the origins of contemporary france-3-第85部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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；　to　the　primary　assemblies　of　his　department；　then；

in　case　of　a　majority；　to　all　the　primary　assemblies　of　the　nation；　so

that　after　a　second　verdict　of　the　same　assemblies　twice　consulted；

the　Legislative　body；　yielding　to　the　majority　of　primary　suffrages；

may　dissolve　and　a　new　Legislative　body；　in　which　all　old　members

shall　be　declared　ineligible；　take　its　place。　　This　is　the　final

expression　and　the　master　idea；　of　the　theory。　Condorcet；　its　able

constructor；　has　outdone　himself。　Impossible　to　design　on　paper　a　more

ingenious　or　complicated　mechanism。　The　Girondists；　in　the　closing

article　of　this　faultless　constitution；　believe　that　they　have

discovered　a　way　to　muzzle　the　beast　and　allow　the　sovereign　people　to

fully　assert　their　rights。



As　if；　with　some　kind　of　constitution　and　especially　with　this　one；

one　could　muzzle　the　beast！　　As　if　it　was　in　the　mood　to　crane　the

neck　allowing　them　to　put　the　muzzle　on！　Robespierre；　on　behalf　of　the

Jacobins；　counters　with　a　clause　radically　opposed　to　the　one　drafted

by　Condorcet＇51＇：



〃　To　submit　'the　right　to　resist　oppression'　to　legal　formalities　is

the　ultimate　refinement　of　tyranny。　。　。　When　a　government　violates　the

people's　rights；　a　general　insurrection　of　the　people；　as　well　as

portions　of　the　people；　is　the　most　sacred　of　duties。〃



Political　orthodoxy；　close　reasoning；　and　oratorical　talent　are；

however；　no　weapon　against　this　ever…muttering　insurrection。



〃Our　philosophers；〃　says　a　good　observer；＇52＇　〃want　to　attain　their

ends　by　persuasion；　which　is　equivalent　to　saying　that　battles　may　be

won　by　eloquence；　fine　speeches；　and　plans　of　constitution。　Very　soon；

according　to　them；　。　。　。　。　　if　will　suffice　to　carry　complete　copies

of　Macchiavelli；　Rousseau　and　Montesquieu　into　battle　instead　of

cannon；　it　never　occurring　to　them　that　these　authors；　like　their

works；　never　were；　and　never　will　be；　anything　but　fools　when　put　up

against　a　cut…throat　provided　with　a　good　sword。〃



The　parliamentary　landscape　has　fallen　away；　things　have　returned　to　a

state　of　nature；　that　is；　to　a　state　of　war；　and　one　is　no　longer

concerned　with　debate　but　with　brute　force。　To　be　in　the　right；　to

convince　the　convention；　to　obtain　majorities；　to　pass　decrees；　would

be　appropriate　in　ordinary　times；　under　a　government　provided　with　an

armed　force　and　a　regular　administration；　by　which；　from　the　summits

of　public　authority；　the　decrees　of　a　majority　descend　through

submissive　functionaries　to　a　sympathetic　and　obedient　population。

But；　in　times　of　anarchy；　and　above　all；　in　the　den　of　the　Commune；　in

Paris；　such　as　the　10th　of　August　and　the　2nd　of　September　made　it；

all　this　is　of　no　account。





V。　The　Jacobins　forming　alone　the　Sovereign　People。



Opinion　in　Paris。　　The　majority　of　the　population　constitutional。　

The　new　régime　unpopular。　　Scarcity　and　high　cost　of　food。　…

Catholic　customs　obstructed。　…Universal　and　increasing　discontent。　

Aversion　or　indifference　to　the　Girondins。　　Political　resignation　of

the　majority。　　Modern　customs　incompatible　with　pure　democracy。　

Men　of　property　and　income；　manufacturers　and　tradesmen；　keep　aloof。　…

…　Dissension；　timidity；　　and　feebleness　of　the　Conservatives。　　The

Jacobins　alone　form　the　sovereign　people。



And　it　is　of　no　account　because；　first　of　all；　in　this　great　city　of

Paris　the　Girondists　are　isolated；　and　have　no　group　of　zealous

partisans　to　depend　upon。　For；　if　the　large　majority　is　opposed　to

their　adversaries；　that　is　not　in　their　favor；　it　having　secretly；　at

heart；　remained　〃Constitutionalists。〃＇53＇　　〃I　would　make　myself　master

of　Paris；〃　says　a　professional　observer；　〃in　ten　days　without　striking

a　blow　　if　I　had　but　six　thousand　men；　and　one　of　Lafayette's　stable…

boys　to　command　them。〃　Lafayette；　indeed；　since　the　departure　or

concealment　of　the　royalists；　represents　the　old；　fixed；　and　innermost

opinion　of　the　capital。　　Paris　submits　to　the　Girondists　as　well　as　to

the　Montagnards　as　usurpers；　the　mass　of　the　public　regards　them　with

ill…will；　and　not　only　the　bourgeoisie；　but　likewise　the　majority　of

the　people　loathe　the　established　government。



Work　is　scarce　and　food　is　dear；　brandy　has　tripled　in　price；　only

four　hundred　oxen　are　brought　in　at　the　Poissy　market　instead　of　seven

or　eight　thousand；　the　butchers　declare　that　there　will　be　no　meat　in

Paris　next　week　except　for　the　sick。＇54＇　　To　obtain　a　small　ration　of

bread　it　is　necessary　to　wait　five　or　six　hours　in　a　line　at　the

baker's　shops；　and；＇55＇　as　is　customary；　workmen　and　housekeepers

impute　all　this　to　the　government。　This　government；　which　so　poorly

provides　for　its　needs；　offends　them　yet　more　in　their　deepest

feelings；　in　the　habits　most　dear　to　them；　in　their　faith　and　worship。

The　common　people；　even　at　Paris；　is　still　at　this　time　very

religious；　much　more　so　than　at　the　present　day。　When　the　priest

bearing　the　Host　passes　along　the　street；　the　crowd　〃gathers　from　all

sides；　men；　women；　and　children；　young　and　old；　and　fall　on　their

knees　in　worship。〃＇56＇　　The　day　on　which　the　relics　of　saint　Leu　are

borne　in　procession　through　the　Rue　St。　Martin；　〃everybody　kneels；　I

did　not　see　a　man；〃　says　a　careful　observer；　〃that　did　not　take　off

his　hat。　　At　the　guard…house　of　the　Mauconseil　section；　the　entire

company　presented　arms。〃　At　the　same　time　the　〃citoyennes　around　the

markets　talked　with　each　other　to　know　if　there　was　any　way　of　decking

houses　with　tapestry。〃＇57＇　The　following　week　they　compel　the

revolutionary　committee　of　Saint…Eustache＇58＇　to　authorize　another

procession；　and　again　each　one　kneels：　〃everybody　approved　of　the

ceremony；　no　one；　that　I　heard　of；　making　any　objection。　This　is　a

striking　picture。　。　。　。　　I　saw　repentance；　I　saw　the　parallel　each　is

forced　to　draw　between　the　actual　state　of　things　and　the　former　one。

I　saw　what　a　privation　the　people　had　to　endure　in　the　loss　of　that

which；　formerly；　was　the　most　imposing　of　all　church　ceremonies。

People　of　all　ranks　and　ages　were　deeply　affected　and　humble；　and　many

had　tears　in　their　eyes。〃　　Now；　in　this　respect；　the　Girondists；　by

virtue　of　being　philosophers；　are　more　iconoclastic；　more　intolerant

than　any　one；　and　there　is　no　reason　for　preferring　them　to　their

adversaries。　At　bottom；　the　government　installed　by　the　recent

electoral　comedy；　for　the　major　portion　of　the　Parisians；　has　no

authority　but　the　fact　of　its　existence；　people　put　up　with　it　because

there　is　no　other；　fully　recognizing　its　worthlessness；＇59＇　it　is　a

government　of　strangers；　of　interlopers；　of　bunglers；　of　cantankerous；

weak　and　violent　persons。　　　The　Convention　has　no　hold　either　on　the

people　or　on　the　bourgeois　class；　and　in　proportion　as　it　glides　more

rapidly　down　the　revolutionary　hill；　it　breaks　one　by　one　the　ties

with　which　it　is　still　connected　to　the　undecided。



In　a　reign　of　eight　months　the　Convention　has　alienated　public　opinion

entirely。　〃Almost　all　who　have　property　of　any　kind　are

conservative；〃＇60＇　and　all　the　conservatives　are　against　it。　〃The

gendarmes　here　openly　speak　up　against　the　Revolution；　even　up　to　the

revolutionary　tribunal；　whose　judgments　they　loudly　condemn。　All　the

old　soldiers　detest　the　actual　order　of　things。〃＇61＇　　The　volunteers

〃who　come　back　from　the　army　appear　angry　at　putting　the　King　to

death；　and　on　that　account　they　would　flay　all　the　Jacobins。〃＇62＇　

No　party　in　the　Convention　escapes　this　universal　disaffection　and

growing　aversion。　〃If　the　question　of　guillotining　the　members　of　the

Convention　could　be　put　to　an　open　vote；　it　would　be　carried　against

them　by　a　majority　of　nineteen…twentieths；〃＇63＇　which；　in　fact；　is

about　the　proportion　of　electors　who；　through　fright　or　disgust；　keep

away　from　the　polls。　Let　the　〃Right〃　or　the　〃Left〃　of　the　Convention

be　victors　or　vanquished；　that　is　a　matter　which　concerns　them；　the

public　at　large　does　not　enter　into　the　discussions　of　its　conquerors；

and　no　longer　cares　for　either　Gironde　or　〃Mountain。〃　Its　old

grievances　always　revive　〃against　the　Vergniauds；　Guadets〃　and

company；＇64＇　it　does　not　like　them；　and　has　no　confidence　in　them；　and

will　let　them　be　crushed　without　helping　them。　The　infuriates　may

expel　the　Thirty…Two；　if　they　choose；　and　put　them　under　lock　and　key。

〃There　is　nothing　the　aristocracy　（meaning　by　this；　owners　of

property；　merchants；　bankers；　the　rich；　and　the　well…to…do）；　desire　so

much　as　to　see　them　guillotined。〃＇65＇　'Even　the　inferior　aristocracy

（meaning　petty　tradesmen　and　head…workmen）　take　no　more　interest　in

their　fate　than　if　they　were　so　many　escaped　wild　beasts　　。　　。　　。

again　caught　and　put　in　their　cages。〃＇66＇　〃Guadet；　Pétion；　Brissot；

would　not　find　thirty　persons　in　Paris　who　would　take　their　part；　or

even　take　the　first　step　to　save　them。〃＇67＇



Apart　from　all　this；　it　makes　little　difference　whether　the　majority

has　any　preferences；　its　sympathies；　if　it　has　any；　will　never　be

other　than　platonic。　It　no　longer　counts　for　anything　in　either　camp；

it　has　withdrawn　from　the　battle…field；　it　is　now　simply　the　stakes　of

the　conflict；　the　prey　and　the　booty　of　the　winner。　For；　unable　or

unwilling　to　comply　with　the　political　system　imposed　on　it；　it　is

self…condemned　to　utter　powerlessness。　　This　system　is　the　direct

government　of　the　people　by　the　people；　with　all　that　ensues；

permanence　of　the　section　assemblies；　club　debates　in　public；　uproar

in　the　galleries；　motions　in　the　open　air；　mobs　and　manifestations　in

the　streets；　nothing　is　less　attractive　and　more　impracticable　to

civilized　and　busy　people。　In　our　modern　communities；　work；　the

family；　and　social　intercourse　absorb　nearly　all　our　time；　hence；　such

a　system　suits　only　the　idle　and　rough　outcasts　who　feel　at　home

there；　the