the origins of contemporary france-3-第22部分

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the　house。＇21＇　To…day　it　consists　of　〃citoyennes　of　Paris；〃　desirous

of　being　drilled　in　military　exercises　and　of　having　for　their

commandants　〃former　French　guardsmen；〃　to…morrow　children　come　and

express　their　patriotism　with　〃touching　simplicity；〃　regretting　that

〃their　trembling　feet　do　not　permit　them　to　march；　no；　fly　against　the

tyrants；〃　next　to　these　come　convicts　of　the　Chateau　…　Vieux　escorted

by　a　noisy　crowd；　at　another　time　the　artillerymen　of　Paris；　a

thousand　in　number；　with　drums　beating；　delegates　from　the　provinces；

the　faubourgs　and　the　clubs　come　constantly；　with　their　furious

harangues；　and　imperious　remonstrances；　their　exactions；　their　threats

and　their　summonses。　　In　the　intervals　between　the　louder　racket　a

continuous　hubbub　is　heard　in　the　clatter　of　the　tribunes。＇22＇　At　each

session　〃the　representatives　are　chaffed　by　the　spectators；　the　nation

in　the　gallery　is　judge　of　the　nation　on　the　floor；〃　it　interferes　in

the　debates；　silences　the　speakers；　insults　the　president　and　orders

the　reporter　of　a　bill　to　quit　the　tribune。　One　interruption；　or　a

simple　murmur；　is　not　all；　there　are　twenty；　thirty；　fifty　in　an　hour；

clamoring；　stamping；　yells　and　personal　abuse。　After　countless　useless

entreaties；　after　repeated　calls　to　order；　〃received　with　hooting；〃

after　a　dozen　〃regulations　that　are　made；　revised；　countermanded　and

posted　up〃　as　if　better　to　prove　the　impotence　of　the　law；　of　the

authorities　and　of　the　Assembly　itself；　the　usurpations　of　these

intruders　keep　on　increasing。　They　have　shouted　for　ten　months　〃Down

with　the　civil　list！　Down　with　the　ministerials！　Down　with　those　curs！

Silence；　slaves！'　　On　the　26th　of　July；　Brissot　himself　is　to　appear

lukewarm　and　be　struck　on　the　face　with　two　plums。　〃Three　or　four

hundred　individuals　without　either　property；　title；　or　means　of

subsistence　。　。　。　have　become　the　auxiliaries；　petitioners　and　umpires

of　the　legislature；〃　their　paid　violence　completely　destroying

whatever　is　still　left　of　the　Assembly's　reason。＇23＇







IV。



The　Parties。…　The　〃Right。〃　…　〃Center。〃　…　The　〃Left。〃　…　Opinions　and

sentiments　of　the　Girondins。　…　Their　Allies　of　the　extreme　〃left。〃



In　an　assembly　thus　composed　and　surrounded；　it　is　easy　to　foresee　on

which　side　the　balance　will　turn。　　Through　the　meshes　of　the

electoral　net　which　the　Jacobins　have　spread　over　the　whole　country；

about　one　hundred　well…meaning　individuals　of　the　common　run；

tolerably　sensible　and　sufficiently　resolute；　Mathieu　Dumas；　Dumolard；

Becquet；　Gorguereau；　Vaublanc；　Beugnot；　Girardin；　Ramond；　Jaucourt；

were　able　to　pass　and　form　the　party　of　the　〃Right。〃＇24＇　　They　resist

to　as　great　an　extent　as　possible；　and　seem　to　have　obtained　a

majority。　　For；　of　the　four　hundred　deputies　who　have　their　seats　in

the　center；　one　hundred　and　sixty…four　are　inscribed　on　the　rolls　with

them　at　the　Feuillants　club；　while　the　rest；　under　the　title　of

〃Independents；〃　pretend　to　be　of　no　party。＇25＇　　Besides；　the　whole　of

these　four　hundred；　through　monarchical　traditions；　respect　the　King；

timid　and　sensible；　violence　is　repugnant　to　them。　They　distrust　the

Jacobins；　dread　what　is　unknown；　desire　to　be　loyal　to　the

Constitution　and　to　live　in　peace。　Nevertheless；　the　pompous　dogmas　of

the　revolutionary　catechism　still　have　their　prestige　with　them；　they

cannot　comprehend　how　the　Constitution　which　they　like　produces　the

anarchy　which　they　detest；　they　are　〃foolish　enough　to　bemoan　the

effects　while　swearing　to　maintain　their　causes；　totally　deficient　in

spirit；　in　union　and　in　boldness；〃　they　float　backwards　and　forwards

between　contradictory　desires；　while　their　predisposition　to　order

merely　awaits　the　steady　impulsion　of　a　vigorous　will　to　turn　it　in

the　opposite　direction。　　On　such　docile　material　the　〃Left〃　can　work

effectively。　It　comprises；　indeed；　but　one　hundred　and　thirty…six

registered　Jacobins　and　about　a　hundred　others　who；　in　almost　all

cases；　vote　with　the　party；＇26＇　rigidity　of　opinion；　however；　more

than　compensates　for　lack　of　numbers。　In　the　front　row　are　Guadet；

Brissot；　Gensonné；　Veygniaud；　Ducos；　and　Condorcet；　the　future　chiefs

of　the　Girondists；　all　of　them　lawyers　or　writers　captivated　by

deductive　politics；　absolute　in　their　convictions　and　proud　of　their

faith。　According　to　them　principles　are　true　and　must　be　applied

without　reservation；＇27＇　whoever　would　stop　half…way　is　wanting　in

courage　or　intelligence。　As　for　themselves　their　minds　are　made　up　to

push　through。　With　the　self…confidence　of　youth　and　of　theorists　they

draw　their　own　conclusions　and　hug　themselves　with　their　strong　belief

in　them。　　〃These　gentlemen；〃　says　a　keen　observer；＇28＇



〃professed　great　disdain　for　their　predecessors；　the　Constituents；

treating　them　as　short…sighted　and　prejudiced　people　incapable　of

profiting　by　circumstances。〃



〃To　the　observations　of　wisdom；　and　disinterested　wisdom；＇29＇　they

replied　with　a　scornful　smile；　indicative　of　the　aridity　proceeding

from　self…conceit。　One　exhausted　himself　in　reminding　them　of　events

and　in　deducing　causes　from　these；　one　passed　in　turn　from　theory　to

experience　and　from　experience　to　theory　to　show　them　their　identity

and；　when　they　condescended　to　reply　it　was　to　deny　the　best

authenticated　facts　and　contest　the　plainest　observations　by　opposing

to　these　a　few　trite　maxims　although　eloquently　expressed。　Each

regarded　the　other　as　if　they　alone　were　worthy　of　being　heard；　each

encouraging　the　other　with　the　idea　that　all　resistance　to　their　way

of　looking　at　things　was　pusillanimity。〃



In　their　own　eyes　they　alone　are　capable　and　they　alone　are　patriotic。

Because　they　have　read　Rousseau　and　Mably；　because　their　tongue　is

untied　and　their　pen　flowing；　because　they　know　how　to　handle　the

formul？　of　books　and　reason　out　an　abstract　proposition；　they　fancy

that　they　are　statesmen。＇30＇　　Because　they　have　read　Plutarch　and　〃Le

Jeune　Anacharsis；〃　because　they　aim　to　construct　a　perfect　society　out

of　metaphysical　conceptions；　because　they　are　in　a　ferment　about　the

coming　millennium；　they　imagine　themselves　so　many　exalted　spirits。

They　have　no　doubt　whatever　on　these　two　points　even　after　everything

has　fallen　in　through　their　blunders；　even　after　their　obliging　hands

are　sullied　by　the　foul　grasp　of　robbers　whom　they　were　the　first　to

instigate；　and　by　that　of　executioners　of　which　they　are　partners　in

complicity。＇31＇　　To　this　extent　is　self…conceit　the　worst　of　sophists。

Convinced　of　their　superior　enlightenment　and　of　the　purity　of　their

sentiments；　they　put　forth　the　theory　that　the　government　should　be　in

their　hands。　　Consequently　they　lay　hold　of　it　in　the　Legislative　body

in　ways　that　are　going　to　turn　against　them　in　the　Convention。　They

accept　for　allies　the　worst　demagogues　of　the　extreme　〃Left；〃　Chabot；

Couthon；　Merlin；　Bazière；　Thuriot；　Lecointre；　and　outside　of　it；

Danton；　Robespierre；　Marat　himself；　all　the　levelers　and　destroyers

whom　they　think　of　use　to　them；　but　of　whom　they　themselves　are　the

instruments。　　The　motions　they　make　must　pass　at　any　cost　and；　to

ensure　this；　they　let　loose　against　their　adversaries　the　low；　yelping

mob　which　others；　still　more　factious；　will　to…morrow　let　loose　on

them。







V。



Their　means　of　action。　　Dispersion　of　the　Feuillants'　club。

Pressure　of　the　tribunes　on　the　Assembly。　　Street　mobs。



Thus；　for　the　second　time；　the　pretended　freedom　fighters　seek　power

by　boldly　employing　force。　　They　begin　by　suppressing　the　meetings

of　the　Feuillants　club。＇32＇　　The　customary　riot　is　instigated　against

these；　whereupon　ensue　tumult；　violent　outcries　and　scuffles；　mayor

Pétion　complains　of　his　position　〃between　opinion　and　law；〃　and　lets

things　take　their　course；　finally；　the　Feuillants　are　obliged　to

evacuate　their　place　of　meeting。　…　…　Inside　the　Assembly　they　are

abandoned　to　the　insolence　of　the　galleries。　In　vain　do　they　get

exasperated　and　protest。　Ducastel；　referring　to　the　decree　of　the

Constituent　Assembly；　which　forbids　any　manifestation　of　approbation

or　disapprobation；　is　greeted　with　murmurs。　He　insists　on　the　decree

being　read　at　the　opening　of　each　session；　and　〃the　murmurs　begin

again。〃＇33＇　　〃Is　it　not　scandalous；〃　says　Vaublanc；　〃that　the　nation's

representatives　speaking　from　the　tribune　are　subject　to　hootings　like

those　bestowed　upon　an　actor　on　the　stage！〃　whereupon　the　galleries

give　him　three　rounds　more。　〃Will　posterity　believe；〃　says　Quatremère；

〃that　acts　concerning　the　honor；　the　lives；　and　the　fortunes　of

citizens　should　be　subject；　like　games　in　the　arena；　to　the　applause

and　hisses　of　the　spectators！〃　　〃Come　to　the　point！〃　shout　the

galleries。　〃If　ever；〃　resumes　Quatremère；　〃the　most　important　of

judicial　acts　（an　act　of　capital　indictment）　can　be　exposed　to　this

scandalous　prostitution　of　applause　and　menaces　。　。　。　〃　　〃The　murmurs

break　out　afresh。〃　　Every　time　that　a　sanguinary　or　incendiary

measure　is　to　be　carried；　the　most　furious　and　prolonged　clamor　stops

the　utterance　of　its　opponents：　〃Down　with　the　speaker！　Send　the

reporter　of　that　bill　to　prison！　Down！　Down！　Sometimes　only　about

twenty　of　the　deputies　will　applaud　or　hoot　with　the　galleries；　and

sometimes　it　is　the　entire　Assembly　which　is　insulted。　Fists　are

thrust　in　the　president's　face。　All　that　now　remains　is　〃to　call　down

the　galleries　on　the　floor　to　pass　decrees；〃　which　proposition　is

ironically　made　by　one　of　the　〃Right。〃＇34＇



Great；　however；　as　this　usurpation　may　be；　the　minority；　in　order　to

suppress　the　majority；　accommodate　themselves　to　it；　the　Jacobins　in

the　chamber　making　common　cause　with　the　Jacobins　in　the　galleries。

The　disturbers　should　not　be　put　out；　〃it　would　be　excluding　from　our

deliberations；〃　says　Grangeneuve；　〃that　which　belongs　essentially　to

the　people。〃　On　one　of　the　deputies　demanding　measures　to　enforce

silence；　〃Torné　demands　that　the　propos