the origins of contemporary france-3-第84部分

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in　most　characters；　this　respect　has　taken　very　deep　root。　A　theory；

even　if　adopted；　does　not　wholly　succeed　in　destroying　this　respect；

only　in　rare　instances　is　it　successful；　when　it　encounters　coarse　and

defective　natures；　to　take　full　hold；　it　is　necessary　that　it　should

fall　on　the　scattered　inheritors　of　former　destructive　appetites；　on

those　hopelessly　degenerate　souls　in　which　the　passions　of　an　anterior

date　are　slumbering；　then　only　does　its　malevolence　fully　appear；　for

it　rouses　the　ferocious　or　plundering　instincts　of　the　barbarian；　the

raider；　the　inquisitor；　and　the　pasha。　On　the　contrary；　with　the

greatest　number；　do　what　it　will；　integrity　and　humanity　always　remain

powerful　motives。　Nearly　all　these　legislators；　who　originate　in　the

middle　class；　are　at　bottom；　irrespective　of　a　momentary　delusion；

what　they　always　have　been　up　to　now；　advocates；　attorneys；　merchants；

priests；　or　physicians　of　the　ancient　regime；　and　what　they　will

become　later　on；　docile　administrators　or　zealous　functionaries　of

Napoleon's　empire；＇33＇　that　is　to　say；　ordinary　civilized　persons

belonging　to　the　eighteenth　and　nineteenth　centuries；　sufficiently

honest　in　private　life　to　have　a　desire　to　be　equally　so　in　public

life。　　　Hence　their　horror　of　anarchy；　of　Marat；＇34＇　and　of　the

September　butchers　and　robbers。　Three　days　after　their　assembling

together　they　vote；　〃almost　unanimously；〃　the　preparation　of　a　law

〃against　the　instigators　of　murder　and　assassination。〃　　〃Almost

unanimously；〃　they　desire　to　raise　a　guard；　recruited　in　the　83

departments；　against　the　armed　bands　of　Paris　and　the　Commune。

Pétition　is　elected　as　their　first　president　by　〃almost　the　totality

of　suffrages。〃　Roland　who　has　just　read　his　report　to　them；　is　greeted

with　the　〃loudest〃　applause　from　nearly　the　〃entire〃　Assembly。　In

short　they　are　for　the　ideal　republic　against　actual　brigands。　This

accounts　for　their　ranging　themselves　around　those　upright　and　sincere

deputies；　who；　in　the　two　preceding　Assemblies　or　alongside　of　them；

were　the　ablest　defenders　of　both　principles　and　humanity；　around

Buzot；　Lanjuinais；　Pétition；　and　Rabaut…Saint…Etienne；　around　Brissot；

Vergniaud；　Guadet；　Gensonné；　Isnard；　and　Condorcet；　around　Roland；

Louvet；　Barbaroux；　and　the　five　hundred　deputies　of　the　〃Plain；〃＇35＇

marching　in　one　body　under　the　leadership　of　the　180　Girondists　who

now　form　the　〃Right。〃＇36＇



These　latter；　among　the　republicans；　are　the　most　sincere　and　have　the

most　faith；　for　they　have　long　been　such；　after　much　thought；　study

and　as　a　matter　of　principle。　Nearly　all　of　them　are　well…read

educated　men；　reasoners；　philosophers；　disciples　of　Diderot　or　of

Rousseau；　satisfied　that　absolute　truth　had　been　revealed　by　their

masters；　thoroughly　imbued　with　the　Encyclopédie＇37＇　or　the　Contrat

Social；　the　same　as　the　Puritans　formerly　were　with　the　Bible。＇38＇　　At

the　age　when　the　mind　is　maturing；　and　fondly　clings　to　general

ideas；＇39＇　they　embraced　the　theory　and　aimed　at　a　reconstruction　of

society　according　to　abstract　principles。　They　have　accordingly　set　to

work　as　pure　logicians；　rigorously　applying　the　superficial　and　false

system　of　analysis　then　in　vogue。＇40＇　　They　have　formed　for　themselves

an　idea　of　man　in　general；　the　same　in　all　times　and　ages；　an　extract

or　minimum　of　man；　they　have　pondered　over　several　thousands　of　or

millions　of　these　abstract　mortals；　erected　their　imaginary　wills　into

primordial　rights；　and　drawn　up　in　anticipation　the　chimerical

contract　which　is　to　regulate　their　impossible　union。　　There　are　to　be

no　more　privileges；　no　more　heredity；　no　qualifications　of　any　kind；

all　are　to　be　electors；　all　eligible　and　all　of　equal　members　of　the

sovereignty；　all　powers　are　to　be　of　short　date；　and　conferred　through

election；　there　must　be　but　one　assembly；　elected　and　entirely　renewed

annually；　one　executive　council　elected　and　one…half　renewed　annually；

a　national　treasury…board　elected　and　one…third　renewed　annually；　all

local　administrations　and　tribunals　must　be　elected；　a　referendum　to

the　people；　the　electoral　body　endowed　with　the　initiative；　a　constant

appeal　to　the　sovereignty；　which；　always　consulted　and　always　active；

will　manifest　its　will　not　alone　by　the　choice　of　its　mandatories　but；

again；　through　〃the　censure〃　which　it　will　apply　to　the　laws　　such

is　the　Constitution　they　forge　for　themselves。＇41＇　　〃The　English

Constitution；〃　says　Condorcet；　〃is　made　for　the　rich；　that　of　America

for　citizens　well…off；　the　French　Constitution　should　be　made　for　all

men。〃　…　It　is；　for　this　reason；　the　only　legitimate　one；　every

institution　that　deviates　from　it　is　opposed　to　natural　rights　and；

therefore；　fit　only　to　be　put　down。…This　is　what　the　Girondists　have

done　during　the　Legislative　sessions；　we　know　how　they；　armed　with　the

illusions＇42＇　of　their　new　philosophy　and　triumphing　through　a　rigid；

rash　and　hasty　reason；　have



*　persecuted　Catholic　consciences；



*　violated　feudal　property；



*　encroached　on　the　legal　authority　of　the　King；



*　persecuted　the　remains　of　the　ancient　regime；



*　tolerated　crimes　committed　by　the　crowds；



*　even　plunged　France　into　an　European　war；



*　armed　even　the　paupers；



*　caused　the　overthrow　of　all　government。　…



As　far　as　his　Utopia　is　concerned；　the　Girondist　is　a　sectarian；　and

he　knows　no　scruples。



*　Little　does　he　care　that　nine　out　of　ten　electors　do　not　vote：　　he

regards　himself　as　the　authorized　representative　of　all　ten。



*　Little　does　he　care　whether　the　great　majority　of　Frenchmen　favor

the　Constitution　of　1791；　it　is　his　business　to　impose　on　them　his

own。



*　Little　does　he　care　whether　his　former　opponents；　King；　émigrés；

unsworn　ecclesiastics；　are　honorable　men　or　at　least　excusable；　he

will　launch　against　them　every　rigorous　legal　proceeding；

transportation；　confiscation；　civil　death　and　physical　death。＇43＇



In　his　own　eyes　he　is　the　justiciary；　and　his　investiture　is　bestowed

upon　him　by　eternal　right。　There　is　no　human　infatuation　so　pernicious

to　man　as　that　of　absolute　right；　nothing　is　better　calculated　for　the

destruction　in　him　of　the　hereditary　accumulation　of　moral

conceptions。　　　Within　the　narrow　bounds　of　their　creed；　however；　the

Girondins　are　sincere　and　consistent。　They　are　masters　of　their

formulae；　they　know　how　to　deduce　consequences　from　them；　they　believe

in　them　the　same　as　a　surveyor　in　his　theorems；　and　a　theologian　in

the　articles　of　his　faith；　they　are　anxious　to　apply　them；　to　devise　a

constitution；　to　establish　a　regular　government；　to　emerge　from　a

barbarous　state；　to　put　an　end　to　fighting　in　the　street；　to

pillaging；　to　murders；　to　the　sway　of　brutal　force　and　of　naked　arms。



The　disorder；　mover；　so　repugnant　to　them　as　logicians　is　still　more

repugnant　to　them　as　cultivated；　polished　men。　They　have　a　sense　of

what　is　proper；＇44＇　of　becoming　ways；　and　their　tastes　are　even

refined。　They　are　not　familiar　with；　nor　do　they　desire　to　imitate；

the　rude　manners　of　Danton；　his　coarse　language；　his　oaths；　and　his

low　associations　with　the　people。　They　have　not；　like　Robespierre；

gone　to　lodge　with　a　master　joiner；　to　live　him　and　eat　with　his

family。　Unlike　Pache；　Minister　of　War；　no　one　among　them　〃feels

honored〃　by　〃going　down　to　dine　with　his　porter；〃　and　by　sending　his

daughters　to　the　club　to　give　a　fraternal　kiss　to　drunken

Jacobins。＇45＇　　At　Madame　Roland's　house　there　is　a　salon；　although　it

is　stiff　and　pedantic；　Barbaroux　send　verses　to　a　marchioness；　who；

after　the　2nd　of　June；　elopes　with　him　to　Caen。＇46＇　　Condorcet　has

lived　in　high　society；　while　his　wife；　a　former　canoness；　possess　the

charms；　the　repose；　the　instruction；　and　the　elegance　of　an

accomplished　woman。　　Men　of　this　stamp　cannot　endure　close　alongside

of　them　the　inept　and　gross　dictatorship　of　an　armed　rabble。　In

providing　for　the　public　treasury　they　require　regular　taxes　and　not

tyrannical　confiscations。＇47＇　To　repress　the　malevolent　they　propose

〃punishment　and　not　banishment。〃＇48＇　　In　all　State　trials　they　oppose

irregular　courts；　and　strive　to　maintain　for　those　under　indictment

some　of　the　usual　safeguards。＇49＇　On　declaring　the　King　guilty　they

hesitate　in　pronouncing　the　sentence　of　death；　and　try　to　lighten

their　responsibility　by　appealing　to　the　people。　The　line　〃laws　and

not　blood；〃　was　a　line　which；　causing　a　stir　in　a　play　of　the　day；

presented　in　a　nutshell　their　political　ideas。　And；　naturally；　the

law；　especially　Republican　law；　is　the　law　of　all；　once　enacted；

nobody；　no　citizen；　no　city；　no　party；　can　refuse　to　obey　it　without

being　criminal。　It　is　monstrous　that　one　city　should　arrogate　to

itself　the　privilege　of　ruling　the　nation；　Paris；　like　other

departments；　should　be　reduced　to　its　on…eighty…third　proportion　of

influence。　It　is　monstrous　that；　in　a　capital　of　700；000　souls；　five

or　six　thousand　radical　Jacobins　should　oppress　the　sections　and　alone

elect　their　candidates；　in　the　sections　and　at　the　polls；　all

citizens；　at　least　all　republicans；　should　enjoy　an　equal　and　free

vote。　It　is　monstrous　that　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　should

be　used　to　cover　up　attacks　against　popular　sovereignty；　that；　under

the　pretense　of　saving　the　State；　the　first　that　comes　along　may　kill

whom　he　pleases；　that；　on　the　pretext　that　they　are　resisting

oppression；　each　mob　should　have　the　〃Right〃　to　put　the　government

down。　　Hence；　this　militant　〃Right〃　must　be　pacified；　enclosed

within　legal　boundaries；　and　subjected　to　a　fixed　process。＇50＇　Should

any　individual　desire　a　law；　a　reform　or　a　public　measure；　let　him

state　his　on　paper　over　his　own　signature　and　that　of　fifty　other

citizens　of　the　same　primary　assembly；　then　the　proposition　must　be

submitted　to　his　own　primary　assembly；　then　in　case　it　obtains　a

majority；　to　the　primary　assemblies　of　his　arrondissement；　　then；　in

case　of　a　majority；　t