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the origins of contemporary france-3-第59部分

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the occurrence。



'142'  〃Révolutions de Paris;〃 No。177 (session of the council…general

at the Hotel…de…ville; Nov。 8; 1792; report of the committee of

surveillance)。 Sergent admits; except as to one of the watches; that

he intended to pay for the said object the price they would have

brought。 It was noticed; as he said this; that he had on his finger

the agate ring that was claimed。〃



'143' Mortimer…Ternaux; II。 638; III。 500 and following pages; IV。

132。  Cf。 II。 451。



'144' Mortimer…Ternaux; II。 456。



'145' Buchez et Roux; XVI。 138; 140 (testimony of Mathon de la

Varenne; who was engaged in the case)。



'146' 〃Dictionnaire biographique;〃 by Eymery (Leipsic; 1807); article

HéBERT。



'147' Mortimer…Ternaux; III。 484; 601。 Cf。 letter of the

representative Cavaignac; Ibid。; 399。



'148' 〃Dictionnaire biographique;〃 article HENRIOT。…The lives of many

of these subordinate leaders are well done。 Cf。 〃Stanislas Maillard;〃

by AL Sorel; 〃Le Patriote Palloy;〃 by V Fournel。



'149' Granier de Cassagnac; 〃Histoire des Girondins;〃 409。 … 〃Archives

Nationales;〃 F7 3196。 Letters of de Sades on the sacking of his house

near Apt; with supporting document and proofs of his civism; among

others a petition drawn up by him in the name of the Pique section and

read at the Convention year II。 brumaire 25。  〃Legislators; the reign

of philosophy has at last annihilated that of imposture。 。 。 The

worship of a Jewish slave of the Romans is not adapted to the

descendants of Sc?vola。 The general prosperity which is certain to

proceed from individual happiness will spread to the farthest regions

of the universe and everywhere the dreaded hydra of ultramontane

superstition; chased by the combined lights of reason and virtue; no

longer finding a refuge in the hateful haunts of a dying aristocracy;

will perish at her side in despair at finally beholding on this earth

the triumph of philosophy!〃



'150' Barbaroux; 〃Mémoires;〃 57; 59。 The latter months of the

legislative assembly。















BOOK THIRD。 THE SECOND STAGE OF THE CONQUEST。



CHAPTER I。



I。



Government by gangs in times of anarchy。 … Case where anarchy is

recent and suddenly brought on。  The band that succeeds the fallen

government and its administrative tools。



The worst feature of anarchy is not so much the absence of the

overthrown government as the rise of new governments of an inferior

grade。 In every state which breaks up; new groups will form to conquer

and become sovereign: it was so in Gaul on the fall of the Roman

empire; also under the latest of Charlemagne's successors; the same

state of things exists now (1875) in Rumania and in Mexico。

Adventurers; gangsters; corrupted or downgraded men; social outcasts;

men overwhelmed with debts and lost to honor; vagabonds; deserters;

dissolute troopers; born enemies of work; of subordination; and of the

law; unite to break the worm…eaten barriers which still surround the

sheep…like masses; and as they are unscrupulous; they slaughter on all

occasions。 On this foundation their authority rests; each in turn

reigns in its own area; and their government; in keeping with its

brutal masters; consists in robbery and murder; nothing else can be

looked for from barbarians and brigands。



But never are they so dangerous as when; in a great State recently

fallen; a sudden revolution places the central power in their hands;

for they then regard themselves as the legitimate inheritors of the

shattered government; and; under this title; they undertake to manage

the commonwealth。 Now in times of anarchy the ruling power does not

proceed from above; but from below; and the chiefs; therefore; who

would remain such; are obliged to follow the blind impulsion of their

flock。'1' Hence the important and dominant personage; the one whose

ideas prevail; the veritable successor of Richelieu and of Louis XIV。

is here the subordinate Jacobin; the pillar of the club; the maker of

motions; the street rioter; Panis Sergent; Hébert; Varlet; Henriot;

Maillard; Fournier; Lazowski; or; still lower in the scale; the

Marseilles 〃rough;〃 the Faubourg gunner; the drinking market…porter

who elaborates his political conceptions in the interval between his

hiccups。'2'   For information he has the rumors circulating in the

streets which tell of a traitor to each house; and for confirmed

knowledge the club slogans inciting him to rule over the vast machine。

A machinery so vast and complicated; a whole assembly of entangled

services ramifying in innumerable offices; with so much apparatus of

special import; so delicate as to require constant adaptation to

changing circumstances; diplomacy; finances; justice; army

administration  all this surpasses his limited comprehension; a

bottle cannot be made to contain the bulk of a hogshead。'3'  In his

narrow brain; perverted and turned topsy…turvy by the disproportionate

notions put into it; only one idea suited to his gross instincts and

aptitudes finds a place there; and that is the desire to kill his

enemies; and these are also the State's enemies; however open or

concealed; present or future; probable or even possible。 He carries

this savagery and bewilderment into politics; and hence the evil

arising from his government。 Simply a brigand; he would have murdered

only to rob; and his murders would have been restricted。 As

representing the State; he undertakes wholesale massacres; of which he

has the means ready at hand。   For he has not yet had time enough to

take apart the old administrative implements; at all events the minor

wheels; gendarmes; jailers; employees; book…keepers; and accountants;

are always in their places and under control。 There can be no

resistance on the part of those arrested; accustomed to the protection

of the laws and to peaceable ways and times; they have never relied on

defending themselves nor ever could imagine that any one could be so

summarily slain。 As to the mass; rendered incapable of any effort of

its own by ancient centralization; it remains inert and passive and

lets things go their own way。  Hence; during many long; successive

days; without being hurried or impeded; with official papers quite

correct and accounts in perfect order; a massacre can be carried out

with the same impunity and as methodically as cleaning the streets or

clubbing stray dogs。'4'







II。



The development of the ideas of killings in the mass of the party。 

The morning after August 10。  The tribunal of August 17。   The

funereal fête of August 27。   The prison plot。



Let us trace the progress of the homicidal idea in the mass of the

party。 It lies at the very bottom of the revolutionary creed。 Collot

d'Herbois; two months after this; aptly says in the Jacobin tribune:

〃The second of September is the great article in the credo  of our

freedom。〃'5' It is peculiar to the Jacobin to consider himself as a

legitimate sovereign; and to treat his adversaries not as

belligerents; but as criminals。 They are guilty of lèse… nation; they

are outlaws; fit to be killed at all times and places; and deserve

extinction; even when no longer able or in a condition do any harm。 

Consequently; on the 10th of August the Swiss Guards; who do not fire

a gun and who surrender; the wounded lying on the ground; their

surgeons; the palace domestics; are killed; and worse still; persons

like M。 de Clermont…Tonnerre who pass quietly along the street。  All

this is now called in official phraseology the justice of the people。

 On the 11th the Swiss Guards; collected in the Feuillants building;

come near being massacred; the mob on the outside of it demand their

heads;'6' 〃it conceives the project of visiting all the prisons in

Paris to take out the prisoners and administer prompt justice on

them。〃 … On the 12th in the markets 〃diverse groups of the low class

call Pétion a scoundrel;〃 because 〃he saved the Swiss in the Palais

Bourbon〃; accordingly; 〃he and the Swiss must be hung to…day。〃…In

these minds turned topsy…turvy the actual; palpable truth gives way to

its opposite; 〃the attack was not begun by them; the order to sound

the tocsin came from the palace; it is the palace which was besieging

the nation; and not the nation which was besieging  the palace。〃'7'

The vanquished 〃are the assassins of the people;〃 caught in the act;

and on the 14th of August the Federates demand a court…martial 〃to

avenge the death of their comrades。〃'8'  And even a court…martial will

not answer。  〃It is not sufficient to mete out punishment for crimes

committed on the 10th of August; but the vengeance of the people must

be extended to all conspirators;〃 to that 〃Lafayette; who probably was

not in Paris; but who may have been there;〃 to all the ministers;

generals; judges; and other officials guilty of maintaining legal

order wherever it had been maintained; and of not having recognized

the Jacobin government before it came into being。 Let them be brought

before; not the ordinary courts; which are not to be trusted because

they belong to the defunct régime; but before a specially organized

tribunal; a sort of 〃chambre ardente;〃'9' elected by the sections;

that is to say; by a Jacobin minority。 These improvised judges must

give judgment on conviction; without appeal; there must be no

preliminary examinations; no interval of time between arrest and

execution; no dilatory and protective formalities。 And above all; the

Assembly must be expeditious in passing the decree; 〃otherwise;〃 it is

informed by a delegate from the Commune;'10' 〃the tocsin will be rung

at midnight and the general alarm sounded; for the people are tired of

waiting to be avenged。 Look out lest they do themselves justice!  A

moment later; new threats and with an advanced deadline。 〃If the

juries are not ready to act in two or three hours great misfortunes

will overtake Paris。〃







Even if the new tribun
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