　ahead；　don't　be　afraid；　we　want　to　show

that　the　Assembly　is　free；　be　firm。〃＇164＇　At　this　the　tall　bedizened

gawky　recovers　his　assurance；　and　in　his　husky　voice；　he　addresses　the

president：　〃Hérault；　the　people　have　not　come　here　to　listen　to　big

words。　You　are　a　good　patriot　。　。　。　Do　you　promise　on　your　head　that

the　Twenty…two　shall　be　given　up　in　twenty…four　hours？〃　　　〃No。〃　

〃Then；　in　that　case；　I　am　not　responsible。　To　arms；　cannoneers；　make

your　guns　ready！〃　The　cannoneers　take　their　lighted　matches；　〃the

cavalry　draw　their　sabers；　and　the　infantry　aim　at　the　deputies。〃＇165＇

Forced　back　on　this　side；　the　unhappy　Convention　turns　to　the　left；

passes　through　the　archway；　follows　the　broad　avenue　through　the

garden；　and　advances　to　the　Pont…Tournant　to　find　an　outlet。　There　is

no　outlet；　the　bridge　is　raised；　and　everywhere　the　barrier　of　pikes

and　bayonets　remains　impenetrable；　shouts　of　　〃Vive　la　Montagne！　vive

Marat！　To　the　guillotine　with　Brissot；　Vergniaud；　Guadet　and　Gensonné！

Away　with　bad　blood！〃　greet　the　deputies　on　all　sides；　and　the

Convention；　similar　to　a　flock　of　sheep；　in　vain　turns　round　and　round

in　its　pen。　At　this　moment；　to　get　them　back　into　the　fold；　Marat；

like　a　barking　dog；　runs　up　as　fast　as　his　short　legs　will　allow；

followed　by　his　troop　of　tatterdemalions；　and　exclaims：　〃Let　all　loyal

deputies　return　to　their　posts！〃　With　bowed　heads；　they　mechanically

return　to　the　hall；　it　is　immediately　closed；　and　they　are　once　more

in　confinement。　To　assist　them　in　their　deliberations　a　crowd　of　the

well…disposed　entered　pell…mell　along　with　them。　To　watch　them　and

hurry　on　the　matter；　the　sans…culottes；　with　fixed　bayonets；

gesticulate　and　threaten　them　from　the　galleries。　Outside　and　inside；

necessity；　with　its　iron　hand；　has　seized　them　and　holds　them　fast。

There　is　a　dead　silence。　Couthon；　a　paralytic；　tries　to　stand　up；　his

friends　carry　him　in　their　arms　to　the　tribune；　an　intimate　friend　of

Robespierre's；　he　is　a　grave　and　important　personage；　he　sits　down；

and　in　his　mild　tone　of　voice；　he　speaks：　〃Citizens；　all　members　of

the　Convention　must　now　be　satisfied　of　their　freedom。　。　。　。　You　are

now　aware　that　there　is　no　restraint　on　your　deliberations。〃＇166＇



The　comedy　is　at　an　end。　Even　in　Molière　there　is　none　like　it。　The

sentimental　cripple　in　the　tribune　winds　up　by　demanding　that　the

Twenty…two；　the　Twelve；　and　the　Ministers；　Clavière　and　Lebrun　be

placed　in　arrest。　　Nobody　opposes　the　motion；＇167＇　〃because　physical

necessities　begin　to　be　felt；　and　an　impression　of　terror　pervades　the

Assembly。〃　Several　say　to　themselves；　〃Well；　after　all；　those　who　are

proscribed　will　be　as　well　off　at　home；　where　they　will　be　safe。　。　。　。

It　is　better　to　put　up