the origins of contemporary france-3-第53部分

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and　rehabilitate　crime。　laws　are　promulgated　to　deliver：







*　the　judicial　system；



*　the　full　control　of　the　nation；



*　the　selection　of　the　members　of　the　future　omnipotent　Assembly；



*　in　short；　the　entire　government；







to　an　autocratic；　violent　minority；　which；　having　risked　all　to　grab

the　dictatorship；　dares　all　to　keep　it。＇116＇















VIII。



State　of　Paris　in　the　Interregnum。　　The　mass　of　the　population。　

Subaltern　Jacobins。　　　The　Jacobin　leaders。



Let　us　stop　a　moment　to　contemplate　this　great　city　and　its　new

rulers。　　From　afar；　Paris　seems　a　club　of　700；000　fanatics；

vociferating　and　deliberating　on　the　public　squares；　near　by；　it　is

nothing　of　the　sort。　The　slime；　on　rising　from　the　bottom；　has　become

the　surface；　and　given　its　color　to　the　stream；　but　the　human　stream

flows　in　its　ordinary　channel；　and；　under　this　turbid　exterior；

remains　about　the　same　as　it　was　before。　It　is　a　city　of　people　like

ourselves；　governed；　busy；　and　fond　of　amusement。　To　the　great

majority；　even　in　revolutionary　times；　private　life；　too　complex　and

absorbing；　leaves　but　an　insignificant　corner　for　public　affairs。

Through　routine　and　through　necessity；　manufacturing；　display　of

wares；　selling；　purchasing；　keeping　accounts；　trades；　and　professions；

continue　as　usual。　The　clerk　goes　to　his　office；　the　workman　to　his

shop；　the　artisan　to　his　loft；　the　merchant　to　his　warehouse；　the

professional　to　his　cabinet；　and　the　official　to　his　duty；＇117＇　they

are　devoted；　first　of　all；　to　their　pursuits；　to　their　daily　bread；　to

the　discharge　of　their　obligations；　to　their　own　advancement；　to　their

families；　and　to　their　pleasures；　to　provide　for　these　things　the　day

is　not　too　long。　Politics　only　briefly　distract　them；　and　then　rather

out　of　curiosity；　like　a　play　one　applauds　or　hisses　in　his　seat

without　stepping　upon　the　stage。　　　〃The　declaration　that　the　country

is　in　danger；〃　says　many　eye　witnesses；＇118＇　〃has　made　no　change　in

the　physiognomy　of　Paris。　There　are　the　same　amusements；　the　same

gossip。　。　。　。　　The　theaters　are　full　as　usual。　The　wine…shops　and

places　of　diversion　overflow　with　the　people；　National　Guards；　and

soldiers。　。　。　。　　The　fashionable　world　enjoys　its　pleasure…parties；〃　…

〃The　day　after　the　decree；　the　effect　of　the　ceremony；　so　skillfully

managed；　is　very　slight。　〃The　National　Guard　in　the　procession；　writes

a　patriotic　journalist；＇119＇　〃first　shows　indifference　and　even

boredom〃；　it　is　exasperated　with　night　watches　and　patrol　duty；　they

probably　tell　each　others　that　in　parading　for　the　nation；　one　finds

no　time　to　work　for　one's　self。　　A　few　days　after　this　the　manifesto

of　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　〃produces　no　sensation　whatever。　People　laugh

at　it。　Only　the　newspapers　and　their　readers　are　familiar　with　it。　。　。

。　The　mass　know　nothing　about　it。　Nobody　fears　the　coalition　nor

foreign　troops。〃＇120＇　　On　the　10th　of　August；　outside　the　theater　of

the　combat；　all　is　quiet　in　Paris。　People　walk　about　and　chat　in　the

streets　as　usual。〃＇121＇　　On　the　19th　of　August；　Moore；　the

Englishman；＇122＇　sees；　with　astonishment；　the　heedless　crowd　filling

the　Champs　Elysées；　the　various　diversions；　the　air　of　a　fête；　the

countless　small　shops　in　which　refreshments　are　sold　accompanied　with

songs　and　music；　and　the　quantities　of　pantomimes　and　marionettes。

〃Are　these　people　as　happy　as　they　seem　to　be？〃　he　asks　of　a　Frenchman

along　with　him。　　〃They　are　as　jolly　as　gods！〃　　〃Do　you　think　the

Duke　of　Brunswick　is　ever　in　their　heads？〃　　　〃Monsieur；　you　may　be

sure　of　this；　that　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　is　the　last　man　they　think

of。〃



Such　is　the　unconcern　or　light…heartedness　of　the　gross；　egoistic

mass；　otherwise　busy；　and　always　passive　under　any　government　whatever

it　may　be；　a　veritable　flock　of　sheep；　allowing　government　to　do　as　it

pleases；　provided　it　does　not　hinder　it　from　browsing　and　capering　as

it　chooses。　　　As　to　the　men　of　sensibility　who　love　their　country；

they　are　still　less　troublesome；　for　they　are　gone　or　going　（to　the

army）；　often　at　the　rate　of　a　thousand　and　even　two　thousand　a　day；

ten　thousand　in　the　last　week　of　July；＇123＇　fifteen　thousand　in　the

first　two　weeks　of　September；＇124＇　in　all　perhaps　40；000　volunteers

furnished　by　the　capital　alone　and　who；　with　their　fellows

proportionate　in　number　supplied　by　the　departments；　are　to　be　the

salvation　of　France。　　Through　this　departure　of　the　worthy；　and　this

passivity　of　the　flock；　Paris　belongs　to　the　fanatics　among　the

population。　〃These　are　the　sans…culottes；〃　wrote　the　patriotic　Palloy；

〃the　scum　and　riffraff　of　Paris；　and　I　glory　in　belonging　to　that

class　which　has　put　down　the　so…called　honest　folks。〃＇125＇　　　〃Three

thousand　workmen；〃　says　the　Girondist　Soulavie；　later；　〃made　the

Revolution　of　the　10th　of　August；　against　the　kingdom　of　the

Feuillants；　the　majority　of　the　capital　and　against　the　Legislative

Assembly。〃＇126＇　Workmen；　day　laborers；　and　petty　shop…keepers；　not

counting　women；　common　vagabonds　and　regular　bandits；　form；　indeed；

one…twentieth　of　the　adult　male　population　of　the　city；　about　9；000

spread　over　all　sections　of　Paris；　the　only　ones　to　vote　and　act　in

the　midst　of　universal　stupor　and　indifference。　　　We　find　in　the　Rue

de　Seine；　for　example；　seven　of　them；　Lacaille；　keeper　of　a　roasting…

shop；　Philippe；　〃a　cattle…breeder；　who　leads　around　she…asses　for

consumptives；〃　now　president　of　the　section；　and　soon　to　become　one　of

the　Abbaye　butchers；　Guérard；　〃a　Rouen　river…man　who　has　abandoned　the

navigation　of　the　Seine　on　a　large　scale　and　keeps　a　skiff；　in　which

he　ferries　people　over　the　river　from　the　Pont　du　Louvre　to　the　Quai

Mazarin；〃　and　four　characters　of　the　same　stamp。　Their　energy；

however；　replaces　their　lack　of　education　and　numerical　inferiority。

One　day；　Guérard；　on　passing　M。　Hua；　the　deputy；　tells　him　in　the　way

of　a　warning；　〃You　big　rascal；　you　were　lucky　to　have　other　people

with　you。　If　you　had　been　alone；　I　would　have　capsized　my　boat；　and

had　the　pleasure　of　drowning　a　blasted　aristocrat！〃　These　are　the

〃matadors　of　the　quarter〃。＇127＇　　　Their　ignorance　does　not　trouble

them；　on　the　contrary；　they　take　pride　in　coarseness　and　vulgarity。

One　of　the　ordinary　speechmakers　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine；

Gouchon；　a　designer　for　calicos；　comes　to　the　bar　of　the　Assembly；　〃in

the　name　of　the　men　of　July　14　and　Augusts　10；〃　to　glorify　the

political　reign　of　brutal　incapacity；　according　to　him；　it　is　more

enlightened　than　that　of　the　cultivated：＇128＇〃those　great　geniuses

graced　with　the　fine　title　of　Constitutionalists　are　forced　to　do

justice　to　men　who　never　studied　the　art　of　governing　elsewhere　than

in　the　book　of　experience。　。　。　。　Consulting　customs　and　not

principles；　these　clever　people　have　for　a　long　period　been　busy　with

the　political　balance　of　things；　we　have　found　it　without　looking　for

it　in　the　heart　of　man：　Form　a　government　which　will　place　the　poor

above　their　feeble　resources　and　the　rich　below　their　means；　and　the

balance　will　be　perfect。〃　＇129＇



This　is　more　than　clear；　their　declared　purpose　is　a　complete

leveling；　not　alone　of　political　rights；　but；　again；　and　especially；

of　conditions　and　fortunes；　they　promise　themselves　〃absolute

equality；　real　equality；〃　and；　still　better；　〃the　magistracy　and　all

government　powers。〃＇130＇　France　belongs　to　them；　if　they　are　bold

enough　to　seize　hold　of　it。　　And；　on　the　other　hand；　should　they

miss　their　prey；　they　feel　themselves　lost；　for　the　Brunswick

manifesto；＇131＇　which　had　made　no　impression　on　the　public；　remains

deeply　impressed　in　their　minds。　They　apply　its　threats　to　themselves；

while　their　imagination；　as　usual；　translates　it　into　a　specific

legend：＇132＇　all　the　inhabitants　of　Paris　are　to　be　led　out　on　the

plain　of　Saint…Denis；　and　there　decimated；　previous　to　this；　the　most

notorious　patriots　will　be　singled　out　together　with　forty　or　fifty

market…women　and　broken　on　the　wheel。　Already；　on　the　11th　of　August；

a　rumor　is　current　that　800　men　of　the　late　royal　guards　are　ready　to

make　a　descent　on　Paris；＇133＇　that　very　day　the　dwelling　of

Beaumarchais　is　ransacked　for　seven　hours；＇134＇　the　walls　are　pierced；

the　privies　sounded；　and　the　garden　dug　down　to　the　rock。　The　same

search　is　repeated　in　the　adjoining　house。　The　women　are　especially

〃enraged　at　not　finding　anything；〃　and　wish　to　renew　the　attempt；

swearing　that　they　will　discover　where　things　are　hidden　in　ten

minutes。　The　nightmare　is　evidently　too　much　for　these　unballasted

minds。　They　break　down　under　the　weight　of　their　accidental　kingship；

their　inflamed　pride；　extravagant　desires；　and　intense　and　silent

fears　which　form　in　them　that　morbid　and　evil　concoction　which；　in

democracy　as　well　as　in　a　monarchy；　fashions　a　Nero。＇135＇



Their　leaders；　who　are　even　more　upset；　conceited；　and　despotic；　have

no　scruples　holding　them　back；　for　the　most　noteworthy　are　corrupt；

acting　alone　or　as　leaders。　　Of　the　three　chiefs　of　the　old

municipality；　Pétion；　the　mayor；　actually　in　semi…retirement；　but

verbally　respected；　is　set　aside　and　considered　as　an　old　decoration。

The　other　two　remain　active　and　in　office；　Manuel；＇136＇　the　syndic…

attorney；　son　of　a　porter；　a　loud…talking；　untalented　bohemian；　stole

the　private　correspondence　of　Mirabeau　from　a　public　depository；

falsified　it；　and　sold　it　for　his　own　benefit。　Danton；＇137＇　Manuel's

deputy；　faithless　in　two　ways；　receives　the　King's　money　to　prevent

the　riot；　and　makes　use　of　it　to　urge　it　on。　　Varlet；　〃that

extraordinary　speech…maker；　led　such　a　foul　and　prodigal　life　as　to

bring　his　mother　in　sorrow　to　the　grave；　afterwards　he　spent　what　was

left；　and　soon　had　nothing。〃＇138＇　　Others　not　only　lacked　honor　but

even　common　honesty。　Carra；　with　a　seat　in　the　secret　Directory　of　the

Federates；　and　who　drew　up　the　plan　of　the　insurrection；　had　been

condemned　by　the　Macon　trib