the origins of contemporary france-3-第23部分

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

silence；　〃Torné　demands　that　the　proposition　be　referred　to　the

Portugal　inquisition。〃　Choudieu　〃declares　that　it　can　only　emanate

from　deputies　who　forget　that　respect　which　is　due　to　the　people；

their　sovereign　judge。〃＇35＇　　〃The　action　of　the　galleries；〃　says

Lecointe…Puyraiveaux；　〃is　an　outburst　of　patriotism。〃　Finally；　this

same　Choudieu；　twisting　and　turning　all　rights　about　with　incomparable

audacity；　wishes　to　confer　legislative　privileges　on　the　audience；　and

demands　a　decree　against　the　deputies　who；　guilty　of　popular　lèse…

majesté；　presume　to　complain　of　those　who　insult　them。　　Another

piece　of　oppressive　machinery；　still　more　energetic；　operates　outside

on　the　approaches　to　the　Assembly。　Like　their　predecessors　of　the

Constituent　Assembly；　the　members　of　the　〃Right〃　〃cannot　leave　the

building　without　encountering　the　threats　and　imprecations　of　enraged

crowds。　Cries　of　'to　the　lantern！'　greet　the　ears　of　Dumolard；

Vaublanc；　Raucourd；　and　Lacretelle　as　often　as　those　of　the　Abbé　Maury

and　Montlosier。〃＇36＇　　After　having　hurled　abuse　at　the　president；

Mathieu　Dumas；　they　insult　his　wife　who　has　been　recognized　in　a

reserved　gallery。＇37＇　　In　the　Tuileries；　crowds　are　always　standing

there　listening　to　the　brawlers　who　denounce　suspected　deputies　by

name；　and　woe　to　any　among　them　who　takes　that　path　on　his　way　to　the

chamber！　　A　broadside　of　insults　greets　him　as　he　passes　along。　　If

the　deputy　happens　to　be　a　farmer；　they　exclaim：　〃Look　at　that　queer

old　aristocrat　　an　old　peasant　dog　that　used　to　watch　cows！〃　One　day

Hua；　on　going　up　the　steps　of　the　Tuileries　terrace；　is　seized　by　the

hair　by　an　old　vixen　who　bids　him　〃Bow　your　head　to　your　sovereigns；

the　people；　you　bastard　of　a　deputy！〃　　On　the　20th　　of　June　one　of　the

patriots；　who　is　crossing　the　Assembly　room；　whispers　in　his　ear；　〃You

scamp　of　a　deputy；　you'll　never　die　but　by　my　hand！〃　Another　time；

having　defended　the　juge…de…paix　Larivière；　there　awaits　him　at　the

door；　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　〃a　set　of　blackguards；　who　crowd

around　him　and　thrust　their　fists　and　cudgels　in　his　face；〃　happily；

his　friends　Dumas　and　Daverhoult；　two　military　officers；　foreseeing

the　danger；　present　their　pistols　and　set　him　free　〃although　with　some

difficulty。〃　　　As　the　10th　of　August　draws　near　there　is　more　open

aggression。　Vaublanc；　for　having　defended　Lafayette；　just　misses　being

cut　to　pieces　three　times　on　leaving　the　Assembly；　sixty　of　the

deputies　are　treated　in　the　same　fashion；　being　struck；　covered　with

mud；　and　threatened　with　death　if　they　dare　go　back。＇38＇　　　With　such

allies　a　minority　is　very　strong。　Thanks　to　its　two　agencies　of

constraint　it　will　detach　the　votes　it　needs　from　the　majority　and；

either　through　terror　or　craft；　secure　the　passage　of　all　the　decrees

it　needs。





VI。



Parliamentary　maneuvers。　　Abuses　of　urgency。　　Vote　on　the

principle。　　Call　by　name。　…Intimidation　of　the　〃Center。〃　

Opponents　inactive。　　The　majority　finally　disposed　of。



Sometimes　it　succeeds　surreptitiously　by　rushing　them　through。　As

〃there　is　no　order　of　the　day　circulated　beforehand；　and；　in　any

event；　none　which　anybody　is　obliged　to　adhere　to；〃＇39＇　the　Assembly

is　captured　by　surprise。　〃The　first　knave　amongst　the　'Left；'　（which

expression；　says　Hua；　I　do　not　strike　out；　because　there　were　many

among　those　gentlemen）；　brought　up　a　ready…made　resolution；　prepared

the　evening　before　by　a　clique。　We　were　not　prepared　for　it　and

demanded　that　it　should　be　referred　to　a　committee。　Instead　of　doing

this；　however；　the　resolution　was　declared　urgent；　and；　whether　we

would　or　not；　discussion　had　to　take　place　forthwith。〃＇40＇　　〃There

were　　other　tactics　equally　perfidious；　which　Thuriot；　especially；

made　use　of。　This　great　rascal　got　up　and　proposed；　not　the　draft　of　a

law；　but　what　he　called　a　principle；　for　instance；　a　decree　should　be

passed　confiscating　the　property　of　the　émigrés；　。　。　or　that　unsworn

priests　should　be　subject　to　special　surveillance。＇41＇　。　。　。　　In

reply；　he　was　told　that　his　principle　was　the　core　of　a　law；　　the　very

law　itself；　so　let　it　be　debated　by　referring　it　to　a　committee　to

make　a　report　on　it。　　Not　at　all　　the　matter　is　urgent；　a

committee　might　fix　the　articles　as　it　pleases；　they　are　worthless　if

the　principle　is　not　common　sense。〃　　　Through　this　expeditious　method

discussion　is　stifled。　The　Jacobins　purposely　prevent　the　Assembly

from　giving　the　matter　any　consideration。　They　count　on　its

bewilderment。　In　the　name　of　reason；　they　discard　reason　as　far　as

they　can；　and　hasten　a　vote　because　their　decrees　do　not　stand　up　to

analysis。　　At　other　times；　and　especially　on　grand　occasions；　they

compel　a　vote。　In　general；　votes　are　given　by　the　members　either

sitting　down　or　standing　up；　and；　for　the　four　hundred　deputies　of　the

〃Center；〃　subject　to　the　scolding　of　the　exasperated　galleries；　it　is

a　tolerably　hard　trial。　〃Part　of　them　do　not　arise；　or　they　rise　with

the　'Left'。〃＇42＇　　If　the　〃Right〃　happens　to　have　a　majority；　〃this　is

contested　in　bad　faith　and　a　call　of　the　house　is　demanded。〃　Now；　〃the

calls　of　the　house；　through　an　intolerable　abuse；　are　always

published；　the　Jacobins　declaring　that　it　is　well　for　the　people　to

know　their　friends　from　their　enemies。〃　The　meaning　of　this　is　that

this　list　of　the　opposition　will　soon　serve　as　a　list　of　the　outlaws；

on　which　the　timid　are　not　disposed　to　inscribe　themselves。　The　result

is　an　immediate　defection　in　the　heavy　battalions　of　the　〃Centre〃；

〃this　is　a　positive　fact；〃　says　Hua；　〃of　which　we　were　all　witnesses；

we　always　lost　a　hundred　votes　on　the　call　of　the　house。〃　　Towards

the　end　they　give　up；　and　protest　no　more；　except　by　staying　away：　on

the　14th　of　June；　when　the　abolishment　of　the　whole　system　of　feudal

credit　was　being　dealt　with；　only　the　extreme　left　was　attending；　the

rest　of　the　〃Assembly　hall　was　nearly　empty〃；　out　of　497　deputies　in

attendance；　200　had　left　the　session。＇43＇　　Encouraged　for　a　moment　by

the　appearance　of　some　possible　protection；　they　twice　exonerate

General　Lafayette；　behind　whom　they　see　an　army；＇44＇　and　brave　the

despots　of　the　Assembly；　the　clubs；　and　the　streets。　But；　for　lack　of

a　military　chief　and　base；　the　visible　majority　is　twice　obliged　to

yield；　to　keep　silent；　and　fly　or　retreat　under　the　dictatorship　of

the　victorious　faction；　which　has　strained　and　forced　the　legislative

machine　until　it　has　become　disjointed　and　broken　down。＇45＇





NOTES：



＇1＇〃Correspondence　（manuscript）　of　Baron　de　Sta？l；〃　with　his　Court　in

Sweden。　Oct。　6；　1791。



＇2＇　〃Souvenirs〃；　by　PASQUIER　（Etienne…Dennis；　duc）；　chancelier　de

France。　in　VI　volumes；　Librarie　Plon；　　Paris　1893。　…　Dumouriez；

〃Mémoires；〃　III。　ch。　V：　〃The　Jacobin　party；　having　branches　all　over

the　country；　used　its　provincial　clubs　to　control　the　elections。　Every

crackbrain；　every　seditious　scribbler；　all　the　agitators　were　elected

。　。　。　very　few　enlightened　or　prudent　men；　and　still　fewer　of　the

nobles；　were　chosen。〃　Moniteur；　XII。　199　（meeting　of　April　23；

1792）。　Speech　M。　Lecointe…Puyravaux。　〃We　need　not　dissimulate；　indeed；

we　are　proud　to　say；　that　this　legislature　is　composed　of　persons　who

are　not　rich。〃



＇3＇　Mathieu　Dumas；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。　521。　〃The　excitement　in　the

electoral　assemblages　was　very　great；　the　aristocrats　and　large　land…

owners　abstained　from　coming　there。〃　　Correspondance　de　Mirabeau　et

du　Comte　de　la　Mark；　III。　246；　Oct。10；　1791。　〃Nineteen　twentieths　of

this　legislature　have　no　other　transportation　（turn…out）　than　galoshes

and　umbrellas。　It　has　been　estimated；　that　all　these　deputies　put

together　do　not　possess　300；000　livres　solid　income。　The　majority　of

the　members　of　this　Assembly　have　received　no　education　whatever。〃



＇4＇　They　rank　as　Maréchaux　de　camp；　a　grade　corresponding　to　that　of

brigadier…general。　They　are　Dupuy…Montbrun　（deceased　in　March；　1792）；

Descrots…d'Estrée；　a　weak　and　worn　old　man　whom　his　children　forced

into　the　Legislative　Assembly；　and；　lastly；　Mathieu　Dumas；　a

conservative；　and　the　only　prominent　one。



＇5＇　〃Correspondance　du　Baron　de　Sta？l；〃　Jan。19；　1792。　　Gouverneur

Morris　（II。162；　Feb。　4；　1792）　writes　to　Washington　that　M。　de

Warville；　on　the　diplomatic　committee；　proposed　to　cede　Dunkirk　and

Calais　to　England；　as　a　pledge　of　fidelity　by　France；　in　any

engagement　which　she　might　enter　into。　You　can　judge；　by　this；　of　the

wisdom　and　virtue　of　the　faction　to　which　he　belongs　　Buchez　et

Roux；　XXX　89　（defense　of　　Brissot；　Jan。　5；　1793）　〃Brissot；　like　all

noisy；　reckless；　ambitious　men；　started　in　full　blast　with　the

strangest　paradoxes。　In　1780。　in　his　'Recherches　philosophiques　sur　le

droit　de　propriété；'　he　wrote　as　follows：　'If　40　crowns　suffice　to

maintain　existence；　the　possession　of　200；000　crowns　is　plainly　unjust

and　a　robbery　　。　。　。　　Exclusive　ownership　is　a　veritable　crime　against

nature　。　。　。　The　punishment　of　robbery　in　our　institutions　is　an　act

of　virtue　which　nature　herself　commands。'〃



＇6＇　Moniteur；　speech　by　Cambon；　sittings　of　Feb。　2　and　April　20；　1792。



＇7＇　Ibid。；　（sitting　of　April　3）。　Speech　by　M。　Cailliasson。　The

property　belonging　to　the　nation；　sold　and　to　be　sold；　is　valued　at

2；195　millions；　while　the　assignats　already　issued　amount　to　2；100

millions。　　Cf。　Mercure　de　France；　Dec。　17；　1791；　p。201；　Jan。28；

1792；　p。　215；　May　19；　1792；　p。　205。　　Dumouriez；　〃Mémoires；〃　III。

296；　and　339；　340；　344；　346。　…　〃Cambon；　a　raving　lunatic；　without

education；　humane　principle；　or　integrity　（public）　a　meddler；　an

ignoramus；　and　very　giddy。　He　tells　me　that　one　resource　remained　to

him；　which　is；　to　seize　all　the　coin　in　Belgium；　all　the　plate

belonging　to　the　churches；　and　all　the　cash　deposits　。　。　。　that；　on

ruining　the　Belgians；　on　reducing　them　to　the　same　state　of　　suffering

as　the　French；　they　would　necessarily　sha