the origins of contemporary france-3-第27部分

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the　forty　Swiss　guards　of　Chateauroux　whom　their　own　cantons　desired

to　have　kept　there；　it　permits　these　〃'martyrs　to　Liberty　〃　to

promenade　the　streets　of　Paris　in　a　triumphal　car；＇30＇　it　admits　them

to　the　bar　of　the　house；　and；　taking　a　formal　vote　on　it；　extends　to

them　the　honors　of　the　session。＇31＇　Finally；　as　if　it　were　their

special　business　to　let　loose　on　the　public　the　most　ferocious　and

foulest　of　the　rabble；　it　amnesties　Jourdan；　Mainvielle；　Duprat；　and

Raphel；　fugitive　convicts；　jail…birds；　the　condottieri　of　all　lands

assuming　the　title　of　〃the　brave　brigands　of　Avignon；〃　and　who；　for

eighteen　months；　have　pillaged　and　plundered　the　Comtat＇32＇；　it　stops

the　trial；　almost　over；　of　the　Glacière　butchers；　it　tolerates　the

return　of　these　as　victors；＇33＇　and　their　installation　by　their　own

act　in　the　places　of　the　fugitive　magistrates；　allowing　Avignon　to　be

treated　as　a　conquered　city；　and；　henceforth；　to　become　their　prey　and

their　booty。　This　is　a　willful　restoration　of　the　vermin　to　the　social

body；　and；　in　this　feverish　body；　nothing　is　overlooked　that　will

increase　the　fever。　The　most　anarchical　and　deleterious　maxims

emanate；　like　miasma；　from　the　Assembly　benches。　The　reduction　of

things　to　an　absolute　level　is　adopted　as　a　principle；　〃equality　of

rights；〃　says　Lamarque；＇34＇　〃is　to　be　maintained　only　by　tending

steadily　to　an　equality　of　fortunes；〃　this　theory　is　practically

applied　on　all　sides　since　the　proletariat　is　pillaging　all　who　own

property。　　〃Let　the　communal　possessions　be　partitioned　among　the

citizens　of　the　surrounding　villages；〃　says　Fran？ois　de　Nantes；　〃in　an

inverse　ratio　to　their　fortunes；　and　let　him　who　has　the　least

inheritance　take　the　largest　share　in　the　divisions。〃＇35＇　Conceive　the

effect　of　this　motion　read　at　evening　to　peasants　who　are　at　this　very

moment　claiming　their　lord's　forest　for　their　commune。　M。　Corneille

prohibits　any　tax　to　be　levied　for　the　public　treasury　on　the　wages　of

manual　labor；　because　nature；　and　not　society；　gives　us　the　〃right　to

live。〃＇36＇　On　the　other　hand；　he　confers　on　the　public　treasury　the

right　of　taking　the　whole　of　an　income；　because　it　is　society；　and　not

nature；　which　institutes　public　funds；　hence；　according　to　him；　the

poor　majority　must　be　relieved　of　all　taxation；　and　all　taxes　must

fall　on　the　rich　minority。　The　system　is　well…timed　and　the　argument

apt　for　convincing　indigent　or　straitened　tax…payers；　namely；　the

refractory　majority；　that　its　taxes　are　just；　and　that　it　should　not

refuse　to　be　taxed。　…



〃Under　the　reign　of　liberty；〃　says　President　Daverhoult；＇37＇　〃the

people　have　the　right　to　insist　not　merely　on　subsistence；　but　again

on　plenty　and　happiness。〃＇38＇



Accordingly；　being　in　a　state　of　poverty　they　have　been　betrayed。　

〃Elevated　to　the　height　achieved　by　the　French　people；〃　says　another

president；　〃it　looks　down　upon　the　tempests　under　its　feet。〃＇39＇　　The

tempest　is　at　hand　and　bursts　over　its　head。　War；　like　a　black　cloud；

rises　above　the　horizon；　overspreads　the　sky；　thunders　and　wraps

France　filled　with　explosive　materials　in　a　circle　of　lightening；　and

it　is　the　Assembly　which；　through　the　greatest　of　its　mistakes；　draws

down　the　bolt　on　the　nation's　head。









III。



War。　…　…Disposition　of　foreign　powers。　…　…　The　King's　dislikes。　

Provocation　of　the　Girondins。　　Dates　and　causes　of　the　rupture。



It　might　have　been　turned　aside　with　a　little　prudence。　Two　principal

grievances　were　alleged；　one　by　France　and　the　other　by　the　Empire。　

On　the　one　hand；　and　very　justly；　France　complained　of　the　gathering

of　émigré's；　which　the　Emperor　and　Electors　tolerated　against　it　on

the　frontier。　　In　the　first　place；　however；　a　few　thousand　gentlemen；

without　troops　or　stores；　and　nearly　without　money；＇40＇　were　hardly　to

be　feared；　and；　besides　this；　long　before　the　decisive　hour　came　these

troops　were　dispersed；　at　once　by　the　Emperor　in　his　own　dominions；

and；　fifteen　days　afterwards；　by　the　Elector　of　Trèves　in　his

electorate。＇41＇　　　On　the　other　hand；　according　to　treaties；　the

German　princes；　who　owned　estates　in　Alsace；　made　claims　for　the

feudal　rights　abolished　on　their　French　possessions　and　the　Diet

forbade　them　to　accept　the　offered　indemnity。　But；　as　far　as　the　Diet

is　concerned；　nothing　was　easier　nor　more　customary　than　to　let

negotiations　drag　along；　there　being　no　risk　or　inconvenience

attending　the　suit　as；　during　the　delay；　the　claimants　remained　empty…

handed。　　If；　now；　behind　the　ostensible　motives；　the　real　intentions

are　sought　for；　it　is　certain　that；　up　to　January；　1792；　the

intentions　of　Austria　were　pacific。　　The　grants　made　to　the　Comte

d'Artois；　in　the　Declaration　of　Pilnitz；　were　merely　a　court…

sprinkling　of　holy…water；　the　semblance　of　an　illusory　promise　and

subject　to　a　European　concert　of　action；　that　is　to　say；　annulled

beforehand　by　an　indefinite　postponement；　while　this　pretended　league

of　sovereigns　is　at　once　〃placed　by　the　politicians　in　the　class　of

august　comedies。＇42＇〃　　Far　from　taking　up　arms　against　〃New　France〃　in

the　name　of　old　France；　the　emperor　Leopold　and　his　prime　minister

Kaunitz；　were　delighted　to　see　the　constitution　completed　and　accepted

by　the　King；　it　〃got　them　out　of　an　embarrassing　position；〃＇43＇　　and

Prussia　as　well。　　In　the　running　of　governments；　political　advantage

is　the　great　incentive　and　both　powers　needed　all　their　forces　in

another　direction；　in　Poland。　One　for　retarding；　and　the　other　for

accelerating　the　division　of　this　country；　and　both；　when　the

partition　took　place；　to　get　enough　for　themselves　and　prevent　Russia

from　getting　too　much。　　The　sovereigns　of　Prussia　and　Austria；

accordingly；　did　not　have　any　idea　of　saving　Louis　XVI；　nor　of

conducting　the　émigrés　　back；　nor　of　conquering　French　provinces。　If

anything　was　to　be　expected　from　them　on　account　of　personal　ill…will；

there　was　no　fear　of　their　armed　intervention。　　In　France　it　is　not

the　King　who　urges　a　rupture；　he　knows　too　well　that　the　hazards　of

war　will　place　him　and　his　dependents　in　mortal　danger。　Secretly　as

well　as　publicly；　in　writing　to　the　émigrés；　his　wishes　are　to　bring

them　back　or　to　restrain　them。　　In　his　private　correspondence　he　asks

of　the　European　powers　not　physical　but　moral　aid；　the　external

support　of　a　congress　which　will　permit　moderate　men；　the　partisans　of

order；　all　owners　of　property；　to　raise　their　heads　and　rally　around

the　throne　and　the　laws　against　anarchy。　In　his　ministerial

correspondence　every　precaution　is　taken　not　to　touch　off　or　let

someone　touch　off　an　explosion。　At　the　critical　moment　of　the

discussion＇44＇　he　entreats　the　deputies；　through　M。　Delessart；　his

Minister　of　Foreign　Affairs；　to　weigh　their　words　and　especially　not

to　send　a　demand　containing　a　〃dead　line。〃　　He　resists；　as　far　as　his

passive　nature　allows　him；　to　the　very　last。　On　being　forced　to

declare　war　he　requires　beforehand　the　signed　advice　of　all　his

ministers。　He　does　not　utter　the　fatal　words；　until　he；　〃with　tears　in

his　eyes〃　and　in　the　most　dire　straits；　is　dragged　on　by　an　Assembly

qualifying　all　caution　as　treason　and　which　has　just　dispatched　M。

Delessart　to　appear；　under　a　capital　charge；　before　the　supreme　court

at　Orléans。



It　is　the　Assembly　then　which　launches　the　disabled　ship　on　the

roaring　abysses　of　an　unknown　sea；　without　a　rudder　and　leaking　at

every　seam。　It　alone　slips　the　cable　which　held　it　in　port　and　which

the　foreign　powers　neither　dared　nor　desired　to　sever。　Here；　again；

the　Girondists　are　the　leaders　and　hold　the　axe；　since　the　last　of

October　they　have　grasped　it　and　struck　repeated　blows。＇45＇　　　As　an

exception；　the　extreme　Jacobins；　Couthon；　Collot　d'Herbois；　Danton；

Robespierre；　do　not　side　with　them。　Robespierre；　who　at　first　proposed

to　confine　the　Emperor　〃within　the　circle　of　Popilius；〃＇46＇　fears　the

placing　of　too　great　a　power　in　the　King's　hands；　and；　growing

mistrustful；　preaches　distrust。　　But　the　great　mass　of　the　party；

led　by　clamorous　public　opinion；　impels　on　the　timid　marching　in

front。　　Of　the　many　things　of　which　knowledge　is　necessary　to　conduct

successfully　such　a　complex　and　delicate　affair；　they　know　nothing。

They　are　ignorant　about　cabinets；　courts；　populations；　treaties；

precedents；　timely　forms　and　requisite　style。　Their　guide　and

counselor　in　foreign　relations　is　Brissot　whose　pre…eminence　is　based

on　their　ignorance　and　who；　exalted　into　a　statesman；　becomes　for　a

few　months　the　most　conspicuous　figure　in　Europe。＇47＇　　To　whatever

extent　a　European　calamity　may　be　attributed　to　any　one　man；　this　one

is　to　be　attributed　to　him。　It　is　this　wretch；　born　in　a　pastry…cook's

shop；　brought　up　in　an　attorney's　office；　formerly　a　police　agent　at

150　francs　per　month；　once　in　league　with　scandal…mongers　and　black…

mailers；＇48＇　a　penny…a…liner；　busybody；　and　meddler；　who；　with　the

half…information　of　a　nomad；　scraps　of　newspaper　ideas　and　reading…

room　lore；＇49＇　added　to　his　scribblings　as　a　writer　and　his　club

declamation；　directs　the　destinies　of　France　and　starts　a　war　in

Europe　which　is　to　destroy　six　millions　of　lives。　In　the　attic　where

his　wife　is　washing　his　shirts；　he　enjoys　rebuking　rulers　and；　on　the

20th　of　October；　in　the　tribune；＇50＇　he　begins　by　insulting　thirty

foreign　sovereigns。　Such　keen；　intense　enjoyment　is　the　stuff　on　which

the　new　fanaticism　daily　feeds　itself。　Madame　Roland　herself　delights；

with　evident　complacency；　in　it；　something　which　can　be　seen　in　the

two　famous　letters　in　which；　with　a　supercilious　tone；　she　first

instructs　the　King　and　next　the　Pope。＇51＇　　Brissot；　at　bottom；　regards

himself　as　a　Louis　XIV；　and　expressly　invites　the　Jacobins　to　imitate

the　haughty　ways　of　the　Great　Monarch。＇52＇　　　To　the　tactlessness　of

the　intruder；　and　the　touchiness　of　the　parvenu；　we　can　add　the

rigidity　of　the　sectarian。　The　Jacobins；　in　the　name　of　abstract

rights；　den