the origins of contemporary france-3-第49部分

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are　too　busy　in　their　own　counting…rooms；　shops　and　factories　to　lose

so　much　time。　In　the　next　place；　they　are　too　sensible；　to　docile；　and

too　honest　to　go　and　lord　it　over　their　magistrates　in　the　H？tel…de…

ville；　or　regard　themselves　in　their　various　sections　as　the　sovereign

people。　Moreover；　they　are　disgusted　with　all　this　bawling。　Lastly；

the　streets　of　Paris；　especially　at　night；　are　not　safe；　owing　to　so

much　outdoor　politics；　there　is　a　great　increase　of　caning　and　of

knocking　down。　Accordingly；　for　a　long　time；　they　do　not　attend　at　the

clubs；　nor　are　they　seen　in　the　galleries　of　the　National　Assembly；

nor　will　they　be　seen　again　at　the　sessions　of　the　municipality；　nor

at　the　meetings　of　the　sections。　　Nothing；　on　the　other　hand；　is

more　attractive　to　the　idle　tipplers　of　the　cafés；　to　bar…room

oracles；　loungers；　and　talkers；　living　in　furnished　rooms；＇40＇　to　the

parasites　and　refractory　of　the　social　army；　to　all　who　have　left　the

social　structures　and　unable　to　get　back　again；　who　want　to　tear

things　to　pieces；　and；　for　lack　of　a　private　career；　establish　one　for

themselves　in　public。　Permanent　sessions；　even　at　night；　are　not　too

long　either　for　them；　or　for　lazy　Federates；　for　disordered

intellects；　and　for　the　small　troop　of　genuine　fanatics。　Here　they　are

either　performers　or　claqueurs；　an　uproar　not　being　offensive　to　them；

because　they　create　it。　They　relieve　each　other；　so　as　to　be　always　on

hand　in　sufficient　number；　or　compensate　for　a　deficiency　by

usurpations　and　brutality。　　The　section　of　the　Théatre…Fran？ais；　for

instance；　in　contempt　of　the　law；　removes　the　distinction　between

active　and　passive　citizens；　by　granting　to　all　residents　in　its

circumscription　the　right　to　be　present　at　its　meetings　and　the　right

to　vote。　Other　sections＇41＇　admit　to　their　sittings　all　well…disposed

spectators；　all　women；　children；　and　the　nomads；　all　agitators；　and

the　agitated；　who；　as　at　the　National　Assembly；　applaud　or　hoot　at　the

word　of　command。　In　the　sections　not　disposed　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　an

anonymous　public；　the　same　herd　of　frantic　characters　make　a　racket　at

the　doors；　and　insult　the　electors　who　pass　through　them。　　Thanks　to

this　itinerant　throng　of　co…operating　intruders；　the　Jacobin

extremists　rule　the　sections　the　same　as　the　Assembly；　in　the　sections

as　in　the　Assembly；　they　drive　away　or　silence　the　moderates；　and　when

the　hall　becomes　half　empty　or　dumb；　their　motion　is　passed。　Hawked

about　in　the　vicinity；　the　motion　is　even　carried　off；　in　a　few　days

it　makes　the　tour　of　Paris；　and　returns　to　the　Assembly　as　an

authentic　and　unanimous　expression　of　popular　will。＇42＇



At　present；　to　ensure　the　execution　of　this　counterfeit　will；　it

requires　a　central　committee；　and　through　a　masterpiece　of　delusion；

Pétion；　the　Girondist　mayor；　is　the　one　who　undertakes　to　lodge；

sanction；　and　organize　the　committee。　On　the　17th　day　of　July；＇43＇　he

establishes　in　the　offices　belonging　to　the　Commune；　〃a　central　bureau

of　correspondence　between　the　sections。〃　To　this　a　duly　elected

commissioner　is　to　bring　the　acts　passed　by　his　section　each　day；　and

carry　away　the　corresponding　acts　of　the　remaining　forty…seven

sections。　Naturally；　these　elected　commissioners　will　hold　meetings　of

their　own；　appointing　a　president　and　secretary；　and　making　official

reports　of　their　proceedings　in　the　same　form　as　a　veritable　municipal

council。　As　they　are　elected　to…day；　and　with　a　special　mandate；　it　is

natural　that　they　should　consider　themselves　more　legitimate　than　a

municipal　council　elected　four　or　five　months　before　them；　and　with　a

very　uncertain　mandate。　Installed　in　the　town　hall　of　Paris　（H？tel…de…

ville）；　only　two　steps　from　the　municipal　council；　it　is　natural　for

them　to　attempt　to　take　its　place；　to　substitute　themselves　for　it；

they　have　only　to　cross　over　to　the　other　side　of　a　corridor。







IV。



Vain　attempts　of　the　Girondins　to　put　it　down。　　　Jacobin　alarm；

their　enthusiasm；　and　their　program。



　　　Thus；　hatched　by　the　Girondins；　does　the　terrible　Commune　of　Paris

come　into　being；　that　of　August　10th；　September　2nd　1792　and　May　31st。

1793。　　　The　viper　has　hardly　left　its　nest　before　it　begins　to　hiss。　A

fortnight　before　the　10th　of　August＇44＇　it　begins　to　uncoil；　and　the

wise　statesmen　who　have　so　diligently　sheltered　and　fed　it；　stand

aghast　at　its　hideous；　flattened　head。　Accordingly；　they　back　away

from　it　up　to　the　last　hour；　and　strive　to　prevent　it　from　biting

them。　Pétion　himself　visits　Robespierre　on　the　7th　of　August；　in　order

to　represent　to　him　the　perils　of　an　insurrection；　and　to　allow　the

Assembly　time　enough　to　discuss　the　question　of　dethronement。　The　same

day　Verginaud　and　Guadet　propose　to　the　King；　through　the　medium　of

Thierry；　his　valet…de…chambre；　that；　until　peace　is　assured；　the

government　be　carried　on　under　a　regency。　Pétion；　on　the　night　of

August　9…10；　issues　a　pressing　circular　to　the　sections；　urging　them

to　remain　tranquil。＇45＇



　　　But　it　is　too　late。　Fifty　days　of　excitement　and　alarm　have　worked

up　the　aberrations　of　morbid　imaginations　into　a　delirium。　　On　the

second　of　August；　a　crowd　of　men　and　women　rush　to　the　bar　of　the

Assembly；　exclaiming；　〃Vengeance！　Vengeance！　our　brethren　are　being

poisoned！〃＇46＇　　The　fact　as　ascertained　is　this：　at　Soissons；　where

the　bread　of　the　soldiery　was　prepared　in　a　church；　some　fragments　of

broken　glass　were　found　in　the　oven；　on　the　strength　of　which　a　rumor

was　started　that　170　volunteers　had　died；　and　that　700　were　lying　in

the　hospital。　A　ferocious　instinct　makes　men　see　their　adversaries　in

their　own　image　and　thus　justify　them　to　take　those　measures　which

they　imagine　their　enemies　would　have　taken　in　their　place。＇47＇　　

The　committee　of　Jacobin　leaders　states　positively　that　the　Court　is

about　to　attack；　and；　accordingly；　has　devised　〃not　merely　signs　of

this；　but　of　the　most　unmistakable　proof。〃＇48＇　　〃It　is　the　Trojan

horse；〃　exclaimed　Panis；　〃We　are　lost　if　we　do　not　succeed　in

disemboweling　it。　。　。　。　　The　bomb　explodes　on　the　night　of　August　9…

10。　。　。　　Fifteen　thousand　aristocrats　stand　ready　to　slaughter　all

patriots。〃　　　Patriots；　consequently；　attribute　to　themselves　the　right

to　slaughter　aristocrats。　　　Late　in　June；　in　the　Minimes　section；　〃a

French　guardsman　had　already　determined　to　kill　the　King；〃　if　the　King

persisted　in　his　veto。　When　the　president　of　the　section　wanted　to

expulse　the　regicide；　it　was　the　latter　who　was　retained　and　the

president　was　expelled。＇49＇　　On　the　14th　of　July；　the　day　of　the

Federation　festival；　another　predecessor　of　Louvel　and　Fieschi；

provided　with　a　cutlass；　had　introduced　himself　into　the　battalion　on

duty　at　the　palace；　for　the　same　purpose；　during　the　ceremony　the

crowd　warmed　up；　and；　for　a　moment；　the　King　owed　his　life　to　the

firmness　of　his　escort。　On　the　27th　of　July；　in　the　garden　of　the

Tuileries；　d'Espréménil；　the　old　Constituent＇50＇；　beaten；　slashed；　and

his　clothes　torn；　pursued　like　a　stag　across　the　Palais　Royal；　falls

bleedings　on　a　mattress　at　the　gates　of　the　Treasury。＇51＇　　On　the　29th

of　July；　whilst　one　of　Lafayette's　aides；　M。　Bureau　de　Pusy；　is　at　the

bar　of　the　house；　〃they　try　to　have　a　motion　passed　in　the　Palais

Royal　to　parade　his　head　on　the　end　of　a　pike。〃＇52＇　　　At　this　level

of　rage　and　fear；　the　brutal　and　the　excited　can　wait　no　longer。　On

the　4th　of　August；＇53＇　the　Mauconseil　section　declares　〃to　the

Assembly；　to　the　municipality；　and　to　all　the　citizens　of　Paris；　that

it　no　longer　recognizes　Louis　XVI。　as　King　of　the　French〃。　Its

president；　the　foreman　of　a　tailor's　shop；　and　its　secretary；　employed

in　the　leather　market；　support　their　manifesto　with　three　lines　of　a

tragedy　floating　vaguely　in　their　minds；＇54＇　and　name　the　Boulevard

Madeleine　St。　Honoré　as　a　rendezvous　on　the　following　Sunday　for　all

well…disposed　persons。　On　the　6th　of　August；　Varlet；　a　post…office

clerk；　makes　known　to　the　Assembly；　in　the　name　of　the　petitioners　of

the　Champ　de　Mars；　the　program　of　the　faction：



1。　the　dethronement　of　the　King；



2。　the　indictment；　arrest；　and　speedy　condemnation　of　Lafayette；



3。　the　immediate　convoking　of　the　primary　assemblies；



4。　universal　suffrage；



5。　the　discharge　of　all　staff　officers；



6。　the　renewal　of　the　departmental　directories；



7。　the　recall　of　all　ambassadors；



8。　　the　suppression　of　diplomacy；



9。　　and　a　return　to　the　state　of　nature。



The　Girondins　may　now　delay；　negotiate；　beat　about　and　argue　as　much

as　they　please；　their　hesitation　has　no　other　effect　that　to　consign

them　into　the　background；　as　being　lukewarm　and　timid。　Thanks　to　them；

the　（Jacobin）　faction　now　has　its　deliberative　assemblies；　its

executive　powers；　its　central　seat　of　government；　its　enlarged；　tried；

and　ready　army；　and；　forcibly　or　otherwise；　its　program　will　be

carried　out。







V。



Evening　of　August　8。　　　Session　of　August　9。　　　Morning　of　August

10。…　Assembly　purged。　







The　Assembly　must　first　of　all　be　made　to　depose　the　King。　Several

times　already；＇55＇　on　the　26th　of　July　and　August　4；　clandestine

meetings　had　been　held　where　strangers　decided　the　fate　of　France；　and

gave　the　signal　for　insurrection。　　Restrained　with　great　difficulty；

they　consented　〃to　have　patience　until　August　9；　at　11　o'clock　in　the

evening。〃＇56＇　On　that　day　the　discussion　of　the　dethronement　is　to

take　place　in　the　Assembly；　and　calculations　are　made　on　a　favorable

vote　under　such　a　positive　threat；　its　reluctance　must　yield　to　the

certainty　of　a　military　occupation　　On　the　8th　of　August；　however；

the　Assembly　refuses；　by　a　majority　of　two…thirds；　to　indict　the　great

enemy；　Lafayette。　The　double　amputation　essential　for　State　security；

must　therefore　begin　with　the　destruction　of　this　majority。



The　moment　Lafayette's　acquittal　is　announced；　the　galleries；　usually

so　vociferous；