the origins of contemporary france-3-第83部分

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

the　absenteeism　of　the　majority；　around　the　ballot…box　there　is　an

enormous　void。　At　Paris；　in　the　election　of　mayor　and　municipal

officers；　the　balloting　of　October；　November　and　December　collect

together　only　14；000　out　of　160；000　registered　voters；　later　10；000；

and；　later　again；　only　7；000。＇18＇　　At　Besan？on；　7；000。　registered

voters　result　in　less　than　600；　there　is　the　same　proportion　in　other

towns；　as　for　example；　in　Troyes。　In　like　manner；　in　the　rural

cantons；　east　of　Doubs　and　west　of　Loire…Inférieure；　but　one…tenth　of

the　electors　dare　exercise　their　right　to　vote。＇19＇　　The　electoral

source　is　so　exhausted；　so　often　disturbed；　and　so　stopped　up　as　to　be

almost　dry：　in　these　primary　assemblies　which；　directly　or　indirectly；

delegate　all　public　powers；　and　which；　in　the　expression　of　the　common

will；　should　be　full；　there　are　lacking　six　millions　three　hundred

thousands　electors　out　of　seven　millions。＇20＇



III。



Composition　and　tone　of　the　secondary　assemblies。　…　Exclusion　of

〃Feuillant〃　electors。　…　Pressure　on　other　electors。…　Persons　elected

by　the　conservatives　obliged　to　resign。　…　Elections　by　the　Catholics

canceled。　…　Secession　of　the　Jacobin　minorities。　…　The　election　of

their　men　made　valid。　…　Public　opinion　not　in　accord　with　official

selections。



Through　this　anticipated　purge　the　assemblies　of　the　first　degree　find

themselves；　for　the　most　part；　Jacobin；　consequently　the　electors　of

the　second　degree；　appointed　by　them；　are　for　the　most　part；　Jacobin；

in　many　departments；　their　assembly　becomes　the　most　anarchical；　the

most　turbulent；　and　the　most　usurping　of　all　the　clubs。　Here　there　is

only　shouting；　denunciations；　oath…taking；　incendiary　motions；

cheering　which　carry　all　questions；　furious　speeches　by　Parisian

commissaries；　by　delegates　from　the　local　club；　by　passing　Federates；

and　by　female　wretches　demanding　arms。＇21＇　　The　Pas…de…Calais

assemblage　sets　free　and　applauds　a　woman　imprisoned　for　having　beaten

a　drum　in　a　mob。　The　Paris　assembly　fraternizes　with　the　Versailles

slaughterers　and　the　assassins　of　the　mayor　of　Etampes。　The　assembly

of　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne　gives　a　certificate　o　virtue　to　Jourdan；　the

Glacière　murderer。　The　assembly　of　Seine…et…Marne　applauds　the

proposal　to　cast　a　cannon　which　might　contain　the　head　of　Louis　XVI。

for　a　cannon…ball　to　be　fired　at　the　enemy。　　It　is　not　surprising

that　an　electoral　body　without　self…respect　should　respect　nothing；

and　practice　self…mutilation　under　the　pretext　of　purification。＇22＇

The　object　of　the　despotic　majority　was　to　reign　at　once；　without　any

contest；　on　its　own　authority；　and　to　expel　all　offensive　electors。　At

Paris；　in　the　Aisne；　in　Haute…Loire；　in　Ille…et…Vilaine；　in　Maine…et…

Loire；　it　excludes　as　unworthy　the　members　of　old　Feuillants　and

monarchical　clubs；　and　the　signers　of　Constitutionalist　protests。　In

Hérault　it　cancels　the　elections　in　the　canton　of　Servian；　because　the

elected　men；　it　says；　are　〃mad　aristocrats。〃　In　Orne　it　drives　away　an

old　Constituent；　Goupil　de　Préfeln；　because　he　voted　for　the　revision；

also；　his　son…in…law；　because　he　is　his　son…in…law。　　In　the　Bouches…

du…Rh？ne；　where　the　canton　of　Seignon；　by　mistake　or　through　routine；

swore　〃to　maintain　the　constitution　of　the　kingdom；〃　it　sets　aside

these　retrograde　elected　representatives；　commences　proceedings

against　the　〃crime　committed；〃　and　sends　troops　against　Noves　because

the　Noves　elector；　a　justice　who　is　denounced　and　in　peril；　has

escaped　from　the　electoral　den。　　　　After　the　purification　of　persons

it　proceeds　to　the　purification　of　sentiments。　At　Paris；　and　in　at

least　nine　departments；＇23＇　and　in　contempt　of　the　law；　is　suppresses

the　secret　ballot；　the　last　refuge　of　timid　conservatives；　and　imposes

on　each　elector　a　verbal　public　vote；　loud　and　clear；　on　his　name

being　called；　that　is　to　say；　if　he　does　not　vote　as　he　ought　to；　he

risks　the　gallows。＇24＇　Nothing　could　more　surely　convert　hesitation

and　indecision　into　good　sense；　while；　in　many　a　place；　still　more

powerful　machinery　is　violently　opposed　to　the　elections。　At　Paris　the

elections　are　carried　on　in　the　midst　of　atrocities；　under　the　pikes

of　the　butchers；　and　con　ducted　by　their　instigators。　At　Meaux　and　at

Rheims　the　electors　in　session　were　within　hearing　of　the　screeches　of

the　murdered　priests。　At　Rheims　the　butchers　themselves　ordered　the

electoral　assembly　to　elect　their　candidates；　Drouet；　the　famous　post…

master；　and　Armonville；　a　tipsy　wool…carder；　upon　which　one…half　of

the　assembly　withdrew；　while　the　two　candidates　of　the　assassins　are

elected。　At　Lyons；　two　days　after　the　massacre；　the　Jacobin　commander

writes　to　the　Minister：　〃Yesterday's　catastrophe　puts　the　aristocrats

to　flight；　and　ensures　us　the　majority　in　Lyons。〃＇25＇　　From　universal

suffrage　thus　subjected　to　so　much　sifting；　submitted　to　such　heavy

pressure；　heated　and　refined　in　the　revolutionary　alembic；　those　who

control　it　obtain　all　they　want；　a　concentrated　extract；　the

quintessence　of　the　Jacobin　spirit。



And　yet；　should　this　extract　not　seem　to　them　sufficiently　strong；

wherever　they　are　sovereign；　they　throw　it　away　and　begin　over　again。

At　Paris；＇26＇　by　means　of　a　purifying　and　surplus　ballot；　the　new

Council　of　the　Commune　undertakes　the　expulsion　of　its　lukewarm

members；　while　d'Ormesson；　the　mayor　elect　of　the　moderates；　is

assailed　with　so　many　threats　that；　on　the　verge　of　his　installation；

he　resigns。　At　Lyons；＇27＇　another　moderate；　Nivière…Chol；　twice

elected；　and；　by　9；000　out　of　11；000　votes；　is　twice　compelled　to

abandon　his　place；　after　him；　Gilibert；　the　physician；　who；　supported

by　the　same　voters；　is　about　to　obtain　the　majority；　is　seized

suddenly　and　cast　into　prison；　even　in　prison；　he　is　elected；　the

clubbists　confine　him　there　more　rigidly；　and　do　not　let　him　out　even

after　extorting　his　resignation。　　Elsewhere　in　the　rural　cantons；

for　example；　in　Franche…Comté；＇28＇　a　number　of　elections　are　canceled

when　the　person　elected　happens　to　be　a　Catholic。　　The　Jacobin

minority　frequently　secede；　meet　in　a　tavern；　elect　their　mayor　or

justice　of　the　peace；　and　the　validity　of　his　election　is　secured

because　he　is　a　patriot；　so　much　the　worse　for　that　of　the　majority；

whose　more　numerous　votes　are　null　because　given　by　〃fanatics。〃　　The

response　of　universal　suffrage　thus　appealed　to　cannot　be　other　than

that　which　is　framed　for　it。　　Indisputable　facts　are　to　show　to　what

extent　this　response　is　compulsive　or　perverted；　what　a　distance　there

is　between　an　official　choice　and　public　opinion；　how　the　elections

give　a　contrary　meaning　to　popular　sentiment。　　The　departments　of

Deux…Sèvres；　Maine…et…Loire；　la　Vendée；　Loire…Infèrieure；　Morbihan；

and　Finistère；　send　only　anti…Catholic　republicans　to　the　Convention；

while　these　same　departments　are　to　become　the　inexhaustible　nursery

of　the　great　catholic　and　royalist　insurrection。　Three　regicides　out

of　four　deputies　represent　Lozère；　where；　six　months　later；　thirty

thousand　peasants　are　to　march　under　the　Royal　white　banner。　　Six

regicides　out　of　nine　deputies　represent　la　Vendée；　which　is　going　to

rise　from　one　end　of　it　to　the　other　in　the　name　of　the　King。＇29＇



IV。



Composition　of　the　National　Convention。　…　Number　of　Montagnards　at　the

start。　…　Opinions　and　sentiments　of　the　deputies　of　the　Plain。　…　The


Gironde。　…　Ascendancy　of　the　Girondins　in　the　Convention。　…　Their

intellectual　character。　…　Their　principles。　…　The　plan　of　their

Constitution。　…　Their　fanaticism。　…　Their　sincerity；　culture　and

tastes。　…　How　they　differ　from　pure　Jacobins。　…　How　they　comprehend

popular　sovereignty。　…　Their　stipulations　with　regard　to　the

initiative　of　individuals　and　of　groups。　…　Weakness　of　philosophic

thought　and　of　parliamentary　authority　in　times　of　anarchy。



However　vigorous　the　electoral　pressure　may　have　been；　the　voting

machine　has　not　provided　the　expected　results。　At　the　opening　of　the

session；　out　of　749　deputies；　only　about　fifty＇30＇　are　found　to

approve　of　the　Commune；　nearly　all　of　the　elected　in　places　where；　as

at　Rheims　and　Paris；　terror　has　the　elector　by　the　throat；　〃under　the

clubs；　axes；　daggers；　and　bludgeons　of　the　butchers。〃＇31＇　But　where

the　physical　impressions　of　murder　have　not　been　so　tangible　and

impressive；　some　sense　of　decency　has　prevented　too　glaring　elections。

The　inclination　to　vote　for　well…known　names　could　not　wholly　be

arrested；　seventy…seven　former　members　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；

and　one　hundred　and　eighty…six　of　the　previous　Legislative　Assembly

enter　the　Convention；　and　the　practical　knowledge　which　many　of　these

have　of　government　business　has　given　them　some　insights。　　In　short；

the　consciences　of　six　hundred　and　fifty　deputies　are　only　in　part

perverted。



They　are　all；　unquestionably；　decided　republicans；　enemies　of

tradition；　apostles　of　reason；　and　trained　in　deductive　politics；

only　on　these　conditions　could　they　be　elected。　Every　candidate　is

supposed　to　possess　the　Jacobin　faith；　or；　at　least；　to　recite　the

revolutionary　creed。　The　Convention；　consequently；　at　its　opening

session　votes　unanimously；　with　cheers　and　enthusiasm；　the　abolition

of　royalty；　and　three　months　later　it　pronounces；　by　a　large　majority；

Louis　XVI。；



〃guilty　of　conspiring　against　the　liberty　of　the　nation；　and　of

assaults　on



　　the　general　welfare　of　the　State。〃＇32＇



Nevertheless；　social　habitudes　still　subsist　under　political

prejudices。　A　man　who　is　born　in　and　lives　for　a　long　time　in　an　old

community；　is；　through　this　alone；　marked　with　its　imprint；　the

customs　to　which　he　conforms　have　crystallized　in　him　in　the　shape　of

sentiments：　if　it　is　well…regulated　and　civilized；　he　has

involuntarily　arrived　at　respect　for　property　and　for　human　life；　and；

in　most　characters；　this　respect　has　tak