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the origins of contemporary france-3-第17部分

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〃considering that this assemblage is a cause of disturbance; that it

produces gatherings in the street; that only violent means can be

employed to protect it;〃 orders its dissolution。'17'  Towards the

month of August; 1790; a second club is organized; and; this time;

composed of the wisest and most liberal men。 Malouet and Count

Clermont…Tonnerre are at the head of it。  It takes the name of

〃Friends of a Monarchical Constitution;〃 and is desirous of restoring

public order by maintaining the reforms which have been reached。 All

formalities on its part have been complied with。 There are already

about 800 members in Paris。 Subscriptions flow into its treasury。 The

provinces send in numerous adhesions; and; what is worse than all;

bread is distributed by them at a reduced price; by which the people;

probably; will be conciliated。  Here is a center of opinion and

influence; analogous to that of the Jacobin club; which the Jacobins

cannot tolerate。'18'  M。 de Clermont…Tonnerre having leased the summer

Vauxhall; a captain in the National Guard notifies the proprietor of

it that if he rents it; the patriots of the Palais…Royal will march to

it in a body; and close it; fearing that the building will be damaged;

he cancels the lease; while the municipality; which fears skirmishes;

orders a suspension of the meetings。 The club makes a complaint and

follows it up; while the letter of the law is so plain that an

official authorization of the club is finally granted。 Thereupon the

Jacobin newspapers and stump… speakers let loose their fury against a

future rival that threatens to dispute their empire。  On the 23rd of

January; 1791; Barnave; in the National Assembly; employing

metaphorical language apt to be used as a death…shout; accuses the

members of the new club 〃of giving the people bread that carries

poison with it。〃 Four days after this; M。 Clermont…Tonnerre's dwelling

is assailed by an armed throng。  Malouet; on leaving it; is almost

dragged from his carriage; and the crowd around him cry out; 〃There

goes the bastard  who denounced the people! 〃… At length; its

founders; who; out of consideration for the municipality; have waited

two months; hire another hall in the Rue des Petites…Ecuries; and on

the 28th of March begin their sessions。  〃On reaching it;〃 writes one

of them; 〃we found a mob composed of drunkards; screaming boys; ragged

women; soldiers exciting them on; and especially those frightful

hounds; armed with stout; knotty cudgels; two feet long; which are

excellent skull…crackers。〃'19'  The thing was made up beforehand。 At

first there were only three or four hundred of them; and; ten minutes

after; five or six hundred; in a quarter of an hour; there are perhaps

four thousand flocking in from all sides; in short; the usual make…up

of an insurrection。  〃The people of the quarter certified that they

did not recognize one of the faces。〃  Jokes; insults; cuffs;

clubbings; and saber…cuts;  the members of the club 〃who agreed to

come unarmed〃 being dispersed; while several are knocked down; dragged

by the hair; and a dozen or fifteen more are wounded。 To justify the

attack; white cockades are shown; which; it is pretended; were found

in their pockets。  Mayor Bailly arrives only when it is all over; and;

as a measure of 〃public order;〃 the municipal authorities have the

club of Constitutional Monarchists closed for good。



Owing to these outrages by the faction; with the connivance of the

authorities; other similar clubs are suppressed in the same way。 There

are a good many of them; and in the principal towns 〃Friends of

Peace;〃 〃Friends of the Country;〃 〃Friends of the King; of Peace; and

of Religion;〃 〃Defenders of Religion; Persons; and Property〃。

Magistrates and officers; the most cultivated and polished people; are

generally members; in short; the élite of the place。 Formerly;

meetings took place for conversation and debate; and; being long…

established; the club naturally passes over from literature to

politics。   The watch…word against all these provincial clubs is

given from the Rue St。 Honoré。'20'  〃They are centers of conspiracy;

and must be looked after〃 forthwith; and be at once trodden out。 

At one time; as at Cahors;'21' a squad of the National Guard; on its

return from an expedition against the neighboring gentry; and to

finish its task breaks in on the club; 〃throws its furniture out of

the windows and demolishes the house。〃   At another time; as at

Perpignan; the excited mob surrounds the club; dancing a fandango; and

yell out; to the lantern!  The club…house is sacked; while eighty of

its members; covered with bruises; are shut up in the citadel for

their safety。'22'  At another time; as at Aix; the Jacobin club

insults its adversaries on their own premises and provokes a scuffle;

whereupon the municipality causes the doors of the assailed club to be

walled up and issues warrants of arrest against its members。 

Always punishment awaits them for whatever violence they have to

submit to。 Their mere existence seems an offense。 At Grenoble; they

scarcely assemble before they are dispersed。 The fact is; they are

suspected of 〃incivism;〃  their intentions may not be right; in any

event; they cause a division of the place into two camps; and that is

enough。 In the department of Gard; their clubs are all broken up; by

order of the department; because 〃they are centers of malevolence。〃 At

Bordeaux; the municipality; considering that 〃alarming reports are

current of priests and privileged persons returning to town;〃

prohibits all reunions; except that of the Jacobin club。  Thus;

〃under a system of liberty of the most exalted kind; in the presence

of the famous Declaration of the Rights of Man which legitimates

whatever is not unlawful;〃 and which postulates equality as the

principle of the French constitution; whoever is not a Jacobin is

excluded from common rights。 An intolerant club sets itself up as a

holy church; and proscribes others which have not received from it

〃orthodox baptism; civic inspiration; and the aptitude of languages。〃

To her alone belongs the right of assemblage; and the right of making

proselytes。 Conservative; thoughtful men in all towns throughout the

kingdom are forbidden to form electoral committees; to possess a

tribune; a fund; subscribers and adherents; to cast the weight of

their names and common strength into the scale of public opinion; to

gather around their permanent nucleus the scattered multitude of

sensible people; who would like to escape from the Revolution without

falling back into the ancient régime。 Let them whisper amongst

themselves in corners; and they may still be tolerated; but woe to

them if they would leave their lonely retreat to act in concert; to

canvass voters; and support a candidate。 Up to the day of voting they

must remain in the presence of their combined; active; and

obstreperous adversaries; scattered; inert; and mute。



IV。

Turmoil of the elections of 1790。   Elections in 1791。   Effect of

the King's flight。  Domiciliary visits。   Montagne during the

electoral period。



Will they at least be able to vote freely on that day? They are not

sure of it; and; judging by occurrences during the past year; it is

doubtful。  In April; 1790; at Bois d'Aisy; in Burgundy; M。 de Bois

d'Aisy; a deputy; who had returned from Paris to deposit his vote;'23'

was publicly menaced。 He was informed that nobles and priests must

take no part m the elections; while many were heard to say; in his

hearing; that in order to prevent this it would be better to hang him。

Not far off; at Ste。 Colombe; M。 de Viteaux was driven out of the

electoral assembly; and then put to death after three hours of

torture。 The same thing occurred at Semur; two gentlemen were knocked

down with clubs and stones; another saved himself with difficulty; and

a curé died after being stabbed six times。  A warning for priests

and for gentlemen: they had better not vote; and the same good advice

may be given to dealers in grain; to land…owners; and every other

suspected person。  For this is the day on which the people recover

their sovereignty; the violent believe that they have the right to do

exactly what suits them; nothing being more natural than to exclude

candidates in advance who are distrusted; or electors who do not vote

as they ought to。  At Villeneuve…St。…Georges; near Paris;'24' a

barrister; a man of austere and energetic character; is about to be

elected judge by the district electors; the proletariat; however;

mistrust a judge likely to condemn marauders; and forty or fifty

vagabonds collect together under the windows and cry out: 〃We don't

want him elected。〃 The curé of Crosne; president of the electoral

assembly; informs them in vain that the assembled electors represent

90 communes; nearly 100;000 inhabitants; and that 〃40 persons should

not prevail against 100;000。  Shouts redouble and the electors

renounce their candidate。… At Pau; patriots among the militia'25'

forcibly release one of their imprisoned leaders; circulate a list for

proscriptions; attack a poll…teller with their fists and afterwards

with sabers; until the proscribed hide themselves away; on the

following day 〃nobody is disposed to attend the electoral assembly。〃 …

… Things are much worse in 1791。  In the month of June; just at the

time of the opening of the primary meetings; the king has fled to

Varennes; the Revolution seems compromised; civil war and a foreign

war loom up on the horizon like two ghosts; the National Guard had

everywhere taken up arms; and the Jacobins were making the most of the

universal panic for their own advantage。 To dispute their votes is no

longer the question; it is not well to be visible: among so many

turbulent gatherings a popular execution is soon over。 The best thing

now for royalists; constitutionalists; conservatives and moderates of

every kind; for the friends of law and 
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