the origins of contemporary france-3-第60部分

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

will　overtake　Paris。〃







Even　if　the　new　tribunal；　　set　up　on　the　spot；　is　quick；　guillotining

three　innocent　persons　in　five　days；　it　does　not　move　fast　enough。　　On

the　23rd　of　August　one　of　the　sections　declares　to　the　Commune　in

furious　language　that　the　people　themselves；　〃wearied　and　indignant〃

with　so　many　delays；　mean　to　force　open　the　prisons　and　massacre　the

inmates。＇11＇　　Not　only　do　the　sections　harass　the　judges；　but　they

force　the　accused　into　their　presence：　a　deputation　from　the　Commune

and　the　Federates　summons　the　Assembly　〃　to　transfer　the　criminals　at

Orleans　to　Paris　to　undergo　the　penalty　of　their　heinous　crimes〃。

〃Otherwise；〃　says　the　speaker；　〃we　will　not　answer　for　the　vengeance

of　the　people。〃＇12＇　And　in　a　still　more　imperative　manner：



〃You　have　heard　and　you　know　that　insurrection　is　a　sacred　duty；〃　a

sacred　duty　towards　and　against　all：　towards　the　Assembly　if　it

refuses；　and　towards　the　tribunal　if　it　acquits。　They　dash　at　their

prey　contrary　to　all　legislative　and　judicial　formalities；　like　a　kite

across　the　web　of　a　spider；　while　nothing　detach　them　from　their　fixed

ideas。　　On　the　acquittal　of　M。　Luce　de　Montmorin＇13＇　the　gross

audience；　mistaking　him　for　his　cousin　the　former　minister　of　Louis

XVI。；　break　out　in　murmurs。　　The　president　tries　to　enforce　silence；

which　increases　the　uproar；　and　M。　de　Montmorin　is　in　danger。　　On　this

the　president；　discovering　a　side　issue；　announces　that　one　of　the

jurors　is　related　to　the　accused；　and　that　in　such　a　case　a　new　jury

must　be　impaneled　and　a　new　trial　take　place；　that　the　matter　will　be

inquired　into；　and　meanwhile　the　prisoner　will　be　returned　to　the

Conciergerie　prison。　Thereupon　he　takes　M。　de　Montmorin　by　the　arm　and

leads　him　out　of　the　court…room；　amidst　the　yells　of　the　audience　and

not　without　risks　to　himself；　in　the　outside　court　a　soldier　of　the

National　Guard　strikes　at　him　with　a　saber；　and　the　following　day　the

court　is　obliged　to　authorize　eight　delegates　from　the　audience　to　go

and　see　with　their　own　eyes　that　M。　de　Montmorin　is　really　in　prison。



At　the　moment　of　his　acquittal　a　tragic　remark　is　heard：



〃You　discharge　him　to…day　and　in　two　weeks　he　will　cut　our　throats！〃



Fear　is　evidently　an　adjunct　of　hatred。　The　Jacobin　rabble　is　vaguely

conscious　of　their　inferior　numbers；　of　their　usurpation；　of　their

danger；　which　increases　in　proportion　as　Brunswick　draws　near。　　They

feel　that　they　live　above　a　mine；　and　if　the　mine　should　explode！　

Since　they　think　that　their　adversaries　are　scoundrels　they　feel　they

are　capable　of　a　dirty　trick；　of　a　plot；　of　a　massacre。　As　they

themselves　have　never　behaved　in　any　other　way；　they　cannot　conceive

anything　else。　Through　an　inevitable　inversion　of　thought；　they　impute

to　others　the　murderous　intentions　obscurely　wrought　out　in　the　dark

recesses　of　their　own　disturbed　brains。　　On　the　27th　of　August；

after　the　funeral　procession　gotten　up　by　Sergent　expressly　to　excite

popular　resentment；　their　suspicions；　at　once　specific　and　guided；

begin　to　take　the　form　of　certainty。　Ten　〃commemorative〃　banners；＇14＇

each　borne　by　a　volunteer　on　horseback；　have　paraded　before　all　eyes

the　long　list　of　massacres　〃by　the　court　and　its　agents〃：



1。　the　massacre　at　Nancy；



2。　the　massacre　at　N？mes；



3。　the　massacre　at　Montauban；



4。　the　massacre　at　Avignon；



5。　the　massacre　at　La　Chapelle；



6。　the　massacre　at　Carpentras；



7。　the　massacre　of　the　Champ　de　Mars；　etc。



Faced　with　such　displays；　doubts　and　misgivings　are　out　of　the

question。　To　the　women　in　the　galleries；　to　the　frequenters　of　the

clubs；　and　to　pikemen　in　the　suburbs　it　is　from　now　beyond　any　doubt

proved　that　the　aristocrats　are　habitual　killers。



And　on　the　other　side　there　is　another　sign　equally　alarming　〃This

lugubrious　ceremony；　which　ought　to　inspire　by　turns　both　reflection

and　indignation；　。　。　。　did　not　generally　produce　that　effect。〃　The

National　Guard　in　uniform；　who　came　〃apparently　to　make　up　for　not

appearing　on　the　day　of　action；〃　did　not　behave　themselves　with　civic

propriety；　but；　on　the　contrary；　put　on　〃an　air　of　inattention　and

even　of　noisy　gaiety〃；　they　come　out　of　curiosity；　like　so　many

Parisian　onlookers；　and　are　much　more　numerous　than　the　sans…culottes

with　their　pikes。＇15＇　　The　latter　could　count　themselves　and　plainly

see　that　they　are　just　a　minority；　and　a　very　small　one；　and　that

their　rage　finds　no　echo。　The　organizers　and　their　stooges　are　the

only　ones　to　call　for　speedy　sentencing　and　for　death…penalties。　A

foreigner；　a　good　observer；　who　questions　the　shop…keepers　of　whom　he

makes　purchases；　the　tradesmen　he　knows；　and　the　company　he　finds　in

the　coffee…houses；　writes　that　he　never　had　〃seen　any　symptom　of　a

sanguinary　disposition　except　in　the　galleries　of　the　National

Assembly　and　at　the　Jacobin　Club；〃　　but　then　the　galleries　are　full　of

paid　〃applauders；'1　especially　〃females；　who　are　more　noisy　and　to　be

had　cheaper　than　males。〃　At　the　Jacobin　Club　are　〃the　leaders；　who

dread　a　turnaround　or　who　have　resentments　to　gratify＇16＇〃：　thus　the

only　enragés　are　the　leaders　and　the　populace　of　the　suburbs。　　Lost

in　the　crowd　of　this　vast　city；　in　the　face　of　a　National　Guard　still

armed　and　three　times　their　own　number；　confronting　an　indifferent　or

discontented　bourgeoisie；　the　patriots　are　alarmed。　In　this　state　of

anxiety　a　feverish　imagination；　exasperated　by　the　waiting；

involuntarily　gives　birth　to　imaginings　passionately　accepted　as

truths。　All　that　is　now　required　is　an　incident　in　order　to　put　the

final　touch　to　complete　the　legend；　the　germ　of　which　has　unwittingly

grown　in　their　minds。



On　the　1st　of　September　a　poor　wagoner；　Jean　Julien；＇17＇　condemned　to

twelve　years　in　irons；　has　been　exposed　in　the　pillory。　After　two

hours　he　becomes　furious；　probably　on　account　of　the　jeers　of　the

bystanders。　With　the　coarseness　of　people　of　his　kind　he　has　vented

his　impotent　rage　by　abuse；　he　has　unbuttoned　and　exposed　himself　to

the　public；　and　has　naturally　chosen　expressions　which　would　appear

most　offensive　to　the　people　looking　at　him：



〃Hurrah　for　the　King！　Hurrah　for　the　Queen！　Hurra　for　Lafayette！　　To

hell　with　the　nation！〃



It　is　also　natural　that　he　missed　being　torn　to　pieces。　　He　was　at

once　led　away　to　the　Conciergerie　prison；　and　sentenced　on　the　spot　to

be　guillotined　as　soon　as　possible；　for　being　a　promoter　of　sedition

in　connection　with　the　conspiracy　of　August　the　10th。　　The

conspiracy；　accordingly；　is　still　in　existence。　　It　is　so　declared　by

the　tribunal；　which　makes　no　declaration　without　evidence。　Jean　Julien

has　certainly　confessed；　now　what　has　he　revealed？　　On　the　following

day；　like　a　crop　of　poisonous　mushrooms；　the　growth　of　a　single　night；

the　story　obtains　general　credence。　　〃Jean　Julien　has　declared　that

all　the　prisons　in　Paris　thought　as　he　did；　that　there　would　soon　be

fine　times；　that　the　prisoners　were　armed；　and　that　as　soon　as　the

volunteers　cleared　out　they　would　be　let　loose　on　all　Paris。〃＇18＇　The

streets　are　full　of　anxious　faces。　　〃One　says　that　Verdun　had　been

betrayed　like　Longwy。　　Others　shook　their　heads　and　said　it　was　the

traitors　within　Paris　and　not　the　declared　enemies　on　the　frontier

that　were　to　be　feared。〃＇19＇　On　the　following　day　the　story　grows：

〃There　are　royalist　officers　and　soldiers　hidden　away　in　Paris　and　in

the　outskirts。　They　are　going　to　open　the　prisons；　arm　the　prisoners；

set　the　King　and　his　family　free；　put　the　patriots　in　Paris　to　death；

also　the　wives　and　children　of　those　in　the　army。　。　。　Isn't　it　natural

for　men　to　look　after　the　safety　of　their　wives　and　children；　and　to

use　the　only　efficient　means　to　arrest　the　assassin's　dagger。〃＇20＇　

The　working…class　inferno　has　been　stirred　up；　now　it's　up　to　the

contractors　of　public　revolt　to　fan　and　direct　the　flames。







III。　　Terror　is　their　Salvation。



Rise　of　the　homicidal　idea　among　the　leaders。　　Their　situation。　

The　powers　they　seize。　　Their　pillage。　　The　risks　they　run　

Terror　is　their　rescue。



They　have　been　fanning　the　flames　for　a　long　time。　Already；　on　the

11th　of　August；　the　new　Commune　had　announced；　in　a　proclamation；＇21＇

that　〃the　guilty　should　perish　on　the　scaffold；〃　while　its　threatening

deputations　force　the　national　Assembly　into　the　immediate　institution

of　a　bloody　tribunal。　Carried　into　power　by　brutal　force；　it　must

perish　if　it　does　not　maintain　itself；　and　this　can　be　done　only

through　terror。　…　Let　us　pause　and　consider　this　unusual　situation。

Installed　in　the　H？tel…de…ville　by　a　nightly　surprise　attack；　about

one　hundred　strangers；　delegated　by　a　party　which　thinks　or　asserts

itself　to　be　the　peoples'　delegates；　have　overthrown　one　of　the　two

great　powers　of　the　State；　mangled　and　enslaved　the　other；　and　now

rule　in　a　capital　of　700；000　souls；　by　the　grace　of　eight　or　ten

thousand　fanatics　and　cut…throats。　Never　did　a　radical　change　promote

men　from　so　low　a　point　and　raise　so　high！　The　basest　of　newspaper

scribblers；　penny…a…liners　out　of　the　gutters；　bar…room　oracles；

unfrocked　monks　and　priests；　the　refuse　of　the　literary　guild；　of　the

bar；　and　of　the　clergy；　carpenters；　turners；　grocers；　locksmiths；

shoemakers；　common　laborers；　many　with　no　profession　at　all；　strolling

politicians　and　＇22＇public　brawlers；　who；　like　the　sellers　of

counterfeit　wares；　have　speculated　for　the　past　three　years　on　popular

credulity。　There　were　among　them　a　number　of　men　in　bad　repute；　of

doubtful　honesty　or　of　proven　dishonesty；　who；　in　their　youth　led

shiftless　lives。　They　are　still　besmirched　with　old　slime；　　they　were

put　outside　the　pale　of　useful　labor　by　their　vices；　driven　out　of

inferior　stations　even　into　prohibited　occupations；　bruised　by　the

perilous　leap；　with　consciences　distorted　like　the　muscles　of　a　tight…