the origins of contemporary france-3-第50部分

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

so　vociferous；　maintain　〃gloomy　silence。〃＇57＇　The　word　of　command　for

them　is　to　keep　themselves　in　reserve　for　the　streets。　One　by　one　the

deputies　who　voted　for　Lafayette　are　pointed　out　to　the　mob　at　the

doors；　and　a　shout　is　raised；　〃the　rascals；　the　knaves；　the　traitors

living　on　the　civil　list！　Hang　them！　Kill　them！　Put　an　end　to　them！

Mud；　mortar；　plaster；　stones　are　thrown　at　them；　and　they　are　severely

pummeled。　　　M。　Mézières；　in　the　Rue　du　Dauphin；　is　seized　by　the

throat；　and　a　woman　strikes　at　him；　which　he　parries。　In　the　Rue　St。

Honoré；　a　number　of　men　in　red　caps　surround　M。　Regnault…Beauceron；

and　decide　to　〃string　him　up　at　the　lantern〃；　a　man　in　his　jacket　had

already　grabbed　him　from　behind　and　raised　him　up；　when　the　grenadiers

of　Sainte…Opportune　arrive　in　time　to　set　him　free。　In　the　Rue　St。

Louis；　M。　Deuzy；　repeatedly　struck　on　the　back　with　stones；　has　a

saber　twice　raised　over　his　head。　In　the　Passage　des　　Feuillants；　M。

Desbois　is　pummeled；　and　a　〃snuff…box；　his　pocket…book；　and　cane〃　are

stolen　from　him。　In　the　lobbies　of　the　Assembly；　M。　Girardin　is　on　the

point　of　being　assassinated。＇58＇　Eight　deputies　besides　these　are

pursued；　and　take　refuge　in　the　guard…room　of　the　Palais　Royal。　A

Federate　enters　along　with　them；　and　〃there；　his　eyes　sparkling　with

rage　and　thumping　on　the　table　like　a　madman；〃　he　exclaims　to　M。

Dumolard；　who　is　the　best　known：〃　　〃If　you　are　unlucky　enough　to　put

your　feet　in　the　Assembly　again；　I'll　cut　off　your　head　with　my

sword！〃　　　As　to　the　principal　defender　of　Lafayette；　M。　Vaublanc；　he

is　assailed　three　times；　but　he　is　wary　enough　not　to　return　home；　a

number　of　infuriates；　however；　invest　his　house；　yelling　out　that

〃eighty　citizens　are　to　perish　by　their　hands；　and　he　is　one　of　the

first〃；　a　dozen　of　the　gang　ascend　to　his　apartments；　rummage　them　in

every　corner；　make　another　effort　to　find　him　in　the　adjoining　houses；

and；　not　being　able　to　secure　him；　try　to　find　his　family；　he　is

notified　that；　if　he　returns　to　his　house；　he　will　be　massacred。　　In

the　evening；　on　the　Feuillants　terrace；　other　deputies　are　subjected

to　the　same　outrages；　the　gendarmerie　tries　in　vain　to　protect　them；

while　the　'commandant　of　the　National　Guard；　on　leaving　his　post；　is

attacked　and　cut　down。〃＇59＇　　　Meanwhile；　some　of　the　Jacobins　in　the

lobbies　〃doom　the　majority　of　the　Assembly　to　destruction〃；　one　orator

declares　that　〃the　people　have　a　right　to　form　lists　of　proscription；〃

and　the　club　accordingly　decides　on　printing　and　publishing　the　names

of　all　the　deputies　who　acquitted　Lafayette。　　Never　was　physical

constraint　displayed　and　applied　with　such　open　shamelessness。＇60＇



On　the　following　day；　August　9；　armed　men　gather　around　the　approaches

to　the　Assembly；　and　sabers　are　seen　even　in　the　corridors。＇61＇　　The

galleries；　more　imperious　than　ever；　cheer；　and　break　out　in　ironic

shouts　of　triumph　and　approval　every　time　the　attacks　of　the　previous

evening　are　denounced　in　the　tribune。　The　president　calls　the

offenders　to　order　more　than　twenty　times；　but　his　voice　and　his　bell

are　drowned　in　the　uproar。　It　is　impossible　to　express　an　opinion。

Most　of　the　representatives　who　were　maltreated　the　evening　before；

write　that　they　will　not　return；　while　others；　who　are　present；

declare　that　they　will　not　vote　again　〃if　they　cannot　be　secure　of

freedom　of　conscience　in　their　deliberations。〃　　At　this　utterance；

which　expresses　the　secret　sentiment　of　　〃nearly　the　whole　of　the

Assembly；〃＇62＇　　〃all　the　members　of　the　'Right'；　and　many　of　the

'Left'　arise　simultaneously　and　exclaim：　'Yes；　yes；　we　will　debate　no

longer　unless　we　are　free！〃　　　As　usual；　however；　the　majority　gives

away　the　moment　effective　measures　are　to　be　adopted；　its　heart　sinks；

as　it　always　has　done；　on　being　called　upon　to　act　in　self…defense；

while　these　official　declarations；　one　on　top　of　the　other；　in　hiding

from　it　the　gravity　of　the　danger；　sink　it　deeper　in　its　own　timidity。

At　this　same　session　the　syndic…attorney　of　the　department　reports

that　the　mob　is　ready；　that　900　armed　men　had　just　entered　Paris；　that

the　tocsin　would　be　rung　at　midnight；　and　that　the　municipality

tolerates　or　favors　the　insurrection。　At　this　same　session；　the

Minister　of　Justice　gives　notice　that　〃the　laws　are　powerless；〃　and

that　the　government　is　no　longer　responsible。　At　this　same　session；

Pétion；　the　mayor；　almost　avowing　his　complicity；　appears　at　the　bar

of　the　house；　and　declares　positively　that　he　will　have　nothing　to　do

with　the　public　forces；　because　〃it　would　be　arming　one　body　of

citizens　against　another。〃＇63＇　　Every　support　is　evidently　knocked

away。　　　Feeling　that　it　is　abandoned；　the　National　Assembly　gives　up；

and；　as　a　last　expedient；　and　with　a　degree　of　weakness　or　simplicity

which　admirably　depicts　the　legislators　of　the　epoch；　it　adopts　a

philosophic　address　to　the　people；　〃instructing　it　what　to　do　in　the

exercise　of　its　sovereignty。〃



How　this　is　done；　it　may　see　the　next　morning。　At　7　o'clock；　a　Jacobin

deputy　stops　in　a　cab　before　the　door　of　the　Feuillants　club；　a　crowd

gathers　around　him；　and　he　gives　his　name；　Delmas。　The　crowd

understood　it　as　Dumas；　a　well…known　Constitutionalist；　and；　in　a

rage；　drag　him　out　of　the　vehicle　and　knock　him　down；　had　not　other

deputies　run　up　and　given　assurances　that　he　was　the　patriot　Delmas；

of　Toulouse；　instead　of　〃the　traitor；　Mathieu　Dumas；〃　he　was　a　lost

man。＇64＇　　Dumas　makes　no　effort　to　enter。　He　finds　on　the　Place

Vend？me　a　second　and　not　less　instructive　warning。　Some　wretches；

followed　by　the　usual　rabble；　carry　about　a　number　of　heads　on　pikes；

those　probably　of　the　journalist　Suleau；　and　three　others；　massacred　a

quarter　of　an　hour　before；　〃boys　quite　young；　mere　children；　play　with

these　heads　by　tossing　them　in　the　air；　and　catching　them　on　the　ends

of　their　sticks。〃　　There　is　no　doubt　but　that　the　deputies　of　the

〃Right〃　and　even　the　〃Center；〃　would　do　well　to　go　home　and　stay

there。　In　fact；　they　are　no　longer　seen　in　the　Assembly。＇65＇　　In　the

afternoon；　out　of　the　630　members　still　present　the　evening　before；

346　do　not　answer　the　call；　while　about　thirty　others；　had　either

withdrawn　before　this　or　sent　in　their　resignations。＇66＇　The　　purging

is　complete；　like　that　to　which　Cromwell；　in　1648；　subjected　the　Long

Parliament。　Henceforth　the　Legislative　body；　reduced　to　224　Jacobins

or　Girondins；　with　60　frightened　or　tractable　neutrals；　will　obey　the

orders　of　the　street　without　any　difficulty。　A　change　has　come　over

the　spirit　of　the　body　as　well　as　over　its　composition；　it　is　nothing

more　now　than　a　servile　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　seditious；　who

have　mutilated　it；　and　who；　masters　of　it　through　a　first　misdeed；　are

going　to　use　it　to　legalize　other　crimes。







VI。



Nights　of　August　9　and　10。　　　The　sections。　　　Commissioners　of　the

sections　at　the　H？tel…de…ville。　　　The　revolutionary　Commune　is

substituted　for　the　legal　Commune。



During　the　night　of　the　9th　and　10th　of　August　their　government　forms

itself　for　action；　it　has　been　set　up　as　it　will　behave；　with　violence

and　fraud。　i　　　In　vain　have　they　annoyed　and　worked　on　the　sections

for　the　past　fortnight；　they　are　not　yet　submissive；　only　six　out　of

forty…eight　at　the　present　hour；　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　being　found

sufficiently　excited　or　purged　to　send　their　commissioners　forthwith；

with　full　power；　to　the　H？tel…de…ville。　The　others　will　follow；　but

the　majority　rests　inert　or　recalcitrant。＇67＇　　　It　is　necessary；

therefore；　to　deceive　or　force　this　majority；　and；　to　this　end；

darkness；　the　late　hour；　disorder；　dread　of　the　coming　day；　and　the

uncertainty　of　what　to　do；　are　precious　auxiliaries。　In　many　of　the

sections；＇68＇　the　meetings　are　already　adjourned　or　deserted；　only　a

few　members　of　the　permanent　bureau　in　the　room；　with　a　few　men；

perhaps　asleep；　on　the　nearly　empty　benches。　An　emissary　arrives　from

the　insurgent　sections；　along　with　a　company　of　trusty　fellows

belonging　to　the　quarter；　and　cries　out；　Save　the　country！　The

sleepers　open　their　eyes；　stretch　themselves；　raise　their　hands；　and

elect　whoever　is　designated；　sometimes　strangers　and　other　unknown

individuals；　who　will　be　disowned　the　coming　day　at　a　full　meeting　of

the　section。　There　is　no　official　report　drawn　up；　no　balloting；　the

course　pursued　being　the　most　prompt。　At　the　Arsenal　section；　six

electors　present　choose　three　among　their　own　number　to　represent

1；400　active　citizens。　Elsewhere；　a　throng　of　shrews；　night…brawlers

and　dishonorable　persons；　invade　the　premises；　chase　out　the　believers

in　law　and　order；　and　win　all　the　desired　appointments。＇69＇　　Other

sections　consent　to　elect；　but　without　consenting　to　give　power　of

attorney。　Several　make　express　reservations；　stipulating　that　their

delegates　shall　act　in　concert　with　the　legal　municipality；

distrusting　the　future　committee；　and　declaring　in　advance　that　they

will　not　obey　it。　A　few　elect　their　commissioners　only　to　obtain

information；　and；　at　the　same　time；　to　show　that　they　intend　earnestly

to　stop　all　rioting。＇70＇　　Finally；　at　least　twenty　sections　abstain

from　or　disapprove　of　the　proceedings　and　send　no　delegates。　　　Never

mind；　they　can　be　dispensed　with。　　At　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　19

sections；　and；　at　seven　o'clock；　24　or　25；＇71＇　are　represented　one　way

or　another　at　the　Town…hall　（H？tel…de…ville）；　and　this　representation

forms　a　central　committee。　Anyhow；　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　seventy

or　eighty　subordinate　intriguers　and　desperadoes；　who　have　slipped　in

or　pushed　through；　from　calling　themselves　authorized　delegates　and

ministers　plenipotentiary　of　the　entire　Paris　population；＇72＇　and　to

operate　accordingly。　　Scarcely　are　they　installed　under　the

presidency　of　Huguenin；　with　Tallien　as　secretary；　when　they　issue　a

summons　for　〃twen