the origins of contemporary france-3-第101部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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

It　is　better　to　put　up　with　a　lesser　evil　than　encounter　a　greater

one。〃　Another　exclaims：　〃It　is　better　not　to　vote　than　to　betray　one's

trust。〃　The　salvo　being　found；　all　consciences　are　easy。　Two…thirds　of

the　Assembly　declare　that　they　will　no　longer　take　part　in　the

discussions；　hold　aloof；　and　remain　in　their　seats　at　each　calling　of

the　vote。　With　the　exception　of　about　fifty　members　of　the　〃Right；〃

who　rise　on　the　side　of　the　Girondists；　the　〃Mountain；〃　whose　forces

are　increased　by　the　insurgents　and　amateurs　sitting　fraternally　in

its　midst；　alone　votes　for；　and　finally　passes　the　decree。　　Now　that

the　Convention　has　mutilated　itself；　it　is　check…mated；　and　is　about

to　become　a　governing　machine　in　the　service　of　a　clique；　the　Jacobin

conquest　is　completed；　and　in　the　hands　of　the　victors；　the　grand

operations　of　the　guillotine　are　going　to　commence。







VIII。　Right　or　Wrong；　my　Country。



Character　of　the　new　governors。　…　Why　France　accepted　them。



Let　us　observe　them　at　this　decisive　moment。　I　doubt　if　any　such

contrast　ever　presented　itself　in　any　country　or　in　any　age。　…　Through

a　series　of　purifications　in　an　inverse　sense；　the　faction　has　become

reduced　to　its　dregs；　nothing　remains　of　the　vast　surging　wave　of　1789

but　its　froth　and　its　slime；　the　rest　has　been　cast　off　or　has

withdrawn　to　one　side；　at　first　the　highest　class；　the　clergy；　the

nobles；　and　the　parliamentarians；　next　the　middle　class　of　traders；

manufacturers；　and　the　bourgeois；　and　finally　the　best　of　the　inferior

class；　small　proprietors；　farmers；＇168＇　and　master…workmen　　　in

short；　the　prominent　in　every　pursuit；　profession；　state；　or

occupation；　whoever　possesses　capital；　a　revenue；　an　establishment；

respectability；　public　esteem；　education　and　mental　and　moral　culture。

The　party　in　June；　1793；　is　composed　of　little　more　than　unreliable

workmen；　town　and　country　vagabonds；　the　habitués　of　hospices＇169＇；

sluts　of　the　gutter；　degraded　and　dangerous　persons；＇170＇　the

déclassé；　the　corrupt；　the　perverted；　the　maniacs　of　all　sorts。　In

Paris；　from　which　they　command　the　rest　of　France；　their　troop；　an

insignificant　minority；　is　recruited　from　that　refuse　of　humanity

infesting　all　capitals；　amongst　the　epileptic　and　scrofulous　rabble

which；　heirs　of　vitiated　blood　and；　further　degrading　this　by　its

misconduct；　introduces　into　civilization　the　degeneracy；　imbecility；

and　infatuations　of　shattered　temperaments；　retrograde　instincts；　and

deformed　brains。＇171＇　　What　it　did　with　the　powers　of　the　State　is

narrated　by　three　or　four　contemporary　witnesses；　we　see　it　face　to

face；　in　itself；　and　in　its　chiefs；　we　contemplate　the　true　nature　of

the　men　of　action　and　of　enterprise　who　have　led　the　last　attack　and

who　represent　it　the　best。



Since　the　2nd　of　June　〃nearly　one…half　of　the　deputies　in　the

Convention　refrain　from　taking　any　part　in　its　deliberations；　more

than　one　hundred　and　fifty　have　even　fled　or　disappeared＇172＇〃；　　the

silent；　the　fugitives；　the　incarcerated；　and　the　convicted；　all　this

has　been　accomplished　by　the　party。　　On　the　evening　of　June　2nd　its

bosom　friend；　its　conscience；　the　filthy　monstrosity；　charlatan；

monomaniac　and　murderer；　who　regularly　every　morning；　effuses　his

political　poison　into　its　bosom；　Marat；　has　at　last　obtained　the

discretionary　powers　craved　by　him　for　the　last　four　years；　that　of

Marius　and　Sylla；　that　of　Octavius；　Antony；　and　Lepidus；　　the　power　of

adding　or　removing　names　from　lists　of　proscription：



　〃while　the　reading　was　going　on　he　indicated　cancellations　or

additions；　the　secretary　effacing　or　adding　names　as　he　suggested

them；　without　any　consultation　whatever　with　the　Assembly。〃＇173＇



At　the　H？tel…de…ville　on　the　3rd　of　June；　in　the　Salle　de　la　Reine；

Pétion　and　Guadet；　under　arrest；　see　with　their　own　eyes　this　Central

Committee　which　has　just　started　the　insurrection；　and　which　through

its　singular　delegation　sits　enthroned　over　all　other　established

authorities。



　〃They　were　snoring；＇174＇　some　stretched　out　on　the　benches　and　others

leaning　on　the　tables　with　their　elbows；　　some　were　barefoot　others

were　wearing　their　shoes　slipshod　like　slippers；　almost　all　were　dirty

and　poorly　clad；　their　clothes　were　unbuttoned；　their　hair　uncombed；

and　their　faces　frightful；　they　wore　pistols　in　their　belts；　and

sabers；　with　scarves　turned　into　shoulder…straps。　Bottles；　bits　of

bread；　fragments　of　meat　and　bones　lay　strewn　around　on　the　floor；　and

smell　was　rotten。〃



It　looks　like　a　tapestry　of　a　middle　age　battle　field。　　The　chief　of

the　band　here　is　not　Chaumette；　who　has　legal　qualms；＇175＇　nor　Pache；

who　cunningly　tacks　under　his　mask　of　Swiss　phlegm；　but　Hébert；

another　Marat；　yet　more　brutal　and　depraved；　and　who　profits　by　the

opportunity　to　〃put　more　coal　into　the　furnace　of　his　Père　Duchesne；〃

striking　off　600；000　copies　of　it；　pocketing　135；000　francs　for　the

numbers　sent　to　the　armies；　and　gaining　seventy…five　per　cent　on　the

contract。＇176＇　　　In　the　street　the　active　body　of　supporters

consists　of　two　bands；　one　military　and　other　civil；　the　former

composed　of　roughs　who　are　soon　to　furnish　the　revolutionary　army。

〃This　army；＇177＇　considered　to　be　a　recent　institution；　has　actually

existed　since　1789。　The　agents　of　the　Duke　of　Orleans　formed　its　first

nucleus。　It　grew；　became　organized；　had　officers　appointed　to　it；

mustering　points；　orders　of　the　day；　and　a　peculiar　slang。　。　。　　。　　All

the　revolutions　were　carried　out　by　its　aid；　it　gave　impetus　to

popular　violence　wherever　it　did　not　appear　en　masse。　On　the　12th　of

July；　1789；　it　had　Necker's　bust　carried　in　public　and　the　theaters

closed；　on　the　5th　of　October　it　started　the　populace　off　to

Versailles；　on　the　20th　of　April；　1791；　it　caused　the　king's　arrest　in

the　court　of　the　Tuileries。　。　。　Led　by　Westermann　and　Fournier；　it

formed　the　central　battalion　in　the　attack　of　August　10；　1792；　it

carried　out　the　September　massacres；　it　protected　the　Maratists　on　the

31st　of　May；　1793；　。　。　。　　its　composition　is　in　keeping　with　its

exploits　and　its　functions。　It　contains　the　most　determined

scoundrels；　the　brigands　of　Avignon；　the　scum　of　Marseilles；　Brabant；

Liège；　Switzerland　and　the　shores　of　Genoa。〃　Through　a　careful

sifting；＇178＇　it　is　to　be　inspected；　strengthened；　aggravated；　and

converted　into　a　legal　body　of　Janissaries　on　triple　pay；　once

〃enlarged　with　idle　hairdressers；　unemployed　lackeys；　　designers　of

mad　schemes；　and　other　scoundrels　unable　to　earn　their　keep　in　an

honest　manner；〃　it　will　supply　the　detachments　needed　for　garrison　at

Bordeaux；　Lyons；　Dijon　and　Nantes；　still　leaving　〃ten　thousand　of

these　Mamelukes　to　keep　down　the　capital。〃



The　civilian　body　of　supporters　comprises；　first；　those　who　haunt　the

sections；　and　are　about　to　receive　40　sous　for　attending　each　meeting；

next；　the　troop　of　figure…heads　who；　in　other　public　places；　are　to

represent　the　people；　about　1；000　bawlers　and　claqueurs；　〃two…thirds

of　which　are　women。〃　〃While　I　was　free；〃　says　Beaulieu；＇179＇　〃I

closely　observed　their　movements。　It　was　a　magic…lantern　constantly　in

operation。　They　traveled　to　and　from　the　Convention　to　the

Revolutionary　Tribunal；　and　from　this　to　the　Jacobin　Club；　or　to　the

Commune；　which　held　its　meetings　in　the　evening。　。　。　。　　They　scarcely

took　time　for　their　natural　requirements；　they　were　often　seen　dining

and　supping　at　their　posts　when　some　action　or　an　important　murder　was

in　the　offing。　　Henriot；　the　commander…in…chief　of　both　hordes；　was　at

one　time　a　swindler；　then　a　police…informer；　then　imprisoned　at

Bicêtre　for　robbery；　and　then　one　of　the　September　murderers。　His

military　bearing　and　popularity　are　due　to　parading　the　streets　in　the

uniform　of　a　general；　and　appearing　in　humbug　performances；　he　is　the

type　of　a　swaggerer；　always　drunk　or　soaked　with　brandy。　A　blockhead；

with　a　beery　voice；　blinking　eyes；　and　a　face　distorted　by　nervous

twitching；　he　possesses　all　the　external　characteristics　of　his

employment。　In　talking；　he　vociferates　like　men　with　the　scurvy；　his

voice　is　sepulchral；　and　when　he　stops　talking　his　features　come　to

rest　only　after　repeated　agitations；　he　blinks　three　times；　after

which　his　face　recovers　its　equilibrium。〃＇180＇



　Marat；　Hébert；　and　Henriot；　the　maniac；　the　thief　and　the　brute。　Were

it　not　for　the　dagger　of　Charlotte　Corday；＇181＇　it　is　probable　that

this　trio；　master　of　the　press　and　of　the　armed　force；　aided　by

Jacques　Roux；　Leclerc；　Vincent；　Ronsin；　and　other　madmen　of　the　slums；

would　have　put　aside　Danton；　suppressed　Robespierre；　and　governed

France。　　Such　are　the　counselors；　the　favorites；　and　the　leaders　of

the　ruling　revolutionary　class；　did　one　not　know　what　　was　to　occur

during　the　next　fourteen　months；　one　might　form　an　idea　of　its

government　from　the　quality　of　these　men。



And　yet；　such　as　this　government　is；　France　accepts　or　submits　to　it。

In　fact；　Lyons；　Marseilles；　Toulon；　N？mes；　Bordeaux；　Caen；　and　other

cities；　feeling　the　knife　at　their　throats；＇182＇　turn　aside　the　stroke

with　a　movement　of　horror。　They　rise　against　their　local　Jacobins；　but

it　is　nothing　more　than　an　instinctive　movement。　They　do　not　think　of

forming　States　within　the　State；　as　the　〃Mountain〃　pretends　that　they

do；　nor　of　usurping　the　central　authority；　as　the　〃Mountain〃　actually

does。　Lyons　cries；　〃Long　live　the　Republic；　one　and　indivisible；〃

receives　with　honor　the　commissioners　of　the　Convention；　permits

convoys　of　arms　and　horses　destined　for　the　army　of　the　Alps　to　pass。

To　excite　a　revolt　there；　requires　the　insane　demands　of　Parisian

despotism　just　as　it　requires　the　brutal　persistence　of　religious

persecution　to　render　the　province　of　la　Vendée　insurgent。　Without　the

prolonged　oppression　that　weighs　down　consciences；　and　the　danger　to

life　always　imminent；　no　city