the origins of contemporary france-3-第13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！



In　a　great　centralized　state　whoever　possesses　the　head　possesses　the

body。　By　virtue　of　being　led；　the　French　have　contracted　the　habit　of

letting　themselves　be　led。＇48＇　People　in　　the　provinces　involuntarily

turn　their　eyes　to　the　capital；　and；　on　a　crisis　occurring；　run　out　to

stop　the　mailman　to　know　what　government　happens　to　have　fallen；　the

majority　accepts　or　submits　to　it。　　Because；　in　the　first　place；

most　of　the　isolated　groups　which　would　like　to　overthrow　it　dare　not

engage　in　the　struggle：　it　seems　too　strong；　through　inveterate

routine　they　imagine　behind　it　that　great；　distant　France　which；　under

its　impulsion；　will　crush　them　with　its　mass。＇49＇　In　the　second　place；

should　a　few　isolated　groups　undertake　to　overthrow　it；　they　are　not

in　a　condition　to　keep　up　the　struggle：　it　is　too　strong。　They　are；

indeed；　not　yet　organized　while　it　is　fully　so；　owing　to　the　docile

set　of　officials　inherited　from　the　government　overthrown。　Under

monarchy　or　republic　the　government　clerk　comes　to　his　office

regularly　every　morning　to　dispatch　the　orders　transmitted　to　him。＇50＇

Under　monarchy　or　republic　the　policeman　daily　makes　his　round　to

arrest　those　against　who　he　has　a　warrant。　So　long　as　instructions

come　from　above　in　the　hierarchical　order　of　things；　they　are　obeyed。

From　one　end　of　the　territory　to　the　other；　therefore；　the　machine；

with　its　hundred　thousand　arms；　works　efficiently　in　the　hands　of

those　who　have　seized　the　lever　at　the　central　point。　Resolution；

audacity；　rude　energy；　are　all　that　are　needed　to　make　the　lever　act；

and　none　of　these　are　wanting　in　the　Jacobin。　＇51＇



First；　he　has　faith；　and　faith　at　all　times　〃moves　mountains。＇52＇

〃Take　any　ordinary　party　recruit；　an　attorney；　a　second…rate　lawyer；　a

shopkeeper；　an　artisan；　and　conceive；　if　you　can；　the　extraordinary

effect　of　this　doctrine　on　a　mind　so　poorly　prepared　for　it；　so

narrow；　so　out　of　proportion　with　the　gigantic　conception　which　has

mastered　it。　Formed　for　the　routine　and　the　limited　views　of　one　in

his　position；　he　is　suddenly　carried　away　by　a　complete　system　of

philosophy；　a　theory　of　nature　and　of　man；　a　theory　of　society　and　of

religion；　a　theory　of　universal　history；＇53＇　conclusions　about　the

past；　the　present；　and　the　future　of　humanity；　axioms　of　absolute

right；　a　system　of　perfect　and　final　truth；　the　whole　concentrated　in

a　few　rigid　formulae　as；　for　example：



　〃Religion　is　superstition；　monarchy　is　usurpation；　priests　are

impostors；　aristocrats　are　vampires；　and　kings　are　so　many　tyrants　and

monsters。〃



These　ideas　flood　a　mind　of　his　stamp　like　a　vast　torrent

precipitating　itself　into　a　narrow　gorge；　they　upset　it；　and；　no

longer　under　self…direction；　they　sweep　it　away。　The　man　is　beside

himself。　A　plain　bourgeois；　a　common　laborer　is　not　transformed　with

impunity　into　an　apostle　or　liberator　of　the　human　species。　…　…　For；

it　is　not　his　country　that　he　would　save；　but　the　entire　race。　Roland；

just　before　the　10th　of　August；　exclaims　〃with　tears　in　his　eyes；

should　liberty　die　in　France；　she　is　lost　the　rest　of　the　world

forever！　　The　hopes　of　philosophers　will　perish！　The　whole　earth　will

succumb　to　the　cruelest　tyranny！〃＇54＇　　　Grégoire；　on　the　meeting　of

the　Convention；　obtained　a　decree　abolishing　royalty；　and　seemed

overcome　with　the　thought　of　the　immense　benefit　he　had　conferred　on

the　human　race。



　〃I　must　confess；〃　said　he；　〃that　for　days　I　could　neither　eat　nor

sleep　for　excess　of　joy！〃



One　day　a　Jacobin　in　the　tribune　declared：　〃We　shall　be　a　nation　of

gods！〃　　Fancies　like　these　bring　on　lunacy；　or；　at　all　events；　they

create　disease。　〃Some　men　are　in　a　fever　all　day　long；〃　said　a

companion　of　St。　Just；　〃I　had　it　for　twelve　years　。　。　。〃＇55＇　　　Later

on；　〃when　advanced　in　life　and　trying　to　analyze　their　experiences；

they　cannot　comprehend　it。〃＇56＇　　　Another　tells　that；　in　his　case；　on

a　〃crisis　occurring；　there　was　only　a　hair's　breadth　between　reason

and　madness。〃　　　　〃When　St。　Just　and　myself；〃　says　Baudot；

〃discharged　the　batteries　at　Wissenbourg；　we　were　most　liberally

thanked　for　it。　Well；　there　was　no　merit　in　that；　we　knew　perfectly

well　that　the　shot　could　not　do　us　any　harm。〃　…　…　Man；　in　this　exalted

state；　is　unconscious　of　obstacles；　and；　according　to　circumstances；

rise　above　or　falls　below　himself；　freely　spilling　his　own　blood　as

well　as　the　blood　of　others；　heroic　as　a　soldier　and　atrocious　as　a

civilian；　he　is　not　to　be　resisted　in　either　direction　for　his

strength　increases　a　hundredfold　through　his　fury；　and；　on　his　tearing

wildly　through　the　streets；　people　get　out　of　his　way　as　on　the

approach　of　a　mad　bull。



If　they　do　not　jump　aside　of　their　own　accord；　he　will　run　at　them；

for　he　is　unscrupulous　as　well　as　furious。　　　　　In　every　political

struggle　certain　kinds　of　actions　are　prohibited；　at　all　events；　if

the　majority　is　sensible　and　wishes　to　act　fairly；　it　repudiates　them

for　itself。　It　will　not　violate　any　particular　law；　for；　if　one　law　is

broken；　this　tends　to　the　breaking　of　others。　It　is　opposed　to

overthrowing　an　established　government　because　every　interregnum　is　a

return　to　barbarism。　It　is　opposed　to　the　element　of　popular

insurrection　because；　in　such　a　resort；　public　power　is　surrendered　to

the　irrationality　of　brutal　passion。　It　is　opposed　to　a　conversion　of

the　government　into　a　machine　for　confiscation　and　murder　because　it

deems　the　natural　function　of　government　to　be　the　protection　of　life

and　property。　　　The　majority；　accordingly；　in　confronting　the

Jacobin；　who　allows　himself　all　this；＇57＇　is　like　a　unarmed　man　facing

one　who　is　fully　armed。＇58＇　　The　Jacobin；　on　principle；　holds　the　law

in　contempt；　for　the　only　law；　which　he　accepts　is　arbitrary　mob　rule。

He　has　no　hesitation　in　proceeding　against　the　government　because；　in

his　eyes；　the　government　is　a　clerk　which　the　people　always　has　the

right　to　remove。　He　welcomes　insurrection　because；　through　it；　the

people　recover　their　sovereignty　with　no　limitations。　　Moreover；　as

with　casuists；　〃the　end　justifies　the　means。〃＇59＇　　〃Let　the　colonies

perish；〃　exclaims　a　Jacobin　in　the　Constituent　Assembly；　〃rather　than

sacrifice　a　principle。〃　　〃Should　the　day　come；〃　says　St。　Just；　〃when　I

become　convinced　that　it　is　impossible　to　endow　the　French　with　mild；

vigorous；　and　rational　ways；　inflexible　against　tyranny　and　injustice；

that　day　I　will　stab　myself。〃　　Meanwhile　he　guillotines　the　others。

〃We　will　make　France　a　graveyard；〃　exclaimed　Carrier；　〃rather　than　not

regenerating　it　our　own　way！〃＇60＇　　They　are　ready　to　risk　the　ship　in

order　to　seize　the　helm。　From　the　first；　they　organize　street　riots

and　jacqueries　in　the　rural　districts；　they　let　loose　on　society

prostitutes　and　ruffians；　vile　and　savage　beasts。　Throughout　the

struggle　they　take　advantage　of　the　coarsest　and　most　destructive

passions；　of　the　blindness；　credulity；　and　rage　of　an　infatuated

crowd；　of　dearth；　of　fear　of　bandits；　of　rumors　of　conspiracy；　and　of

threats　of　invasion。　At　last；　having　seized　power　through　a　general

upheaval；　they　hold　on　to　it　through　terror　and　executions。　

Straining　will　to　the　utmost；　with　no　curb　to　check　it；　steadfastly

believing　in　its　own　right　and　with　utter　contempt　for　the　rights　of

others；　with　fanatical　energy　and　the　expedients　of　scoundrels；　a

minority　may；　in　employing　such　forces；　easily　master　and　subdue　a

majority。　　So　true　is　that；　with　faction　itself；　that　victory　is

always　on　the　side　of　the　group　with　the　strongest　faith　and　the　least

scruples。　Four　times　between　1789　and　1794；　political　gamblers　take

their　seats　at　a　table　where　the　stake　is　supreme　power；　and　four

times　in　succession　the　〃Impartiaux；〃　the　〃Feuillants；〃　the

〃Girondins；〃　and　the　〃Dantonists；〃　form　the　majority　and　lose　the

game。　Four　times　in　succession　the　majority　has　no　desire　to　break

customary　rules；　or；　at　the　very　least；　to　infringe　on　any　rule

universally　accepted；　to　wholly　disregard　the　teachings　of　experience；

the　letter　of　the　law；　the　precepts　of　humanity；　or　the　suggestions　of

pity。　　The　minority；　on　the　contrary；　is　determined　beforehand　to

win　at　any　price；　its　views　and　opinion　are　correct；　and　if　rules　are

opposed　to　that；　so　much　the　worse　for　the　rules。　At　the　decisive

moment；　it　claps　a　pistol　to　its　adversary's　head；　overturns　the

table；　and　collects　the　stakes。

____________________________________________________________________



NOTES：



＇1＇　See　the　figures　further　on。



＇2＇　　Mallet　du　Pan；　II。　491。　Danton；　in　1793；　said　one　day　to　one　of

his　former　brethren　an　advocate　to　the　Council。　：　〃The　old　régime　made

a　great　mistake。　It　brought　me　up　on　a　scholarship　in　Plessis　College。

I　was　brought　up　with　nobles；　who　were　my　comrades；　and　with　whom　I

lived　on　familiar　terms。　On　completing　my　studies；　I　had　nothing；　I

was　poor　and　tried　to　get　a　place。　The　Paris　bar　was　very　expensive；

and　it　required　extensive　efforts　to　be　accepted。　I　could　not　get　into

the　army；　having　neither　rank　nor　patronage。　There　was　no　opening　for

me　in　the　Church。　I　could　purchase　no　employment；　for　I　hadn't　a　cent。

My　old　companions　turned　their　backs　on　me。　I　remained　without　a

situation；　and　only　after　many　long　years　did　I　succeed　in　buying　the

post　of　advocate　in　the　Royal　Council。　The　Revolution　came；　when　I；

and　all　like　me；　threw　themselves　into　it。　The　ancient　régime　forced

us　to　do　so；　by　providing　a　good　education　for　us；　without　providing

an　opening　for　our　talents。〃　This　applies　to　Robespierre；　C。

Desmoulins；　Brissot；　Vergniaud；　and　others。



＇3＇　Religious　order　founded　in　Rome　in　1654　by　　saint　Philippe　Neri

and　who　dedicated　their　efforts　to　preaching　and　the　education　of

children。　（SR）



＇4＇　　Dauban；　〃La　Demagogie　à　Paris　en　1793；〃　and　〃Paris　in　1794。〃　Read

General　Henriot's　orders　of　the　day　in　these　two　works。　Comparton；

〃Histoire　du　Tribunal　Révolutionaire　de　Paris；〃　a　letter　b