the origins of contemporary france-3-第102部分

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prolonged　oppression　that　weighs　down　consciences；　and　the　danger　to

life　always　imminent；　no　city　or　province　would　have　attempted

secession。　Even　under　this　government　of　inquisitors　and　butchers　no

community；　save　those　of　Lyons　and　La　Vendée；　makes　any　sustained

effort　to　break　up　the　State；　withdraw　from　it　and　live　by　itself。　The

national　sheaf　has　been　too　strongly　bound　together　by　secular

centralization。　One's　country　exists；　and　when　that　country　is　in

danger；　when　the　armed　stranger　attacks　the　frontier；　one　follows　the

flag…bearer；　whoever　he　may　be；　whether　usurper；　adventurer；

blackguard；　or　cut…throat；　provided　only　that　he　marches　in　the　van

and　holds　the　banner　with　a　firm　hand。＇183＇　　To　tear　that　flag　from

him；　to　contest　his　pretended　right；　to　expel　him　and　replace　him　by

another；　would　be　a　complete　destruction　of　the　common　weal。　Brave　men

sacrifice　their　own　repugnance　for　the　sake　of　the　common　good；　in

order　to　serve　France；　they　serve　her　unworthy　government。　In　the

committee　of　war；　the　engineering　and　staff　officers　who　give　their

days　to　the　study　of　military　maps；　think　of　nothing　else　than　of

knowing　it　thoroughly；　one　of　them；　d'Arcon；　〃managed　the　raising　of

the　siege　of　Dunkirk；　and　of　the　blockade　of　Maubeuge；＇184＇　nobody

excels　him　in　penetration；　in　practical　knowledge；　in　quick　perception

and　in　imagination；　it　is　a　spirit　of　flame；　a　brain　compact　of

resources。　I　speak　of　him；　says　Mallet　du　Pan；　〃from　an　intimate

acquaintance　of　ten　years。　He　is　no　more　a　revolutionnaire　than　I　am。〃

Carnot＇185＇　does　even　more　than　this：　he　gives　up　his　honor　when；　with

his　colleagues　on　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　Billaud…Varennes；

Couthon；　Saint…Just；　Robespierre；　he　puts　his　name　to　decrees　which

are　assassinations。　A　similar　devotion　brings　recruits　into　the　armies

by　hundreds　of　thousands；　bourgeois＇186＇　　and　peasants；　from　the

volunteers　of　1791　to　the　levies　of　1793；　and　the　latter　class　fight

not　only　for　France；　but　also；　and　more　than　all；　for　the　Revolution。

For；　now　that　the　sword　is　drawn；　the　mutual　and　growing　exasperation

leaves　only　the　extreme　parties　in　the　field。　Since　the　10th　of

August；　and　more　especially　since　the　21st　of　January；　it　has　no

longer　been　a　question　how　to　deal　with　the　ancient　regime；　of　cutting

away　its　dead　portions　or　its　troublesome　thorns；　of　accommodating　it

to　modern　requirements；　of　establishing　civil　equality；　a　limited

monarchy；　a　parliamentary　government。　The　question　is　how　to　escape

conquest　by　armed　force　to　avert　the　military　executions　of

Brunswick；＇187＇　the　vengeance　of　the　proscribed　émigrés；　　the

restoration　and　the　aggravation　of　the　old　feudal　and　fiscal　order　of

things。　Both　through　their　traditions　and　their　experience；　the　mass

of　the　country　people　hate　this　ancient　order；　and　with　all　the

accumulated　hatred　which　an　unceasing　and　secular　spoliation　has

caused。　Irrespective　of　costs；　the　rural　masses　will　never　again

suffer　the　tax…collector　among　them；　nor　the　excise　man　in　the　cellar；

nor　the　fiscal　agent　on　the　frontier。　For　them　the　ancient　regime　is

nothing　more　than　these　things；　and；　in　fact；　they　have　paid　no　taxes；

or　scarcely　any；　since　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution。　On　this　matter

the　people's　idea　is　fixed；　positive；　unalterable；　and　as　soon　as　they

perceive　in　the　distant　future　the　possible　re…establishment　of　the

taille；　the　tithe；　and　the　seignorial　rights；　they　choose　their　side；

they　will　fight　to　the　death。　　　As　to　the　artisans　and　lesser

bourgeois；　their　spur　is　the　magnificent　prospect　of　careers；　to　which

the　doors　are　thrown　open；　of　unbounded　advancement；　of　promotion

offered　to　merit；　more　than　all；　their　illusions　are　still　intact。



Camped　out　there；　facing　the　enemy；　those　noble　ideals；　which　in　the

hands　of　the　Parisian　demagogues　had　turned　into　sanguinary　harlots；

remain　pure　and　virginal　　in　the　minds　of　the　soldiers　and　their

officers。　Liberty；　equality；　the　rights　of　man；　the　reign　of　reason　

all　these　vague　and　sublime　images　moved　before　their　eyes　when　they

climbed　the　escarpment　of　Jemmapes　under　a　storm　of　grapeshot；　or　when

they　wintered；　with　naked　feet；　among　the　snows　of　the　Vosges。　These

ideas；　in　descending　from　heaven　to　earth；　were　not　dishonored　and

distorted　under　their　feet；　they　did　not　see　them　transformed　in　their

hands　to　frightful　caricatures。　These　men　are　not　pillars　of　clubs；

nor　brawlers　in　the　sections；　nor　the　inquisitors　of　a　committee；　nor

hired　informers；　nor　providers　for　the　scaffold。　Apart　from　the

sabbath　revolutionaire；　brought　back　to　earth　by　their　danger；　and

having　understood　the　inequality　of　talents　and　the　need　for

discipline；　they　do　the　work　of　men；　they　suffer；　they　fast；　they　face

bullets；　they　are　conscious　of　their　generosity　and　their　sacrifices；

they　are　heroes；　and　they　look　upon　themselves　as　liberators。＇188＇

They　are　proud　of　this。　According　to　an　astute　observer＇189＇　who　knew

their　survivors；



　〃many　of　them　believed　that　the　French　alone　were　reasonable　beings。

。　。　In　our　eyes　the　people　in　the　rest　of　Europe；　who　were　fighting　to

keep　their　chains；　were　only　pitiable　imbeciles　or　knaves　sold　to　the

despots　who　were　attacking　us。　Pitt　and　Cobourg　seemed　to　us　the

chiefs　of　these　knaves　and　the　personification　of　all　the　treachery

and　stupidity　in　the　world。　。　。　　In　1794　our　inmost；　serious　sentiment

was　wholly　contained　in　this　idea：　　to　be　useful　to　our　country；　　all

other　things；　our　clothes；　our　food；　advancement；　were　poor　ephemeral

details。　As　society　did　not　exist；　there　was　no　such　thing　for　us　as

social　success；　that　leading　element　in　the　character　of　our　nation。

Our　only　gatherings　were　national　festivals；　moving　ceremonies　which

nourished　in　us　the　love　of　our　country。　In　the　streets　our　eyes

filled　with　tears　when　we　saw　an　inscription　in　honor　of　the　young

drummer；　Barra。　。　。　　This　sentiment　was　the　only　religion　we

had。〃＇190＇



But　it　was　a　religion。　When　the　heart　of　a　nation　is　so　high　it　will

deliver　itself；　in　spite　of　its　rulers；　whatever　their　excesses　may

be；　whatever　their　crimes；　for　the　nation　atones　for　their　follies　by

its　courage；　it　hides　their　crimes　beneath　its　great　achievements。



_______________________________________________________________________



Notes：







＇1＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　AF　II；　45；　May　6；　1793　（in　English）。



＇2＇　Moore；　II。　185　（October　20）。　〃It　is　evident　that　all　the

departments　of　France　are　in　theory　allowed　to　have　an　equal　share　in

the　government；　yet　in　fact　the　single　　department　of　Paris　has　the

whole　power　of　the　government。〃　Through　the　pressure　of　the　mob　Paris

makes　the　law　for　the　Convention　and　for　all　France。　…　Ibid。；　II。　534

（during　the　king's　trial）。　〃All　the　departments　of　France；　including

that　of　Paris；　are　in　reality　often　obliged　to　submit　to　the　clamorous

tyranny　of　a　set　of　hired　ruffians　in　the　tribunes　who　usurp　the　name

and　functions　of　the　sovereign　people；　and；　secretly　direct　by　a　few

demagogues；　govern　this　unhappy　nation。〃　Cf。　Ibid。；　II。　（Nov。　13）。



＇3＇　　Schmidt；　I。　96。　Letter　of　Lauchou　to　the　president　of　the

Convention；　Oct。　11；　1792：　〃The　section　of　1792　on　its　own　authority

decreed　on　the　5th　of　this　month　that　all　persons　in　a　menial　service

could　be　allowed　to　vote　in　our　primary　assemblies　。　。　。　It　would　be

well　for　the　National　Convention　to　convince　the　inhabitants　of　Paris

that　they　alone　do　not　constitute　the　entire　republic。　However　absurd

this　idea　may　be；　it　is　gaining　ground　every　day。〃　…　Ibid。；　Letter　of

Damour；　vice…president　of　the　Pantheon　section；　Oct。　29：　〃The　citizen

Paris　。　。　。　　has　said　that　when　the　law　is　in　conflict　with　general

opinion　no　attention　must　be　paid　to　it。　。　。　These　disturbers　of　the

public　peace　who　desire　to　monopolize　all　places；　either　in　the

municipality　or　elsewhere；　are　themselves　the　cause　of　the　greatest

tumult。〃



＇4＇　Schmidt；　I。　223　（report　by　Dutard；　May　14）。



＇5＇　Mortimer…Ternaux；　VI。　117；　VII。　59　（balloting　of　Dec。　2　and　4）。　In

most　of　these　and　the　following　elections　the　number　of　voters　is　but

one…twentieth　of　those　registered。　Chaumette　is　elected　in　his　section

by　53　votes；　Hébert　by　56；　Gency；　a　master…cooper；　by　34；　Lechenard；　a

tailor；　by　39；　Douce；　a　building…hand；　by　24。　　Pache　is　elected

mayor　Feb。　15；　1793；　by　11；881　votes；　out　of　160；000　registered。



＇6＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XVII。　101。　（Decree　of　Aug。　19；　1792）。　…　Mortimer…

Ternaux；　IV。　223。　…　Beaulieu；　〃Essais；〃　III。　454。　　〃The　National　Guard

ceased　to　exist　after　the　10th　of　August。〃　　Buzot；　454。　　Schmidt；

I。　533　（Dutard；　May　29）。　〃It　is　certain　that　the　armed　forces　of　Paris

is　nonexistent。〃



＇7＇　Beaulieu；　Ibid。；　　IV。　6。　　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3249

（Oise）。　　Letters　of　the　Oise　administrators；　Aug。　24；　Sept。　12　and

20；　1792。　Letters　of　the　administrators　of　the　district　of　Clermont；

Sept。　14；　etc。



＇8＇　Cf。　above；　ch。　IX。…〃Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　3249。　Letter　of　the

administrators　of　　the　district　of　Senlis；　Oct。　31；　1792。　Two　of　the

administrators　of　the　Senlis　hospital　were　arrested　by　Paris

commissaries　and　conducted　〃before　the　pretended　Committee　of　Public

Safety　in　Paris；　with　all　that　they　possessed　in　money；　jewels；　and

assignats。〃　The　same　commissaries　carry　off　two　of　the　hospital

sisters　of　charity；　with　all　the　silver　plate　in　the　establishment；

the　sisters　are　released；　but　the　plate　is　not　returned。　　　Buchez　et

Roux；　XXVI。　209　（Patriote　Fran？ais）。　Session　of　April　30；　1793；　the

final　report　of　the　commission　appointed　to　examine　the　accounts　of

the　old　Committee　of　Supervision：　〃　Panis　and　Sergent　are　convicted　of

breaking　seals。〃　。　。　。　　〃67；580　francs　found　in　Septenil's　domicile

have　disappeared；　as　well　as　many　articles　of　value。〃



＇9＇　Schmidt；　I；　270。



＇10＇　Mortimer…Ternaux；　IV。　221　to　229；　242　to　260；　VI。　43　to　52。



＇11＇　De　Sybel；　〃Histoire　de　l'Euro