the origins of contemporary france-3-第37部分

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to　persevering　audacity　in　defiance　of　legitimate　means；　unable　either

to　make　up　their　mind　or　to　remain　inactive；　perplexed　over　sacrifices

just　at　the　time　when　the　enemy　is　going　to　render　it　impossible　to

make　any　in　the　future；　in　a　word；　bringing　weakness　and　egoism　to

bear　against　the　liberated　passions；　great　poverty　and　hardened

immorality。〃＇55＇



The　issue　of　the　conflict　is　everywhere　the　same。　In　each　town　or

canton　an　aggressive　squad　of　unscrupulous　fanatics　and　resolute

adventurers　imposes　its　rule　over　a　sheep…like　majority　which；

accustomed　to　the　regularity　of　an　old　civilization；　dares　neither

disturb　order　for　the　sake　of　putting　and　end　to　disorder；　or　get

together　a　mob　to　put　down　another　mob。　Everywhere　the　Jacobin

principle　is　the　same。



　〃Your　system；〃　says　one　of　the　department　Directories　to　them；＇56＇

〃is　to　act　imperturbably　on　all　occasions；　even　after　a　constitution

is　established；　and　the　limitations　to　power　are　fixed；　as　if　the

empire　would　always　be　in　a　state　of　insurrection；　as　if　you　were

granted　a　dictatorship　essential　for　the　city's　salvation；　as　if　you

were　given　such　full　power　in　the　name　of　public　safety。〃



Everywhere　are　Jacobin　tactics　the　same。　At　the　outset　they　assume　to

have　a　monopoly　of　patriotism　and；　through　the　brutal　destruction　of

other　associations；　they　are　the　only　visible　organ　of　public　opinion。

Their　voice；　accordingly；　seems　to　be　the　voice　of　the　people；　their

control　is　established　on　that　of　the　legal　authorities；　they　have

taken　the　lead　through　persistent　and　irresistible　misdeeds；　their

crimes　are　consecrated　by　exemption　from　punishment。



〃Among　officials　and　agents；　good　or　bad；　constituted　or　not

constituted；　that　alone　governs　which　is　inviolable。　Now　the　club；　for

a　long　time；　has　been　too　much　accustomed　to　domineering；　to　annoying；

to　persecuting；　to　wreaking　vengeance；　for　any　local　administration　to

regard　it　in　any　other　light　than　as　inviolable。〃＇57＇



They　accordingly　govern　and　their　indirect　influence　is　promptly

transformed　into　direct　authority。　　Voting　alone；　or　almost　alone；

in　the　primary　meetings；　which　are　deserted　or　under　constraint；　the

Jacobins　easily　choose　the　municipal　body　and　the　officers　of　the

National　Guard。＇58＇　After　this；　through　the　mayor；　who　is　their　tool

or　their　accomplice；　they　have　the　legal　right　to　launch　or　arrest　the

entire　armed　force　and　they　avail　themselves　of　it。　　Two　obstacles

still　stand　in　their　way。　One　the　one　hand；　however　conciliatory　or

timid　the　Directory　of　the　district　or　department　may　be；　elected　as

it　is　by　electors　of　the　second　degree；　it　usually　contains　a　fair

proportion　of　well…informed　men；　comfortably　off；　interested　in

keeping　order；　and　less　inclined　than　the　municipality　to　put　up　with

gross　violations　of　the　law。　Consequently　the　Jacobins　denounce　it　to

the　National　Assembly　as　an　unpatriotic　and　anti…revolutionary　center

of　〃bourgeois　aristocracy。〃　Sometimes；　as　at　Brest；＇59＇　they

shamefully　disobey　orders　which　are　perfectly　legal　and　proper；　often

repeated　and　strictly　formal；　afterward；　still　more　shamefully；　they

demand　of　the　Minister　if；　〃placed　in　the　cruel　alternative　of　giving

offense　to　the　hierarchy　of　powers；　or　of　leaving　the　commonwealth　in

danger；　they　ought　to　hesitate。〃　　Sometimes；　as　at　Arras；　they　impose

themselves　illegally　on　the　Directory　in　session　and　browbeat　it　so

insolently　as　to　make　it　a　point　of　honor　with　the　latter　to　solicit

its　own　suspension。＇60＇　Sometimes；　as　a　Figeac；　they　summon　an

administrator　to　their　bar；　keep　him　standing　three…quarters　of　an

hour；　seize　his　papers　and　oblige　him；　for　fear　of　something　worse；　to

leave　the　town。＇61＇　　Sometimes；　as　at　Auch；　they　invade　the

Directory's　chambers；　seize　the　administrators　by　the　throat；　pound

them　with　their　fists　and　clubs；　drag　the　president　by　the　hair；　and；

after　a　good　deal　of　trouble；　grant　him　his　life。＇62＇　　On　the　other

hand；　the　gendarmerie　and　the　troops　brought　for　the　suppression　of

riots；　are　always　in　the　way　of　those　who　stir　up　the　rioters。

Consequently；　they　expel；　corrupt　and；　especially　purify　the

gendarmerie　together　with　the　troops。　At　Cahors　they　drive　out　a

sergeant　of　the　gendarmerie；　〃alleging　that　he　keeps　company　with　none

but　aristocrats。〃＇63＇　At　Toulouse；　without　mentioning　the　lieutenant…

colonel；　whose　life　they　threaten　by　anonymous　letters　and　oblige　to

leave　the　town；　they　transfer　the　whole　corps　to　another　district

under　the　pretense　that　〃its　principles　are　adverse　to　the

Constitution。〃＇64＇　At　Auch；　and　at　Rennes；　through　the　insubordination

which　they　provoke　among　the　men；　they　exhort　resignations　from　their

officers。　At　Perpignan；　by　means　of　a　riot　which　they　foment；　they

seize；　beat　and　drag　to　prison；　the　commandant　and　staff　whom　they

accuse　〃of　wanting　to　bombard　the　town　with　five　pounds　of

powder。〃＇65＇…　Meanwhile；　through　the　jacquerie；　which　they　let　loose

from　the　Dordogne　to　Aveyron；　from　Cantal　to　the　Pyrenees　and　the　Var；

under　the　pretence　of　punishing　the　relatives　of　émigrés　and　the

abettors　of　unsworn　priests；　they　create　an　army　of　their　own　made　up

of　robbers　and　the　destitute　who；　in　anticipation　of　the　exploits　of

the　coming　revolutionary　army；　freely　kill；　burn；　pillage；　hold　to

ransom　and　prey　at　large　on　the　defenseless　flock　of　proprietors　of

every　class　and　degree。＇66＇



In　this　operation　each　club　has　its　neighbors　for　allies；　offering　to

them　or　receiving　from　them　offers　of　men　and　money。　That　of　Caen

tenders　its　assistance　to　the　Bayeux　association　for　expelling　unsworn

priests；　and　to　help　the　patriots　of　the　place　　〃to　rid　themselves　of

the　tyranny　of　their　administrators。〃＇67＇　That　of　Besan？on　declares

the　three　administrative　bodies　of　Strasbourg　〃unworthy　of　the

confidence　with　which　they　have　been　honored；〃　and　openly　enters　into

a　league　with　all　the　clubs　of　the　Upper　and　Lower　Rhine；　to　set　free

a　Jacobin　arrested　as　a　fomenter　of　insurrections。＇68＇　Those　of　the

Puy…de…D？me　and　neighboring　departments　depute　to　and　establish　at

Clermont　a　central　club　of　direction　and　propaganda。＇69＇　Those　of　the

Bouches…du…Rh？ne　treat　with　the　commissioners　of　the　departments　of

Dr？me；　Gard；　and　Hérault；　to　watch　the　Spanish　frontier；　and　send

delegates　of　their　own　to　see　the　state　of　the　fortifications　of

Figuières。＇70＇　　There　is　no　recourse　to　the　criminal　tribunals。　In

forty　departments；　these　are　not　yet　installed；　in　the　forty…three

others；　they　are　cowed；　silent；　or　lack　money　and　men　to　enforce　their

decisions。＇71＇



Such　is　the　foundation　of　the　Jacobin　State；　a　confederation　of　twelve

hundred　oligarchies；　which　maneuver　their　proletariat　clients　in

obedience　to　the　word　of　command　dispatched　from　Paris。　It　is　a

complete；　organized；　active　State；　with　its　central　government；　its

active　force；　its　official　journal；　its　regular　correspondence；　its

declared　policy；　its　established　authority；　and　its　representative　and

local　agents；　the　latter　are　actual　administrators　alongside　of

administrations　which　are　abolished；　or　athwart　administrations　which

are　brought　under　subjection。　　　In　vain　do　the　latest　ministers；

good　clerks　and　honest　men；　try　to　fulfill　their　duties；　their

injunctions　and　remonstrances　are　only　so　much　waste　paper。＇72＇　They

resign　in　despair；　declaring　that；



　〃in　this　overthrow　of　all　order；　。　。　。　　in　the　present　weakness　of

the　public　forces；　and　in　the　degradation　of　the　constituted

authorities；　。　。　。　it　is　impossible　for　them　to　maintain　the　life　and

energy　of　the　vast　body；　the　members　of　which　are　paralyzed。〃　…



　When　the　roots　of　a　tree　are　laid　bare；　it　is　easy　to　cut　it　down；

now　that　the　Jacobins　have　severed　them；　a　push　on　the　trunk　suffices

to　bring　the　tree　to　the　ground。

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NOTES：







＇1＇　De　Loménie；　〃Les　Mirabeaus；〃　I。　11。　（Letter　of　the　Marquis　de

Mirabeau）。



＇2＇　〃　Archives　Nationales；〃　F7；　7171；　No。　7915。　Report　on　the

situation　in　Marseilles；　by　Miollis；　commissioner　of　the　Directory　in

the　department；　year　V。　Niv？se　15。　〃A　good　many　strangers　from　France

and　Italy　are　attracted　there　by　the　lust　of　gain；　a　love　of　pleasure；

the　want　of　work；　a　desire　to　escape　from　the　effects　of　ill　conduct　。

。　。　Individuals　of　both　sexes　and　of　every　age；　with　no　ties　of

country　or　kindred；　with　no　profession；　no　opinions；　pressed　by　daily

necessities　that　are　multiplied　by　debauched　habit；　seeking　to　indulge

these　without　too　much　effort；　the　means　for　this　being　formerly　found

in　the　many　manual　operations　of　commerce；　gone　astray　during　the

Revolution　and；　subsequently；　scared　of　the　dominant　party；　accustomed

unfortunately　at　that　time　to　receiving　pay　for　taking　part　in

political　strife；　and　now　reduced　to　living　on　almost　gratuitous

distributions　of　food；　to　dealing　in　small　wares；　to　the　menial

occupations　which　chance　rarely　presents　　in　short；　to　swindling。

Such　is　what　the　observer　finds　in　that　portion　of　the　population　of

Marseilles　most　in　sight；　eager　to　profit　by　whatever　occurs；　easily

won　over；　active　through　its　necessities；　flocking　everywhere；　and

appearing　very　numerous　。　。　。　The　patriot　Escalon　had　twenty　rations　a

day；　Féri；　the　journalist；　had　six；　etc。　。　　。　Civil　officers　and

district　commissioners　still　belong；　for　the　most　part；　to　that　class

of　men　which　the　Revolution　had　accustomed　to　live　without　work；　to

making　those　who　shared　their　principles　the　beneficiaries　of　the

nation's　favors；　and　finally；　to　receiving　contributions　from　gambling

halls　and　brothels。　These　commissioners　give　notice　to　their　protégés；

even　the　crooks；　when　warrants　against　them　are　to　be　enforced。〃



＇3＇　Blanc…Gilly；　〃Réveil　d'alarme　d'un　député　de　Marseilles〃　（cited　in

the　Memoirs〃　of　Barbaroux；　40；　41）。　Blanc…Gilly　must　have　been

acquainted　with　the