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the origins of contemporary france-3-第13部分

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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
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