the origins of contemporary france-3-第51部分

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

summons　for　〃twenty…five　armed　men　from　each　section；〃　five　hundred

strapping　lads；　to　act　as　guards　and　serve　as　an　executive　force。　

Against　a　band　of　this　description　the　municipal　council；　in　session

in　the　opposite　chamber；　is　feeble　enough。　Moreover；　the　most　moderate

and　firmest　of　its　members；　sent　away　on　purpose；　are　on　missions　to

the　Assembly；　at　the　palace；　and　in　different　quarters　of　Paris；　while

its　galleries　are　crammed　with　villainous　looking　men；　posted　there　to

create　an　uproar；　its　deliberations　being　carried　on　under　menaces　of

death。　　　That's　why；　as　the　night　passes；　the　equilibrium　between

the　two　assemblages；　one　legal　the　other　illegal；　facing　each　other

like　the　two　sides　of　a　scale；　disappears。　Lassitude；　fear；

discouragement；　desertion；　increase　on　one　side；　　while　numbers；

audacity；　force　and　usurpation　increase　on　the　other。　At　length；　the

latter　wrests　from　the　former　all　the　acts　it　needs　to　start　the

insurrection　and　render　defense　impossible。　About　six　o'clock　in　the

morning　the　intruding　committee；　in　the　name　of　the　people；　ends　the

matter　by　suspending　the　legitimate　council；　which　it　then　expels；　and

takes　possession　of　its　chairs。



The　first　act　of　the　new　sovereign　rulers　indicates　at　once　what　they

mean　to　do。　M。　de　Mandat；　in　　command　of　the　National　guard；　summoned

to　the　H？tel…de…ville；　　had　come　to　explain　to　the　council　what

disposition　he　had　made　of　his　troops；　and　what　orders　he　had　issued。

They　seize　him；　interrogate　him　in　their　turn；＇73＇　depose　him；　appoint

Santerre　in　his　place；　and；　to　derive　all　the　benefit　they　can　from

his　capture；　they　order　him　to　withdraw　one…half　of　his　men　stationed

around　the　palace。　Fully　aware　of　what　he　was　exposed　to　in　this　den

of　thieves；　he　nobly　refuses；　forthwith　they　consign　him　to　prison；

and　send　him　to　the　Abbaye　〃for　his　greater　safety。〃　At　these

significant　words　from　Danton；＇74＇　he　is　murdered　at　the　door　as　he

leaves　by　Rossignol；　one　of　Danton's　acolytes；　with　a　pistol…shot　at

arm's　length。　　　After　tragedy　comes　comedy。　At　the　repeated

entreaties　of　Pétion；　who　does　not　want　to　be　requisitioned　against

the　rioters；＇75＇　they　send　him　a　guard　of　400　men；　thus　confining　him

in　his　own　house；　and；　apparently　in　spite　of　himself。



On　one　side；　sheltered　by　treachery　and；　on　the　other　side；　by

assassination；　the　insurrection　may　now　go　on　in　full　security　in

front　of　the　terrible　hypocrite　who　solemnly　complains　of　his

voluntary　captivity；　and　before　the　corpse；　with　shattered　brow；　lying

on　the　steps　of　the　H？tel…de…ville。　　On　the　right　bank　of　the　river；

the　battalions　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　and；　on　the　left；　those

of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Marcel；　the　Bretons；　and　the　Marseilles　band；

march　forth　as　freely　as　if　going　to　parade。　Measures　of　defense　are

frustrated　by　the　murder　of　the　commanding　general；　and　by　the　mayor's

duplicity；　there　is　not　resistance　on　guarded　spots；　at　the　arcade

Saint…Jean；　the　passages　of　the　bridges；　along　the　quays；　and　in　the

court　of　the　Louvre。　An　advance　guard　of　the　mob；　women；　children；　and

men；　armed　with　cutters；　cudgels；　and　pikes；　spread　over　the　abandoned

Carrousel；　and；　towards　eight　o'clock；　the　advance　column；　led　by

Westerman；　appears　in　front　of　the　palace。







VII。



August　10。　　　The　King's　forces。　　　Resistance　abandoned。　…　…The

King　in　the　National　Assembly。　　　Conflict　at　the　palace　and

discharge　of　the　Swiss　Guard。　　　The　palace　evacuated　by　the　King's

order。　　　The　massacres。　　　The　enslaved　Assembly　and　its　decrees。



If　the　King　had　wanted　to　fight；　he　might　still　have　defended　himself；

saved　himself；　and　even　been　victorious。＇76＇　　In　the　Tuileries；　950

of　the　Swiss　Guard　and　200　gentlemen　stood　ready　to　die　for　him　to　the

last　man。　Around　the　Tuileries；　two　or　three　thousand　National　Guard；

the　élite　of　the　Parisian　population；　had　just　cheered　him　as　he

passed。＇77＇　　〃Hurrah　for　the　King！　Hurrah　for　Louis　XVI。！　He　is　our

King　and　we　want　no　other；　we　want　him　only！　Down　with　the　rioters！

Down　with　the　Jacobins！　We　will　defend　him　unto　death！　Let　him　put

himself　at　our　head！　Hurrah　for　the　Nation；　the　Law；　the　Constitution；

and　the　King；　which　are　all　one！　If　the　gunners　were　silent；　and

seemed　ill…disposed；＇78＇　it　was　simply　necessary　to　disarm　them

suddenly；　and　hand　over　their　pieces　to　loyal　men。　Four　thousand

rifles　and　eleven　pieces　of　artillery；　protected　by　the　walls　of　the

courts　and　by　the　thick　masonry　of　the　palace；　were　certainly

sufficient　against　the　nine　or　ten　thousand　Jacobins　in　Paris；　most　of

them　pikemen；　badly　led　by　improvised　or　rebellious　battalion

officers；＇79＇　and；　still　worse；　commanded　by　their　new　general；

Santerre；　who；　always　cautious；　kept　himself　aloof　in　the　H？tel…de…

ville；　out　of　harm's　way。　The　only　staunch　men　in　the　Carrousel　were

the　eight　hundred　men　from　Brest　and　Marseilles；　the　rest　consisted　of

a　rabble　like　that　of　July　14；　October　5；　and　June　20；＇80＇　the　palace；

says　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　was　attacked　by　the　vilest　canaille；

professional　rioters；　Maillard's　band；　and　the　bands　of　Lazowski；

Fournier；　and　Théroigne；　by　all　the　assassins；　indeed　of　the　previous

night　and　day；　and　of　the　following　day；　which　species　of　combatants；

as　was　proved　by　the　event；　would　have　scattered　at　the　first

discharge　of　a　cannon。　　But；　with　the　governing　as　with　the

governed；　all　notion　of　the　State　was　lost；　the　former　through

humanity　become　a　duty；　and　the　latter　through　insubordination　erected

into　a　right。　At　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　century；　in　the　upper　as

well　as　in　the　middle　class；　there　was　a　horror　of　blood；＇81＇　refined

social　ways；　coupled　with　an　idyllic　imagination；　had　softened　the

militant　disposition。　Everywhere　the　magistrates　had　forgotten　that

the　maintenance　of　society　and　of　civilization　is　a　benefit　of

infinitely　greater　importance　than　the　lives　of　a　parcel　of　maniacs

and　malefactors；　　that　the　prime　object　of　government；　as　well　as　of　a

police；　is　the　preservation　of　order　by　force；　that　a　gendarme　is　not

a　philanthropist；　that；　if　attacked　on　his　post；　he　must　use　his

sword；　and　that；　in　sheathing　it　for　fear　of　wounding　his　aggressors；

he　fails　to　do　his　duty。



This　time　again；　in　the　court　of　the　Carrousel；　the　magistrates　on　the

spot；　finding　that　〃their　responsibility　is　insupportable；〃　concern

themselves　only　with　how　to　〃avoid　the　effusion　of　blood；〃　it　is　with

regret；　and　this　they　state　to　the　troops；　〃in　faltering　tones；〃　that

they　proclaim　martial　law。＇82＇　They　〃forbid　them　to　attack；〃　merely

〃authorizing　them　to　repel　force　with　force；〃　in　other　words；　they

order　them　to　stand　up　to　the　first　fire；　〃you　are　not　to　fire　until

you　are　fired　upon。〃　　Still　better；　they　go　from　company　to　company；

〃openly　declaring　that　opposition　to　such　a　large　and　well…armed

assemblage　would　be　folly；　and　that　it　would　be　a　very　great

misfortune　to　attempt　it。〃　　〃I　repeat　to　you；〃　said　Leroux；　〃that　a

defense　seems　to　me　madness。〃　　Such　is　the　way　in　which；　for　more

than　an　hour；　they　encourage　the　National　Guard。　〃All　I　ask；〃　says

Leroux　again；　〃is　that　you　wait　a　little　longer。　I　hope　that　we　shall

induce　the　King　to　yield　to　the　National　Assembly。〃　　　Always　the

same　tactics：　　hand　the　fortress　and　the　general　over　rather　than　fire

on　the　mob。　To　this　end　they　return　to　the　King；　with　R？derer　at　their

head；　and　renew　their　efforts：　〃Sire；〃　says　R？derer；　〃time　presses；

and　we　ask　you　to　consent　to　accompany　us。〃　　　For　a　few　moments；　the

last　and　most　solemn　of　the　monarchy；　the　King　hesitates。＇83＇　　His

good　sense；　probably；　enabled　him　to　see　that　a　retreat　was

abdication；　but　his　phlegmatic　understanding　is　at　first　unable　to

clearly　define　its　consequences；　moreover；　his　optimism　had　never

explored　the　vastness　of　the　stupidity　of　the　people；　nor　sounded　the

depths　of　human　malice　and　spite；　he　cannot　imagine　that　slander　may

transform　his　determination　not　to　shed　blood　into　a　desire　to　shed

blood。＇84＇　Besides；　he　is　bound　by　his　past；　by　his　habit　of　always

yielding；　by　his　determination；　declared　and　maintained　for　the　past

three　years；　never　to　cause　civil　war；　by　his　obstinate

humanitarianism；　and　especially　by　his　religious　goodwill。　He　has

systematically　extinguished　in　himself　the　animal　instinct　of

resistance；　the　flash　of　anger　in　all　of　us　which　starts　up　under

unjust　and　brutal　aggressions；　the　Christian　has　supplanted　the　King；

he　is　no　longer　aware　that　duty　obliges　him　to　be　a　man　of　the　sword

that；　in　his　surrender；　he　surrenders　the　State；　and　that　to　yield

like　a　lamb　is　to　lead　all　honest　people；　along　with　himself；　to　the

slaughterhouse。　〃Let　us　go；〃　said　he；　raising　his　right　hand；　〃we　will

give；　since　it　is　necessary；　one　more　proof　of　our　self…

sacrifice。〃＇85＇　Accompanied　by　his　family　and　Ministers；　he　sets　out

between　two　lines　of　National　Guards　and　the　Swiss　Guard；＇86＇　and

reaches　the　Assembly；　which　sends　a　deputation　to　meet　him；　entering

the　chamber　he　says：　〃I　come　here　to　prevent　a　great　crime。　〃　　No

pretext；　indeed；　for　a　conflict　now　exists。　An　assault　on　the

insurgent　side　is　useless；　since　the　monarch；　with　all　belonging　to

him　and　his　government；　have　left　the　palace。　On　the　other　side；　the

garrison　will　not　begin　the　fight；　diminished　by　150　Swiss　and　nearly

all　the　grenadiers　of　the　Filles…Saint…Thomas；　who　served　as　the

King's　escort　to　the　Assembly；　it　is　reduced　to　a　few　gentlemen；　750

Swiss；　and　about　a　hundred　National　Guards；　the　others；　on　learning

that　the　King　is　going；　consider　their　services　at　an　end　and

disperse。＇87＇　　All　seems　to　be　over　in　the　sacrifice　of　royalty。

Louis　XVI。　imagines　that　the　Assembly；　at　the　worst；　will　suspend　him

from　his　functions；　and　that　he　will　return　to　the　Tuileries　as　a

private　individual。　　On　leaving　the　palace；　indeed；　he　orders　his