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the origins of contemporary france-3-第82部分

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departments and districts with the power of acting for the greatest

advantage of the commune; but which; the moment it elects its own

administrators and agents; can no longer revoke the powers it has

bestowed; without a total subversion of order? etc。〃  All the

documents belonging to this affair ought to be quoted; there is

nothing more instructive or ludicrous; and especially the style of the

secretary…clerk of Saint…Firmin:  〃We conjure you to remember that the

administrators of the district of Senlis strive to play the part of

the sirens who sought to enchant Ulysses。〃



'110' Letter of the central bureau of the Rouen sections; Aug。 30。



'111' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 F7; 3195。 Letter of the three

administrative bodies and commissaries of the sections of Marseilles;

Nov。 15; 1792。 Letter of the electors of Bouches…du…Rh?ne; Nov。 28。 

(Forms of politeness are omitted at the end of these letters; and no

doubt purposely。) Roland replies (Dec。 31): 〃While fully admiring the

civism of the brave Marseilles people; 。 。 。 do not fully agree with

you on the exercise of popular Sovereignty。〃 He ends by stating that

all their letters with replies have been transmitted to the deputies

of the Bouches…du…Rh?ne; and that the latter are in accord with him

and will arrange matters。







CHAPTER III。



I。



The second stage of the Jacobin conquest。  The importance and

multitude of vacant offices。



The second stage of the Jacobin conquest will;'1' after August 10th

and during the next three months; extend and multiply all vacancies

from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy; for the purpose of

filling them with their own men。  In the first place; the faction

(the party) installs representatives on the summits of public

authority which represent itself alone; seven hundred and forty…nine

omnipotent deputies; in a Convention which; curbed neither by

collateral powers nor by a previously established constitution;

disposes at pleasure of the property; the lives and the consciences of

all French people。   Then; through this barely installed convention;

it decrees the complete renewal'2' of all administrative and judicial

bodies; councils and directories of departments; councils and communal

municipalities; civil; criminal and commercial tribunals; justices and

their assistants in the lower courts; deputies of the justices;

national commissaries of the civil courts; with secretaries and

bailiffs belonging to the various tribunals and administrations。'3'

The obligation of having practiced as a lawyer is abolished by the

same stroke; so that the first comer; if he belongs to the club

(party) may become a judge without knowing how to write; and even

without being able to read。'4'   Just before this the staff of the

National Guard; in all towns above fifty thousand souls; and

afterwards in all the towns on the frontier; has again passed through

the electoral sieve。'5' In like manner; the officers of the

gendarmerie at Paris and throughout France once more undergo an

election by their men。 Finally; all post…masters and post…office

comptrollers have to submit to election。   Even better; below or

alongside the elected officials; this administrative purge concerns

all non…elective functionaries and employees; no matter how

insignificant their service; however feeble and indirect their office

may be connected with political matters。 This is because tax receivers

and assessors; directors and other agents of rivers and forests;

engineers; notaries; attorneys; clerks and scribes belonging to the

administrative branch; are all subject to dismissal if they do not

obtain a certificate of civism from their municipality。 At Troyes; out

of fifteen notaries; it is refused to four;'6' which leaves four

places to be filled by their Jacobin clerks。 At Paris;'7' 〃all honest

folks; all clerks who are educated;〃 are driven out of the navy

offices; the war department is getting to be 〃a den where everybody on

duty wears a red cap; where all thee…and…thou each other; even the

Minister; where four hundred employees; among which are a number of

women; show off in the dirtiest dress; affect the coolest cynicism; do

nothing; and steal on all sides。〃  Under the denunciation of the

clubs; the broom is applied even at the bottom of the hierarchical

scale; even to secretaries of village councils; to messengers and

call…boys in the towns; to jail…keepers and door…keepers; to beadles

and sextons; to foresters; field…custodians; and others of this

class。'8'  All these persons must be; or appear to be; Jacobin;

otherwise; their place slips away from them; for there is always some

one to covet it; apply for it and take it。   Outside of employees

the sweeping operation reaches the suppliers and contractors; even

here there are the faithful to be provided for; and nowhere is the

bait so important。 The State; even in ordinary times; is always the

largest of consumers; and; at this moment; it is expending monthly;

merely on the war; two hundred millions extra。 What fish may be caught

in such disturbed waters!'9'   All these lucrative orders as well as

all these remunerated positions are at the disposition of the

Jacobins; and they seize the opportunity; they are the lawful owner;

who comes home after a long absence and gives or withdraws his custom

as the pleases; while he makes a clean sweep in his own household。 

The administrative and judicial services alone number 1;300;000

places; all those in the treasury department; in that of public works;

in that of public education; and in the Church; all posts in the

National Guard and in the army; from that of commander…in…chief down

to a drummer; the whole of the central or local power; with the vast

patronage flowing from this。 Never had such rich spoils been made

available to the general public in one go。 Lots will be drawn;

apparently; by vote; but it is evident that the Jacobins have no

intention of surrendering their prey to the hazards of a free ballot;

they mean to keep it the way they got it; by force; and will leave no

stone unturned to control the elections。



II。



The elections。  The young and the poor invited to the ballot…box。

Danger of the Conservatives if candidates。 … …Their chiefs absent

themselves。  Proportion of absentees at the primary assemblies。



They begin by paving their way。'10' A new decree has at once

suppressed the feeble and last legal requirement for impartiality;

integrity and competence of the elector and the eligible candidate。 No

more discrimination between active and passive citizens; no longer any

difference between  poll tax of an elector of the first degree and

that of the second degree: no electoral poll tax qualification

whatever。 All Frenchmen; except domestics; of whom they are

distrustful; supposing them under their employer's influence; may vote

at the primary assemblies; and not longer at the age of twenty…five;

but at twenty…one; which brings to the polls the two most

revolutionary groups; on the one hand the young; and on the other the

poor; the latter in great numbers in these times of unemployment;

dearth and poverty; amounting in all to two millions and a half; and;

perhaps; three millions of new electors。 … At Besan?on the number of

the registered voters is doubled。'11'  Thus are the usual clients of

the Jacobins admitted within the electoral boundaries; from which they

had hitherto been excluded;'12' and; to ensure their coming; their

leaders decide that every elector obliged to travel 〃shall receive

twenty sous mileage;〃 besides 〃three francs per diem during his

stay。〃'13'



While  attracting their supporters they drove their adversaries away。

The political banditry; through which they dominate and terrify

France; has already taken care of that。 Many arbitrary arrests and

unpunished murders are a warning to all candidates who do not belong

to their party; and I do not speak about to the nobles or friends of

the ancient regime that have fled or are in prison; but the

Constitutionalists and the Feuillants。 Any electoral enterprise on

their part would be madness; almost a suicide。 Accordingly; none of

them call attention to themselves。 If any outrageous moderate; like

Durand de Maillane; appears on a list; it is because the

revolutionaries have adopted him without knowing him; and because he

swears that he hates  royalty。'14' The others; more honest;  do not

want to don the popular livery and resort to club patronage; so they

carefully stay away; they know too well that to do otherwise would

mark their heads for pikes and their homes for pillage。 At the very

moment of depositing the vote the domains of several deputies are

sacked simply because; 〃on the comparative lists of seven calls by

name;〃 sent to the departments from Paris by the Jacobins; their names

are found on the right。'15'  Through an excess of precaution the

Constitutionalists of the Legislative body are kept at the capital;

their passports being refused to them to prevent them from returning

into the provinces and obtaining votes by publicly stating the truth

in relation to the recent revolution。  In the same way; all

conservative journals are suppressed; reduced to silence; or compelled

to become turncoats。  Now; when one has neither the possibility to

speak up nor a candidate which might become one's representative; of

what use is it to vote?  And especially; since the primary assemblies

are places of disorder and violence;'16' patriots alone; in many

places; being admitted;'17' a conservative being 〃insulted and

overwhelmed with numbers;〃 and; if he utters an opinion; exposed to

danger; also; if he remains silent; incurring the risk of

denunciations; threats; and blows。 To keep in the background; remain

on the sidelines; avoid being seen; and to strive to be forgotten; is

the rule under a pasha; and especially when this pasha is a mob。 Hence

the absenteeism of the maj
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