the origins of contemporary france-3-第8部分

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stratum　of　the　low　class。　Again；　in　these　two　contiguous　groups；　which

merge　into　each　other；　those　must　be　left　out　who；　absorbed　in　their

daily　occupations　or　professions；　have　no　time　or　thought　to　give　to

public　matters；　who　have　reached　a　fair　position　in　the　social

hierarchy　and　are　not　disposed　to　run　risks；　almost　all　of　them　well…

established；　steady…going；　mature；　married　folks　who　have　sown　their

wild　oats　and　whom　experience　in　life　has　rendered　distrustful　of

themselves　and　of　theories。　Overweening　conceit　is；　most　of　the　time；

only　average　in　the　average　human　being；　so　speculative　ideas　will

with　most　people　only　obtain　a　loose；　transient　and　feeble　hold。

Moreover；　in　this　society　which；　for　many　centuries　consists　of　people

accustomed　to　being　ruled；　the　hereditary　spirit　is　bourgeois　that　is

to　say；　used　to　discipline；　fond　of　order；　peaceable　and　even　timid。

　There　remains　a　minority；　a　very　small　one；＇1＇　innovating　and

restless。　This　consisted；　on　the　one　hand；　of　people　who　were

discontented　with　their　calling　or　profession；　because　they　were　of

secondary　or　subaltern　rank　in　it。＇2＇　Some　were　debutantes　not　fully

employed　and　others　aspirants　for　careers　not　yet　entered　upon。　Then；

on　the　other　hand；　there　were　the　men　of　unstable　character　and　all

those　who　were　uprooted　by　the　immense　upheaval　of　things：　in　the

Church；　through　the　suppression　of　convents　and　through　schism；　in　the

judiciary；　in　the　administration；　in　the　financial　departments；　in　the

army；　and　in　various　private　and　public　careers；　through　the

reorganization　of　institutions；　through　the　novelty　of　fresh　resources

and　occupations；　and　through　the　disturbance　caused　by　the　changed

relationships　of　patrons　and　clients。　Many　who；　in　ordinary　times；

would　otherwise　remain　quiet；　become　in　this　way　nomadic　and

extravagant　in　politics。　Among　the　foremost　of　these　are　found　those

who；　through　a　classical　education；　can　take　in　an　abstract

proposition　and　deduce　its　consequences；　but　who；　for　lack　of　special

preparation　for　it；　and　confined　to　the　narrow　circle　of　local

affairs；　are　incapable　of　forming　accurate　conceptions　of　a　vast；

complex　social　organization；　and　of　the　conditions　which　enable　it　to

subsist。　　Their　talent　lies　in　making　a　speech；　in　dashing　off　an

editorial；　in　　composing　a　pamphlet；　and　in　drawing　up　reports　in　more

or　less　pompous　and　dogmatic　style；　the　genre　admitted；　a　few　of　them

who　are　gifted　become　eloquent；　but　that　is　all。　Among　those　are　the

lawyers；　notaries；　bailiffs　and　former　petty　provincial　judges　and

attorneys　who　furnish　the　leading　actors　and　two…thirds　of　the　members

of　the　Legislative　Assembly　and　of　the　Convention：　　There　are　surgeons

and　doctors　in　small　towns；　like　Bo；　Levasseur；　and　Baudot；　second　and

third…rate　literary　characters；　like　Barrère；　Louvet；　Garat；　Manuel；

and　Ronsin；　college　professors　like　Louchet　and　Romme；　schoolmasters

like　Leonard　Bourdon；　journalists　like　Brissot；　Desmoulins　and　Freron；

actors　like　Collot　d'Herbois；　artists　like　Sergent；　Oratoriens＇3＇　like

Fouché；　capuchins　like　Chabot；　more　or　less　secularized　priests　like

Lebon；　Chasles；　Lakanal；　and　Grégoire；　students　scarcely　out　of　school

like　St。　Just；　Monet　of　Strasbourg；　Rousseline　of　St。　Albin；　and

Julien　of　the　Dr？me　　in　short；　the　poorly　sown　and　badly　cultivated

minds；　and　on　which　the　theory　had　only　to　fall　to　smother　the　good

grain　and　thrive　like　a　nettle。　Add　to　these　charlatans　and　others　who

live　by　their　wits；　the　visionary　and　morbid　of　all　sorts；　from

Fanchet　and　Klootz　to　Chalier　or　Marat；　the　whole　of　that　needy；

chattering；　irresponsible　crowd；　ever　swarming　about　large　cities

ventilating　its　shallow　conceits　and　abortive　pretensions。　Farther　in

the　background　appear　those　whose　scanty　education　qualifies　them　to

half　understand　an　abstract　principle　and　imperfectly　deduce　its

consequences；　but　whose　roughly…polished　instinct　atones　for　the

feebleness　of　a　coarse　argumentation。　Through　cupidity；　envy　and

rancor；　they　divine　a　rich　pasture…ground　behind　the　theory；　and

Jacobin　dogmas　become　dearer　to　them；　because　the　imagination　sees

untold　treasures　beyond　the　mists　in　which　they　are　shrouded。　They　can

listen　to　a　club　harangue　without　falling　asleep；　applaud　its　tirades

in　the　rights　place；　offer　a　resolution　in　a　public　garden；　shout　in

the　tribunes；　pen　affidavits　for　arrests；　compose　orders…of…the…day

for　the　national　guard；　and　lend　their　lungs；　arms；　and　sabers　to

whoever　bids　for　them。　But　here　their　capacity　ends。　In　this　group

merchants'　and　notaries'　clerks　abound；　like　Hébert　and　Henriot；

Vincent　and　Chaumette；　butchers　like　Legendre；　postmasters　like

Drouet；　boss…joiners　like　Duplay；　school…teachers　like　that　Buchot　who

becomes　a　minister；　and　many　others　of　the　same　sort；　accustomed　to

jotting　down　ideas；　with　vague　notions　of　orthography　and　who　are　apt

in　speech…making；＇4＇　foremen；　sub…officers；　former　begging　friars；

peddlers；　tavern…keepers；　retailers；　market…porters；　and　city…

journeymen　from　Gouchon；　the　orator　of　the　faubourg　St。　Antoine；　down

to　Simon；　the　cobbler　of　the　Temple；　from　Trinchard；　the　juryman　of

the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　down　to　grocers；　tailors；　shoemakers；

tapster；　waiters；　barbers；　and　other　shopkeepers　or　artisans　who　do

their　work　at　home；　and　who　are　yet　to　do　the　work　of　the　September

massacres。　Add　to　these　the　foul　remnants　of　every　popular

insurrection　and　dictatorship；　beasts　of　prey　like　Jourdain　of

Avignon；　and　Fournier　the　American；　women　like　Théroigne；　Rose

Lacombe；　and　the　tricoteuses　of　the　Convention　who　have　unsexed

themselves；　the　amnestied　bandits　and　other　gallows　birds　who；　for

lack　of　a　police；　have　a　wide　range；　street…rollers　and　vagabonds；

rebels　against　labor　and　discipline；　the　whole　of　that　class　in　the

center　of　civilization　which　preserves　the　instincts　of　savages；　and

asserts　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　to　glut　a　natural　appetite　for

license；　laziness；　and　ferocity。　　Thus　is　the　party　recruited

through　an　enlisting　process　that　gleans　its　subjects　from　every

station　in　life；　but　which　reaps　them　down　in　great　swaths；　and

gathers　them　together　in　the　two　groups　to　which　dogmatism　and

presumption　naturally　belong。　Here；　education　has　brought　man　to　the

threshold；　even　to　the　heart　of　general　ideas；　consequently；　he　feels

hampered　within　the　narrow　bounds　of　his　profession　or　occupation；　and

aspires　to　something　beyond。　But　as　his　education　has　remained

superficial　or　rudimentary；　consequently；　outside　of　his　narrow　circle

he　feels　out　of　his　place。　He　has　a　perception　or　obtains　a　glimpse　of

political　ideas　and；　therefore；　assumes　that　he　has　capacity。　But　his

perception　is　confided　to　a　formula；　and　he　sees　them　dimly　through　a

cloud；　hence　his　incapacity；　and　the　reason　why　his　mental　lacunae　　as

well　as　his　attainments　both　contribute　to　make　him　a　Jacobin。







II。



Spontaneous　associations　after　July　14；　1789。　　　How　these　dissolve。

…　Withdrawal　of　people　of　sense　and　occupation。　　Number　of　those

absent　at　elections。　　Birth　and　multiplication　of　Jacobin　societies。

　Their　influence　over　their　adherents　　Their　maneuvers　and

despotism。



Men　thus　disposed　cannot　fail　to　draw　near　each　other；　to　understand

each　other；　and　combine　together；　for；　in　the　principle　of　popular

sovereignty；　they　have　a　common　dogma；　and；　in　the　conquest　of

political　supremacy；　a　common　aim。　Through　a　common　aim　they　form　a

faction；　and　through　a　common　dogma　they　constitute　a　sect；　the　league

between　them　being　more　easily　effected　because　they　are　a　faction　and

sect　at　the　same　time。



　At　first　their　association　is　not　distinguishable　in　the　multitude　of

other　associations。　Political　societies　spring　up　on　all　sides　after

the　taking　of　the　Bastille。　Some　kind　of　organization　had　to　be

substituted　for　the　deposed　or　tottering　government；　in　order　to

provide　for　urgent　public　needs；　to　secure　protection　against

ruffians；　to　obtain　supplies　of　provisions；　and　to　guard　against　the

probably　machinations　of　the　court。　Committees　installed　themselves　in

the　town　halls；　while　volunteers　formed　bodies　of　militia：　hundreds　of

local　governments；　almost　independent；　arose　in　the　place　of　the

central　government；　almost　destroyed。＇5＇　For　six　months　everybody

attended　to　matters　of　common　interest；　each　individual　getting　to　be

a　public　personage　and　bearing　his　quota　of　the　government　load：　a

heavy　load　at　all　times；　but　heavier　in　times　of　anarchy；　this；　at

least；　is　the　opinion　of　the　majority　but　not　of　all　of　them。

Consequently；　a　division　arises　amongst　those　who　had　assumed　this

load；　and　two　groups　are　formed；　one　huge；　inert　and　disintegrating；

and　the　other　small；　compact　and　energetic；　each　taking　one　of　two

ways　which　diverge　from　each　other；　and　which　keep　on　diverging　more

and　more。



On　one　hand　are　the　ordinary；　sensible　people；　those　who　are　busy；　and

who　are；　to　some　extent；　not　over…conscientious；　and　not　over…

conceited。　The　power　is　in　their　hands　because　they　find　it　prostrate；

lying　abandoned　in　the　street；　they　hold　it　provisionally　only；　for

they　knew　beforehand；　or　soon　discover；　that　they　are　not　qualified

for　the　post；　it　being　one　of　those　which；　to　be　properly　filled；

needs　some　preparation　and　fitness　for　it。　A　man　does　not　become

legislator　or　administrator　in　one　day；　any　more　than　he　suddenly

becomes　a　physician　or　surgeon。　If　an　accident　obliges　me　to　act　in

the　latter　capacity；　I　yield；　but　against　my　will；　and　I　do　no　more

than　is　necessary　to　save　my　patients　from　hurting　themselves；　My　fear

of　their　dying　under　the　operation　is　very　great；　and；　as　soon　as　some

other　person　can　be　found　to　take　my　place；　I　go　home。＇6＇　　I　should

be　glad；　like　everybody　else；　to　have　my　vote　in　the　selection　of　this

person；　and；　among　the　candidates。　I　should　designate；　to　the　best　of

my　ability；　one　who　se