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the origins of contemporary france-3-第18部分

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now for royalists; constitutionalists; conservatives and moderates of

every kind; for the friends of law and of order; is to stay at home 

too happy if they may be allowed to remain there; to which the armed

rabble agrees; on the condition of frequently paying them visits。



Consider their situation during the whole of the electoral period; in

a calm district; and judge of the rest of France by this corner of it。

At Mortagne;'26' a small town of 6;000 souls; the laudable spirit of

1789 still existed up to the journey to Varennes。  Among the forty or

fifty noble families were a good many liberals。 Here; as elsewhere

among the gentry; the clergy and the middle class; the philosophic

education of the eighteenth century had revived the old provincial

spirit of initiative; and the entire upper class had zealously and

gratuitously undertaken the public duties which it alone could perform

well。  District presidents; mayors; and municipal officers; were all

chosen from among ecclesiastics and the nobles; the three principal

officers of the National Guard were chevaliers of St。 Louis; while

other grades were filled by the leading people of the community。  Thus

had the free elections placed authority in the hands of the socially

superior; the new order of things resting on the legitimate hierarchy

of conditions; educations; and capacities。 … But for six months the

club; formed out of 〃a dozen hot…headed; turbulent fellows; under the

presidency and in the hands of a certain Rattier; formerly a cook;〃

worked upon the population and the rural districts。  Immediately on

the receipt of the news of the King's flight; the Jacobins 〃give out

that nobles and priests had supplied him with money for his departure;

to bring about a counter…revolution。〃  One family had given such an

amount; and another so much; there was no doubt about it; the precise

figures are given; and given for each family according to its known

resources。 Forthwith; 〃the principal clubbists; associated with the

dubious part of the National Guard;〃 spread through the streets in

squads: the houses of the nobles and of other suspected persons are

invaded。 All the arms; 〃guns; pistols; swords; hunting…knives; and

sword…canes;〃 are carried off。 Every hole and corner is ransacked;

they make the inmates open; or they force open; secretaries and

clothes…presses in search of ammunition; the search extending 〃even to

the ladies' toilette…tables〃。 By way of precaution 〃they break sticks

of pomatum in two; presuming that musket…balls are concealed in them;

and they take away hair…powder under the pretext that it is either

colored or masked gunpowder。〃  Then; without disbanding; the troop

betakes itself to the environs and into the country; where it operates

with the same promptness in the chateaux; so that 〃in one day all

honest citizens; those with the most property and furniture to

protect; are left without arms at the mercy of the first robber that

comes along。〃 All reputed aristocrats are disarmed。  As such are

considered those who 〃disapprove of the enthusiasm of the day; or who

do not attend the club; or who harbor any unsworn ecclesiastic;〃 and;

first of all; 〃the officers of the National Guard who are nobles;

beginning with the commander and his entire staff。〃  The latter

allow their swords to be taken without resistance; and with a

forbearance and patriotic spirit of which their brethren everywhere

furnish an example 〃they are obliging enough to remain at their posts

so as not to disorganize the army; hoping that this frenzy will soon

come to an end;〃 contenting themselves with making their complaint to

the department。  But in vain the department orders their arms to be

restored to them。  The clubbists refuse to give them up so long as the

king refuses to accept the Constitution; meanwhile they do not

hesitate to say that 〃at the very first gun on the frontier; they will

cut the throats of all the nobles and unsworn priests。〃  After the

royal oath to the Constitution is taken; the department again insists;

but no attention is paid to it。  On the contrary; the National Guard;

dragging cannons along with them; purposely station themselves before

the mansions of the unarmed gentry; the ladies of their families are

followed in the streets by urchins who sing ?A IRA'27' in their faces;

and; in the final refrain; they mention them by name and promise them

the lantern;  〃not one of them could invite a dozen of his friends to

supper without incurring the risk of an uproar。〃  On the strength of

this; the old chiefs of the National Guard resign; and the Jacobins

turn the opportunity to account。 In contempt of the law the whole body

of officers is renewed; and; as peaceable folks dare not deposit their

votes; the new staff 〃is composed of maniacs; taken for the most part;

from the lowest class。〃 With this purged militia the club expels nuns;

drives off unsworn priests; organizes expeditions in the neighborhood;

and goes so far as to purify suspected municipalities。'28'  So many

acts of violence committed in town and country; render town and

country uninhabitable; and for the élite of the propriety owners; or

for well…bred persons; there is no longer any asylum but Paris。 After

the first disarmament seven or eight families take refuge there; and a

dozen or fifteen more join them after a threat of having their throats

cut; after the religious persecution; unsworn ecclesiastics; the rest

of the nobles; and countless other townspeople; 〃even with little

means;〃 betake themselves there in a mass。 There; at least; one is

lost in the crowd; one is protected by an incognito against the

outrages of the commonalty; one can live there as a private

individual。  In the provinces even civil rights do not exist; how

could any one there exercise political rights?  〃All honest citizens

are kept away from the primary meetings by threats or maltreatment 。 。

。 The electoral battlefield is left for those who pay forty…five sous

of taxes; more than one…half of them being registered on the poor

list。〃 … Thus the elections are decided beforehand! The former cook is

the one who authorizes or creates candidatures; and on the election of

the department deputies at the county town; the electors elected are;

like himself; true Jacobins。'29'





V。



Intimidation and withdrawal of the Conservatives。  Popular outbreaks

in Burgundy; Lyonnais; Provence; and the large cities。  Electoral

proceedings of the Jacobins; examples at Aix; Dax; and Montpellier。 

Agitators go unpunishes  Denunciations by name。  Manoeuvres with

the peasantry。  General tactics of the Jacobins。



Such is the pressure under which voting takes place in France during

the summer and fall of 1791。  Domiciliary visits'30' and disarmament

everywhere force nobles and ecclesiastics; landed proprietors and

people of culture; to abandon their homes; to seek refuge in the large

towns and to emigrate;'31' or; at least; confine themselves strictly

to private life; to abstain from all propaganda; from every

candidature; and from all voting。  It would be madness to be seen in

so many cantons where searches end in a riot;  in Burgundy and the

Lyonnais; where castles are sacked; where aged gentlemen are mauled

and left for dead; where M。 de Guillin has just been assassinated and

cut to pieces; at Marseilles; where conservative party leaders are

imprisoned; where a regiment of Swiss guards under arms scarcely

suffices to enforce the verdict of the court which sets them at

liberty; where; if any indiscreet person opposes Jacobin resolutions

his mouth is closed by being notified that he will be buried alive; at

Toulon; where the Jacobins shoot down all conservatives and the

regular troops; where M。 de Beaucaire; captain in the navy; is killed

by a shot in the back; where the club; supported by the needy; by

sailors; by navvies; and 〃vagabond peddlers;〃 maintains a dictatorship

by right of conquest; at Brest; at Tulle; at Cahors; where at this

very moment gentlemen and officers are massacred in the street。 It is

not surprising that honest people turn away from the ballot…box as

from a center of cut…throats。  Nevertheless; let them come if they

like; it will be easy to get rid of them。 At Aix; the assessor whose

duty it is to read the electors' names is informed that 〃the names

should be called out by an unsullied mouth; that; being an aristocrat

and fanatical; he could neither speak nor vote;〃 and; without further

ceremony; they put him out of the room。'32'   The process is an

admirable one for converting a minority into a majority and yet here

is another; still more effective。  At Dax; the Feuillants; taking

the title of 〃Friends of the French Constitution;〃 have split up with

the Jacobins;'33' and; moreover; they insist on excluding from the

National Guard 〃foreigners without property or position;〃 the passive

citizens who are admitted into it in spite of the law; who usurp the

right of voting and who 〃daily affront tranquil inhabitants。〃

Consequently; on election day; in the church where the primary meeting

is held; two of the Feuillants; Laurède; formerly collector of the

vingtièmes;; and Brunache; a glazier; propose to exclude an intruder;

a servant on wages。 The Jacobins at once rush forward。 Laurède is

pressed back on the holy…water basin and wounded on the head; on

trying to escape he is seized by the hair; thrown down; pierced in the

arm with a bayonet; put in prison; and Brunache along with him。  Eight

days afterwards; at the second meeting none are present but Jacobins;

naturally; 〃they are all elected〃。 They form the new municipality;

which; notwithstanding the orders of the department; not only refuses

to liberate the two prisoners; but throws them into a dungeon。   At

Montpellier; the delay in the operation is greater; but it is only the

more complete。 The votes are deposited; the ballot…boxes closed and

sealed up and the conserv
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